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LoL World Championship 2026 Preview: Dates, Venues & Format
The 2026 League of Legends World Championship, known in esports simply as 'Worlds', is the sixteenth edition of the tournament, which was first held in 2011. It runs from 15 October to 14 November 2026, with T1 arriving as three-time defending champions.
When is LoL Worlds 2026?
LoL Worlds 2026 starts on 15 October with the Play-In stage and finishes with the Grand Final on 14 November. Here is the schedule stage by stage:
| Stage | Dates | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Play-In | 15-18 October | Riot Games Arena, Los Angeles |
| Swiss Stage | 23-31 October | Credit Union of Texas Event Center, Allen, Texas |
| Quarter-Finals | 3-6 November | Credit Union of Texas Event Center, Allen, Texas |
| Semi-Finals | 7-8 November | Credit Union of Texas Event Center, Allen, Texas |
| Grand Final | 14 November | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York City |
Where is LoL Worlds 2026 being held?
Last year's tournament took place in China (Beijing, Shanghai & Chengdu), but the 2026 edition moves to the United States. The Play-In stage is in Los Angeles, the Swiss stage and knockout rounds are in Allen, Texas, and the Grand Final will be hosted at the Barclays Center in New York City.
How do teams qualify for LoL Worlds 2026?
Nineteen teams are competing this year. Seventeen places are awarded through the regional leagues (three each for the LCK, LPL, LEC, LCS and LCP, and two for CBLOL), and the final two places are linked to the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational.
The format works as follows:
- Play-In: four teams play a best-of-five double-elimination bracket, and the winner joins the Swiss stage.
- Swiss stage: sixteen teams play until they reach three wins (qualified) or three losses (eliminated), and the eight qualifiers move into the knockouts.
- Knockout stage: single-elimination, best-of-five matches lead to the Grand Final.
Where can I watch LoL Worlds 2026?
You have two options for watching LoL Worlds: you can stream the matches on the official Riot Games Twitch channel or on the official LoL Esports YouTube channel.
Where can I bet on LoL Worlds 2026?
If you are looking to back a team at Worlds, our guide below compares UKGC-licensed esports bookmakers. Please gamble responsibly.
Best Esports Betting Sites | Find The Top Esports UK Bookmakers
What Is League of Legends (LoL)? How the Game Works
League of Legends, often shortened to LoL, is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game developed and published by Riot Games and first released in October 2009. It has always been free to play, with Riot generating revenue through optional purchases that customise your characters, such as skins.
The objective is simple. Two teams of five players face off, and each player controls a 'Champion', a character with its own unique abilities. The teams work together to destroy the opposition's 'Nexus', a structure within the enemy base, and the first team to do so wins the game.
Champions become stronger as a match progresses. Players earn experience to level up and improve their abilities, and they collect gold to buy items that boost their Champion's stats.
League of Legends is one of the most widely followed esports, with leagues and tournaments held around the world, and the game's popularity in North America is reflected by broadcasters such as ESPN having shown matches.
Who are the Previous LoL World Championship Winners?
Asian teams have dominated the League of Legends World Championship. In the fifteen tournaments held so far, Fnatic's win in the inaugural 2011 event is the only title to go to a non-Asian team. The next fourteen champions were all Asian, and ten of them were from South Korea.
| 2011-2025 | Total | Asian Teams | South Korean Teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| Champions | 15 | 14 | 10 |
| Finalists | 30 | 26 | 17 |
T1 are the most successful team in the tournament's history. They have six titles and have won the last three in a row, so a victory in 2026 would make them the first team to win four consecutive World Championships. Gen.G are the only other multiple winner, having won in 2014 and 2017 under the names Samsung White and Samsung Galaxy.
Last ten LoL Worlds champions
| Year | Champions | Score | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | T1 | 3-2 | KT Rolster |
| 2024 | T1 | 3-2 | Bilibili Gaming |
| 2023 | T1 | 3-0 | Weibo Gaming |
| 2022 | DRX | 3-2 | T1 |
| 2021 | Edward Gaming | 3-2 | DWG KIA |
| 2020 | Damwon Gaming | 3-1 | Suning |
| 2019 | FunPlus Phoenix | 3-0 | G2 Esports |
| 2018 | Invictus Gaming | 3-0 | Fnatic |
| 2017 | Samsung Galaxy | 3-0 | SK Telecom T1 |
| 2016 | SK Telecom T1 | 3-2 | Samsung Galaxy |
Team names are shown as they were at the time. SK Telecom T1 is now T1, Samsung Galaxy is now Gen.G, and Damwon Gaming competed as DWG KIA in 2021 before becoming Dplus KIA.
LoL Worlds winners by number of titles
| Team | Titles | Winning Years |
|---|---|---|
| T1 | 6 | 2013, 2015, 2016, 2023, 2024, 2025 |
| Gen.G | 2 | 2014, 2017 |
| Fnatic | 1 | 2011 |
| Taipei Assassins | 1 | 2012 |
| Invictus Gaming | 1 | 2018 |
| FunPlus Phoenix | 1 | 2019 |
| Dplus KIA (Damwon Gaming) | 1 | 2020 |
LoL Worlds 2025 Final Highlights: T1 vs KT Rolster
T1 beat KT Rolster 3-2 in the 2025 final in Chengdu to win a third consecutive World Championship and their sixth title overall. Watch the highlights from all five games below.
About the Author
This LoL World Championship preview is written and maintained by Andy Powell, who updates the schedule, format and results as the tournament progresses.
About the author & editor
More Esports Betting Previews
Looking for more esports coverage? Here are the other esports tournament previews on OLBG:
- CS:GO BLAST Premier
- Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS)
- Dota 2 The International
- PUBG Global Championship
You can find more in our esports betting blogs, or read our esports betting guide if you are new to betting on esports.
