2026 League of Legends World Championship Set to Begin on October 16
Written with artificial intelligence.
The 2026 League of Legends World Championship will kick off on October 16 in Los Angeles, featuring four teams from the Korean LCK: Gen.G, Hanwha Life Esports, T1, and Dplus Kia. The tournament will span multiple locations, including Texas and New York, and will conclude with the finals on November 15.
Tournament Details
Riot Games has announced that the 2026 League of Legends World Championship will start on October 16 in Los Angeles. This prestigious international esports event will feature four teams from the Korean League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK): Gen.G, Hanwha Life Esports, T1, and Dplus Kia.
The World Championship will see 19 teams from six regions competing across various venues in the United States, including Los Angeles, Allen, Texas, and Brooklyn, New York, over approximately one month. The initial phase, known as the Play-In Stage, will take place from October 16 to 19 at the Riot Games Arena in Los Angeles, with teams from the Asia-Pacific (LCP), Europe, Middle East, and Africa (LEC), North America (LCS), and Brazil (CBLOL) participating.
LCK teams will begin their matches in the Swiss Stage from October 24 in Allen, Texas. The Swiss Stage will feature teams with similar records competing against each other, and eight teams with three victories will advance to the knockout stage, culminating in the finals. The knockout stage matches will be played in a best-of-five format.
Historically, the LCK has been dominant in the World Championship, winning 10 titles out of 15 attempts. Should an LCK team claim victory this year, it would mark their fifth consecutive win and 11th overall. The finals are scheduled for November 15 at 4 AM KST at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.