Sources: WSCI Group Stage draw revealed for inaugural edition.

The group stage draw for the first-ever World Star Challengers Invitational (WSCI) has been finalized. Sources familiar with the draw have exclusively shared the groups with Sheep Esports. The first-ever global Tier 2 tournament will bring together 16 teams from different regions and is scheduled to take place from September 20 to October 2. The first eight games will be played this Sunday, with no scheduling conflict.

The teams have been divided into four groups of four. The expected WSCI 2026 group stage draw is as follows:

Per sources, the draw was decided at random with the following ruleset:

Riot Games and TJ Sports joined forces to create the WSCI, a new international competition designed to put Tier 2 teams from different regions on a global stage. TJ Sports, which organizes the LPL and Asia Masters, will work alongside Riot Games on the tournament.

The competition will feature 16 teams divided into four groups of four, following a format previously used at Worlds. Each group will play a double round-robin of best-of-one matches, with the top two teams advancing to the knockout stage. The remaining eight teams will then compete in best-of-five series throughout the knockout phase.

For the group draw, participating teams are divided into three pools. Each group consists of one team from Pool 1, one from Pool 2 and two from Pool 3. Teams from Pools 1 and 2 representing the same region cannot be drawn into the same group, while no group can contain more than two teams from the same region.

Each region was given freedom to determine its own qualification process for the tournament. China will send three teams to the tournament, with EDward Gaming Youth Team, Bilibili Gaming Junior, and ZSK all securing their spots through the Chinese qualifier.

South Korea will be represented by four teams: T1 Esports Academy, KT Challengers, SOOPers Challengers and Dplus Challengers. Dplus Challengers, however, secured its place through its victory at Asia Masters.

EMEA will have three representatives at the WSCI. Galions and Solary qualified through their performances in the first two editions of EMEA Masters, while MKOI Fénix secured its spot through the EMEA qualifier.

The Americas region will also send three teams. Vivo Keyd Stars Academy will represent Brazil as the sole Circuito Desafiante representative after advancing the furthest in the championship. Fuego qualified through the Americas qualifier, while Cupid eSports earned its spot through the NACL Summer.

The remaining three representatives come from the Asian regional leagues. Saigon Warriors qualified through the VCS Summer, CFO Academy through the PCS Summer and FENNEL through the LJL Summer Championship.