LoL Worlds 2026 Shanghai: schedule, 16 teams, format, $3.2M prize pool

League of Legends Worlds 2026 runs September 25 - October 31, 2026 in Shanghai, China. The 16-team, $3.2M prize-pool tournament is the first Worlds in China since the 2020 Shanghai event (delayed to 2021 due to COVID).

This is the 16th LoL Worlds championship. The tournament is produced by PGL (the same production company as PGL Major Bucharest 2026).

The 16 qualified teams

The 16 teams come from 5 regional leagues:

• LPL (China): 4 teams
• LCK (Korea): 4 teams
• LEC (Europe): 3 teams
• LCS (North America):

3 teams

• PCS + VCS + minor:

2 teams combined

The favorites

Per the LPL Summer 2026 standings (the most-recent major), the top contenders:

• Bilibili Gaming (LPL

#1 seed, +12 in Summer Playoffs)

• JD Gaming (LPL #2 seed,

+8 in Summer Playoffs)

• T1 (LCK #1 seed, +10

in LCK Summer)

• Gen.G (LCK #2 seed,

+6 in LCK Summer)

• G2 Esports (LEC #1

seed, +9 in LEC Summer)

• Fnatic (LEC #2 seed,

+7 in LEC Summer)

• Team Liquid (LCS #1

seed, +8 in LCS Summer)

• 100 Thieves (LCS #2

seed, +5 in LCS Summer)

The full 16-team list will be confirmed after the regional finals in September.

Format breakdown

Worlds 2026 uses the Swiss format (introduced in 2023) for the Play-In and Group Stages, then a single- elimination bracket for the Knockouts.

Stage 1: Play-In (Sep 25-

28)

• 8 lower-seeded teams

play a Swiss format

• 4 teams advance to

Stage 2

• 4 teams are eliminated
• Format: 5 rounds, teams

need 3 wins to advance, 3 losses to be eliminated

Stage 2: Group Stage

(Sep 30 - Oct 12)

• 16 teams (4 from Play-

In + 12 high seeds)

• Swiss format: 5 rounds
• 8 teams advance to

Knockouts

• 8 teams are eliminated

Stage 3: Knockouts

(Oct 15 - Oct 31)

• 8 teams, single-

elimination

• Quarterfinals (Oct 15-

18)

• Semifinals (Oct 22-25)
• Finals (Oct 31, at the

Shanghai Oriental Sports Center)

Schedule (Sep 25 - Oct 31)

Date	Stage	Venue
Sep 25-28	Play-In	Shanghai
Sep 30-Oct 3	Group Stage R1-R3	Shanghai
Oct 6-12	Group Stage R4-R5	Shanghai
Oct 15-18	Quarterfinals	Shanghai
Oct 22-25	Semifinals	Shanghai
Oct 31	Finals	Shanghai Oriental Sports Center

All matches are best-of-5 except the Quarterfinals (best-of-3) and the Semifinals (best-of-5).

The venue

The Finals are at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center, the same venue used for the 2020 Shanghai Worlds. The arena has a 18,000-seat capacity for esports. The Play-In, Group Stage, Quarterfinals, and Semifinals are at the Shanghai Media Center, a smaller 8,000-seat venue for the earlier stages.

The prize pool

The $3.2M prize pool is distributed as:

• 1st place: $1.5M (47%)
• 2nd place: $800K (25%)
• 3rd-4th place: $300K

each (9.4% each)

• 5th-8th place: $75K

each (2.3% each)

• 9th-16th place: $0

(no participation prize)

Worlds 2026 has the highest prize pool of any LoL tournament in 2026. The MSI 2026 (Mid-Season Invitational) was $1.8M; Worlds is nearly 2x that.

The new "Knockout Draft"

format

Worlds 2026 introduces the "Knockout Draft" format for the Quarterfinals and Semifinals:

• 3-2-1 pick-ban instead

of 5-5 (faster games)

• No fearless draft

(unlike MSI 2026)

• No "match timer" (no

pause in champion select)

The format is designed to reduce game length (avg 32 min in 2025 → target 28 min in 2026) and increase the strategic depth of pick-ban in shorter series.

Storylines to watch

T1 vs LPL

T1 has won the last 2 Worlds (2023, 2024) but lost the 2025 Worlds final to Bilibili Gaming. The 2026 Worlds is T1's chance to reclaim the title. Faker is in his 7th Worlds, the most in LoL history.

Faker's last Worlds?

Speculation is growing that Faker will retire after Worlds 2026 regardless of result. Faker is 30 in 2026 and has hinted at retirement multiple times. A Worlds 2026 win would be the perfect ending for the GOAT.

LPL home crowd

Worlds 2026 is in Shanghai, China. The home crowd will favor the LPL teams (especially Bilibili and JD Gaming). The 2020 Shanghai Worlds saw the home crowd push Suning to the finals; the 2026 crowd will be the same.

Bilibili Gaming's defense

Bilibili won Worlds 2025 in dramatic fashion (3-2 over T1 in the finals). The 2026 Worlds is their chance to become the first LPL team to win back-to-back Worlds since Invictus Gaming in 2018.

How to watch

The tournament is streamed on:

• lolesports.com (the

official Riot stream)

• YouTube (LoL Esports

channel)

• Twitch (LoL Esports

channel)

• LPL English stream (for

LPL-specific matches)

• LCK English stream (for

LCK-specific matches)

The Shanghai finals will be broadcast in 16 languages.

What's next

• Sep 14: Worlds 2026

group draw

• Sep 25-28: Play-In

Stage

• Oct 31: Finals at the

Shanghai Oriental Sports Center

FAQ

When is LoL Worlds 2026?

September 25 - October 31, 2026.

Where is LoL Worlds 2026?

Shanghai, China. Play-In and Group Stage at the Shanghai Media Center, Finals at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center.

How many teams are in

Worlds 2026?

16 teams. 4 from LPL, 4 from LCK, 3 from LEC, 3 from LCS, 2 from PCS+VCS+ minor regions.

What's the Worlds 2026

prize pool?

$3.2M. 1st place wins $1.5M, 2nd wins $800K, 3rd-4th win $300K each, 5th-8th win $75K each.

What's the format for

Worlds 2026?

Play-In Swiss (8 teams, 4 advance), Group Stage Swiss (16 teams, 8 advance), Knockouts single-elimination (8 teams). The Knockout Draft format (3-2-1 pick-ban) is new in 2026.

Who is favored to win

Worlds 2026?

T1 (+250) and Bilibili Gaming (+275) are the co-favorites per major sportsbooks. Gen.G (+500), JD Gaming (+550), and G2 Esports (+800) are the next tier.

Will Faker play at

Worlds 2026?

Yes, Faker is in his 7th Worlds, the most in LoL history. Speculation is growing that this will be his last Worlds.

Is there a Worlds 2026

in-game event?

Yes, the Worlds 2026 in- game event runs Sep 25 - Oct 31. Players earn rewards (skins, icons, capsules) for watching matches via the LoL client. The most-valuable reward is the Worlds 2026 Pick'em capsule, which drops a random skin shard for every correct pick in the Pick'em challenge.