Worlds 2026 Swiss Stage seeding: Who will have to go through the Play-In?

The 2026 World Championship will take place in the United States from October 15 to November 14, with 19 teams from around the world set to compete. In this article, find out how each region’s seeds will be distributed.

Worlds Trophy. Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games

Four teams will compete in the Play-In, with only one advancing to the Main Stage

The 2026 League of Legends World Championship will take place from October 15 to November 14 across three stages. It will begin with the Play-In at the Riot Games Arena in Los Angeles, followed by the Swiss Stage, Quarterfinals and Semifinals at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center, before heading to New York for the Grand Final at Barclays Center, in front of nearly 19,000 fans.

A total of 19 teams will compete at Worlds, but only 16 will advance to the Main Stage. The regional seed distribution is detailed in the Rulebook since August 31, and will be as follows:

Pool 1:

LCK 1st Seed
LPL 1st Seed
LCS 1st Seed
LEC 1st Seed

Pool 2:

LCP 1st Seed (Team Secret Whales)
CBLOL 1st Seed
LCK 2nd Seed
LPL 2nd Seed

Pool 3:

LCS 2nd Seed
LEC 2nd Seed
LCK 3rd Seed
LPL 3rd Seed

Pool 4:

LCP 2nd Seed (CTBC Flying Oyster)
LPL 4th Seed
LCK 4th Seed
Play-In Winner

Play-In Format & Distribution

The Play-In will feature a double-elimination bracket with all series played as best-of-five (BO5), with only one team advancing to the Main Stage:

LCS 3rd Seed
LEC 3rd Seed
CBLOL 2nd Seed
LCP 3rd Seed (MVK Esports)

Swiss Stage and Knockout Format

The Swiss Stage will once again consist of five rounds, with matches between teams from the same region prohibited. Rematches will also not be possible, and draws will take place after the conclusion of each round. Teams will need three wins to qualify, while three losses will result in elimination. All matches will be played as BO1s except for qualification and elimination matches, which will be BO3s.

The Knockout Stage will see the eight qualified teams compete in a single-elimination bracket, with all matches played as BO5s. A total of $5 million will be up for grabs, with $1 million going to the winner, $800,000 to the runner-up, $400,000 each for the semifinalists, and $300,000 for each quarterfinalist. The remaining $1.2 million will be distributed among the other 11 teams based on their final standings.

So far, seven teams have already qualified. Gen.G, T1 and Hanwha Life Esports will represent the LCK for sure, although their seeding is yet to be determined. The final Korean spot will be contested between Dplus KIA, BNK FEARX and KT Rolster. In China, Bilibili Gaming will be part of the competition as at least the No. 2 seed. Meanwhile, the LCP will send Team Secret Whales as the No. 1 seed, CFO as the No. 2 seed, and MVK as the No. 3 seed.