Riot Games announces details of the schedule and format for MSI 2026 and Worlds 2026.

Riot Games has officially confirmed key information regarding the venues, formats, schedules, and ticket details for the two biggest international League of Legends tournaments of the year: MSI 2026 and Worlds 2026.

MSI 2026 will be held in Daejeon, marking the first time a League of Legends esports event has come to the city. The tournament will take place at the Daejeon Convention Center II from June 28th to July 12th, immediately following the conclusion of the First Stand 2026 and the regional season two tournaments.

The Play-In phase will run from June 28th to July 1st. This will be followed by the Bracket Round on July 3-6 and July 8-12. The Winners Bracket Final is scheduled for July 9th, the Losers Bracket Final for July 11th, and the Grand Final will conclude the tournament on July 12th.

In terms of format, MSI 2026 remains largely unchanged from last year, except for adjustments in the Play-In Stage. Four teams will compete in a double-elimination bracket to secure a single spot in the Group Stage.

Seven teams will receive a wildcard entry into the Bracket, including the number one seed from each region and the number two seed from the two regions with the highest rankings in the First Stand tournament. A total of 11 teams will participate: two representatives from each of the LCK, LCS, LCP, LEC, and LPL regions, along with one representative from CBLOL.

Worlds 2026 will officially return to North America with 19 top teams. The tournament format will largely remain the same as Worlds 2025, with minor changes limited to the Play-In Stage and regional seed allocation. Notably, the CBLOL region will receive an additional slot under the new allocation rules.

The roster will include three representatives from each of the LCK, LCS, LCP, LEC, and LPL regions, two teams from CBLOL, the MSI champion, and an additional team from the region with the second-best performance at MSI. In the Play-In Stage, the four teams will compete in a double-elimination format to determine a single team that will advance to the Swiss Round.

The tournament will kick off with the Play-In Round at the Riot Games Arena in Los Angeles from October 15-18. Following that, the event will move to the Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen, Texas for the Swiss Round, as well as the Playoffs from November 3-8. The Quarterfinals are scheduled for November 3-6, the Semifinals for November 7-8. Finally, the Grand Finals will take place on November 14 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.