LoL Worlds 2026: Dates, Venues, Teams, Format
LoL Worlds 2026 runs 15 Oct to 14 Nov in Los Angeles, Allen (Texas) and New York: qualified teams, stage dates, the Swiss format and the $5M prize pool.
The 2026 League of Legends World Championship runs from 15 October to 14 November 2026 in the United States. The Play-In is in Los Angeles, the Swiss stage and knockout rounds are in Allen, Texas, and the grand final is at the Barclays Center in New York City on 14 November. Nineteen teams compete for a $5,000,000 prize pool, on patch 26.20. The facts on this page come from Liquipedia's Worlds 2026 page, checked on 30 September 2026.
This page used to carry power rankings and a predicted champion. We have replaced them with what is confirmed: dates, venues, qualified teams and format.
Key facts
| Worlds 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 15 October – 14 November 2026 |
| Play-In | 15–18 October, Riot Games Arena, Los Angeles |
| Swiss stage | 23–26 and 28–31 October, Credit Union of Texas Event Center, Allen, Texas |
| Knockout stage | 3–8 November and 14 November; grand final at Barclays Center, New York City |
| Teams | 19 |
| Prize pool | $5,000,000 |
| Patch | 26.20 |
Qualified teams
| Region | Teams |
|---|---|
| LCK (Korea) | Gen.G, Hanwha Life Esports, T1, Dplus |
| LPL (China) | Anyone's Legend, Bilibili Gaming, Top Esports, Invictus Gaming |
| LEC (EMEA) | G2 Esports, Movistar KOI, Karmine Corp |
| LCS (North America) | Team Liquid, Cloud9, LYON |
| LCP (Asia-Pacific) | Secret Whales, CTBC Flying Oyster, MVK Esports |
| CBLOL (Brazil) | LOS, plus one team still to be decided between LLL and FURIA when we checked |
Two details from the qualification notes: Hanwha Life Esports qualified as Mid-Season Invitational 2026 champions, and the LPL earned its fourth slot, taken by Invictus Gaming, by finishing as the second-best region at MSI.
Format
- Play-In (15–18 October): four teams in a double-elimination bracket, every match best of five with Fearless Draft. The winner joins the Swiss stage.
- Swiss stage (23–26 and 28–31 October): sixteen teams over five rounds. Three wins qualify a team for the knockouts; three losses eliminate it. Elimination and qualification matches are best of three, all others best of one, with Fearless Draft throughout.
- Knockout stage (3–8 November and 14 November): eight teams in a single-elimination bracket, every match best of five with Fearless Draft. Teams that went 3-0 in the Swiss stage are drawn against teams that went 3-2.
Fearless Draft means a champion picked by either team earlier in a series cannot be picked again in that series, so deep champion pools matter more in long series. For how gold and objectives translate into winning chances inside a single game, see our LoL gold lead guide.
Prize money
Liquipedia lists the split as a share of the $5,000,000 pool: 20% to the champion, 16% to the runner-up, 8% each to the semi-finalists, 6% each to the quarter-finalists, then 3.5% (9th–11th), 2.5% (12th–14th), 1.8% (15th–16th), 1% (17th), 0.8% (18th) and 0.6% (19th).
How to follow it
Riot broadcasts Worlds on the LoL Esports channels on Twitch, YouTube and Kick, with the full schedule on LoL Esports. For the other big events this autumn, see our Valorant Champions 2026 guide and the 2026 CS2 Majors.
If you bet on League of Legends, compare LoL markets at Thunderpick and another book. 18+, gamble responsibly.
Frequently asked questions
Q: When and where is LoL Worlds 2026? A: From 15 October to 14 November 2026 in the United States: the Play-In in Los Angeles, the Swiss stage and knockouts in Allen, Texas, and the grand final at the Barclays Center in New York City on 14 November.
Q: How many teams are at Worlds 2026? A: Nineteen. Four play the Play-In, whose winner joins fifteen directly qualified teams in the sixteen-team Swiss stage.
Q: What is the Worlds 2026 prize pool? A: $5,000,000, with 20% for the champion and 16% for the runner-up, according to Liquipedia.
Q: What is Fearless Draft? A: A drafting rule in which a champion picked earlier in a series cannot be picked again by either team in that series. Every Worlds 2026 stage uses it.
Related reading: LoL Worlds 2026 Betting Guide — Teams, Markets & Tips
SOURCES
- LoL Esports (lolesports.com)
