This has been the reward for the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) champion for the past few seasons. Winning the tournament grants an automatic qualification to the World Championship later in the year, provided the team reaches the Summer Split Playoffs in its domestic league.
That is the privilege now awarded to
. On top of securing their own path to Worlds,
their victory at MSI 2026 in Daejon this Sunday also earns the
League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) a fourth seed, which will qualify directly for Worlds Main Stage.
LCK in the spotlight
This rule was introduced in 2024, and since then the MSI title has been won twice by
and most recently by HLE. As a result, only the LCK has benefited from the automatic Worlds qualification awarded to the MSI champion.
The champion region and second-best performing region also receives a fourth seed, but unlike the LCK's, it must begin its Worlds campaign in the Play-In Stage. This year again, that additional seed belongs to the
League of Legends Pro League (LPL).
This year's Play-In Stage will feature the third seeds from the LEC, LCP, and LCS, alongside the LPL's fourth seed. It is a
significant improvement over last year's format, which saw
and
face off in a best-of-five to determine who would advance to the Main Stage.
That format resulted in one of the tournament's strongest teams being eliminated before the Main Stage had even begun. This year's Play-In should offer a more balanced and competitive path to qualification while still rewarding the major regions for their international performances.
A Summer Split within HLE's reach
The
LCK Summer Split regular season will resume on July 29 and run through August 23, kicking off with a Telecom War on opening day. As a reminder, the league's ten teams have been split into two groups: T1, HLE, Gen.G,
, and
in one group, with the remaining five teams in the other.
Teams will carry over their Spring Split records into the second phase of the season. Having finished first in Spring, HLE begin with a 15-3 record, while T1 and Gen.G sit at 14-4, KT Rolster at 13-5, and Dplus KIA at 11-7. The reigning MSI champions could therefore lock in a playoff berth very early in the split, potentially within the opening weeks, depending on DK’s results, officially securing their place at Worlds.
