League of Legends Worlds 2026: Everything You Need to Know — Teams, Format, Schedule, and Prize Pool
The 2026 League of Legends Worlds brings together the best teams from across the global competitive scene for the final and most prestigious tournament of the season. With 19 teams representing six regions and the Summoner's Cup on the line, League of Legends Worlds 2026 takes place across three cities in the United States from October 15 to November 14, 2026, culminating in a Grand Final at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
League of Legends Worlds 2026 Overview
Dates: October 15 to November 14, 2026
Locations: Los Angeles, Allen (Texas), and New York City
Teams: 19
Prize Pool: Expected to match Worlds 2025 at $5,000,000 USD (to be officially confirmed by Riot Games)
Draft Format: Fearless Draft active in all Best-of-Three and Best-of-Five series
League of Legends Worlds 2026 Schedule and Venues
Play-In Stage: October 15 to 18 — Riot Games Arena, Los Angeles, California
Swiss StageOctober 23 to 26 and October 28 to 31 — Credit Union of Texas Event Center, Allen, Texas
Knockout Stage: November 3 to 8 — Credit Union of Texas Event Center, Allen, Texas
Quarterfinals: November 3 to 6
Semifinals: November 7 to 8
Grand Final: November 14 — Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
All 19 Qualified Teams at League of Legends Worlds 2026
LCK (South Korea)
Gen.G
Hanwha Life Esports
T1
Dplus KIA
LPL (China)
Anyone's Legend
Bilibili Gaming
Top Esports
Shanghai Invictus Gaming Meituan
LEC (EMEA)
G2 Esports
Movistar KOI
Karmine Corp
LCS (North America)
Cloud9 Kia
Team Liquid Alienware
LYON
LCP (Asia Pacific)
Team Secret Whales
CTBC Flying Oyster
MVK Esports
CBLOL (Brazil)
LØS
FURIA
League of Legends Worlds 2026 Format
Fearless Draft
All Best-of-Three and Best-of-Five series at League of Legends Worlds 2026 use Fearless Draft. Any champion picked by either team in an earlier game of a series becomes unavailable to both teams for the rest of it — meaning a Best-of-Five that goes the distance removes up to 40 champions from the pool by Game 5. Worlds 2025 was the first edition to use Fearless Draft, and 2026 continues the format.
Play-In Stage
Four teams compete in a double-elimination bracket, with every match played as a Best-of-Five. Only one team advances from the Play-In to join the 15 directly qualified teams in the Swiss Stage. The other three are eliminated.
Swiss Stage
The Swiss Stage features 16 teams — the 15 direct qualifiers plus the Play-In winner — competing across five rounds. Teams that reach three wins advance to the Knockout Stage. Teams that suffer three losses are eliminated. No rematches are permitted throughout the Swiss Stage.
Qualification and elimination matches are Best-of-Three. All other Swiss Stage matches are Best-of-One, with matchups drawn at the end of each round.
Knockout Stage
The eight teams that advance from the Swiss Stage enter a single-elimination bracket consisting of Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and the Grand Final. All Knockout Stage matches are Best-of-Five. The winner is crowned the 2026 League of Legends World Champion.
League of Legends Worlds 2026 Prize Pool
The prize pool for League of Legends Worlds 2026 is expected to match or exceed Worlds 2025's record $5,000,000 USD, with the official figure to be confirmed by Riot Games closer to the event. The Worlds 2025 prize distribution breakdown gives an indication of how the funds are likely to be allocated:
1st place: $1,000,000
2nd place: $800,000
3rd to 4th place: $400,000 each
5th to 8th place: $300,000 each
9th to 11th place: $175,000 each
12th to 14th place: $125,000 each
15th to 16th place: $90,000 each
17th place: $50,000
18th place: $40,000
19th place: $30,000
As with previous editions, 25% of sales from designated Worlds in-game items including the Championship skin and Worlds Pass contribute to the prize pool, with 25% of revenue from the World Champion skin shared between the winning organisation, the players, and the regional league.
## Teams and Players to Watch at League of Legends Worlds 2026
T1 will once again attract the most attention at League of Legends Worlds 2026, their international pedigree and history at the World Championship continuing to set the benchmark for the entire field. Gen.G carry the LCK's hopes alongside them as Korea looks to maintain its position at the top of the international scene.
The LPL arrives with four representatives — Bilibili Gaming, Anyone's Legend, Top Esports, and Invictus Gaming — as China looks to close the gap after falling short in 2025. In EMEA, G2 Esports return as the region's most prominent contender, while Team Liquid, Cloud9, and LYON carry the added motivation of competing in front of a home crowd in North America.
Beyond the major regions, Team Secret Whales, CTBC Flying Oyster, and MVK Esports from the LCP alongside LØS and FURIA from CBLOL bring their own storylines. For these teams, League of Legends Worlds 2026 represents more than another international appearance — it is a chance to challenge established expectations and leave a mark on the tournament's history.
Pick'Ems and In-Game Content
Fans can make their Worlds 2026 predictions through Pick'Ems at lolesports.com/pickems or directly in the League of Legends client. The featured skin for League of Legends Worlds 2026 is True Damage Know My Name Yasuo, with additional Worlds merchandise available through the official Riot Games store.
## Where to Watch League of Legends Worlds 2026
All matches will be broadcast free of charge on Riot Games' official channels:
Twitch: twitch.tv/riotgames
YouTube: youtube.com/@LoLEsports
TikTok: @lolesports
X: @lolesports
Instagram: @lolesports
The full co-streamer lineup for League of Legends Worlds 2026 will be announced by Riot Games closer to the start of the tournament.
