The most recent Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) 2023 just concluded with Evil Geniuses coming out on top after being the underdogs for the majority of the year. However, Riot Games is not stopping there. Now that VCT is done for the year, it’s now time for the League of Legends World Championship 2023. Here’s everything you need to know.
The League of Legends World Championship, commonly referred to as Worlds, represents the highest echelon of competitive LoL Esports. Taking place in a different host region annually, the tournament draws qualified teams from professional leagues worldwide. This year, Worlds will be hosted in South Korea with the theme “THE GRIND. THE GLORY.”
League of Legends World Championship 2023 schedule
Worlds 2023 begins with the Play-In Stage on October 10 at LoL Park in Seoul, Korea. The revamped Worlds format will include 22 teams, divided into three distinct stages of competition: the Play-In Stage, the Swiss Stage, and the Knockout Stage, comprising the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Finals. A comprehensive breakdown of each stage is provided below.
Alternatively, you can check out this explainer video:
Play-In Stage
Worlds 2023 will start with the Play-In stage, featuring the top two seeds from VCS and PCS, the first seed from LLA, CBLOL, and LJL, as well as the victor of the Worlds Qualifying Series on October 9 between LCS’s Golden Guardians (GG) and the LEC’s Team BDS (BDS). These eight teams have been divided into two double-elimination brackets, competing in a series of best-of-three matches.
The highest-ranked team from each bracket will then compete against the second-placed team from the opposing bracket in a final series of best-of-five matches. The victors of these will secure their spots on the Swiss Stage.
The Play-In Stage matches will be on October 10-15 at LoL Park in Seoul, Korea. Matches will begin at 3 pm PHT.
Swiss Stage
The two winning Play-In Stage teams will join the top 3 seeded teams from LEC and LCS, along with the top 4 seeded teams from the LCK and LPL. These teams will be categorized into four draw pools: 1 Seeds, 2 Seeds, 3 Seeds, and 4 Seeds, in addition to the Play-In Qualifiers. The initial matchups will involve 8 best-of-one matches, following a seeding-based approach where Pool 1 teams will face off against Pool 4 teams, and Pool 2 teams will compete against Pool 3 teams.
Teams from the same region will not clash in the first round. Subsequently, a second draw will determine matchups for the next round, pairing teams with similar records without restrictions. This process will continue for three more rounds, with teams accumulating three wins to progress or facing elimination with three losses.
Finally, 8 teams will advance to the Knockout stage. While the initial rounds are best-of-one matches, advancement, and elimination rounds will be best-of-three. Throughout the Swiss Stage, side selection will be based on the initial draw pool, with the higher pool enjoying preference. In cases where teams from the same draw pool face each other, side selection will be decided through a coin flip.
The Swiss Stage will be on October 19-23 and 26-29 at KBS Arena in Seoul, Korea. Matches will begin at 3 pm PHT.
Knockout Stage
Knockout matches will consist of Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Finals. During this, the tournament becomes a single-elimination, where all matches are contested in a best-of-five format. Quarterfinal matchups will be determined through an on-stage draw following the conclusion of the Swiss Stage. In this draw, teams that advanced with an impeccable 3-0 record will face off against teams that secured their spot with a 3-2 record. The remaining teams will then be paired with one another.
Matches will begin at 4 pm PHT. The Quarterfinals are scheduled for November 2-5, and the Semifinals will follow on November 11-12, with both events set to take place at the Sajik Indoor Gymnasium in Busan.
When all is said and done, 2 teams will duke it out in Summoner’s Rift one last time to be crowned 2023 World Champions on November 19. The Finals will take place at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, the largest indoor venue in South Korea and the home of the Seoul-based baseball team, Kiwoom Heroes.
The competing teams at Worlds 2023
This year, 22 teams will be battling it out with hopes of becoming LoL world champions. A region’s seeds are determined by past international and regional performances. Regions with a strong track record often secure direct entry to the Swiss Stage for some or all of their seeds, while other regions receive fewer seeds and may start their Worlds journey in the Play-In Stage.
CHINA – LPL
1st Seed: JDG Intel Esports Club (JDG)
2nd Seed: Bilibili Gaming Pingan Bank (BLG)
3rd Seed: LNG Esports (LNG)
4th Seed: Weibo Gaming Faw Audi (WBG)
KOREA – LCK
1st Seed: Gen.G (GEN)
2nd Seed: T1 (T1)
3rd Seed: KT Rolster (KT)
4th Seed: Dplus KIA (DK)
EUROPE – LEC
1st Seed: G2 Esports (G2)
2nd Seed: Fnatic (FNC)
3rd Seed: MAD Lions (MAD)
NORTH AMERICA – LCS
1st Seed: NRG (NRG)
2nd Seed: Cloud9 (C9)
3rd Seed: Team Liquid Honda (TL)
SOUTHEAST ASIA – PCS
1st Seed: PSG.Talon (PSG)
2nd Seed: CTBC Flying Oyster (CFO)
VIETNAM – VCS
1st Seed: GAM Esports (GAM)
2nd Seed: Team Whales (TW)
BRAZIL – CBLOL
LOUD (LLL)
JAPAN – LJL
DetonatioN FocusMe (DFM)
LATIN AMERICA – LLA
Movistar R7 (R7)
Want to dress up for the occasion? Worlds 2023 merchandise will be available for fans around the world. The collection will include figures, apparel, and accessories. You’ll be able to purchase any of them starting October 3 through these links: