Worlds 2024 Primer

Learn more about the 2024 League of Legends World Championship in Europe

TL;DR:

It’s nearly time for the 2024 League of Legends World Championship! Here’s everything you need to know about the biggest LoL Esports moment of the year.

What is the World Championship?

The League of Legends World Championship, also known as Worlds, is the pinnacle of LoL Esports competition in which the top teams from eight regions compete for the world champion title. Held after the culmination of the regular season in a different host region each year, qualified teams from professional leagues around the world participate in the tournament. This year, Europe will play host to the event.

The rulebook for the 2024 World Championship can be found here.

MAKE THEM BELIEVE

Make Them Believe is the campaign tagline for Worlds 2024. It’s a rallying cry that reflects the incredible plays, legendary moments, and inspiring heroics that make WORLDS such an unforgettable event year after year. It highlights the infectious excitement of the globe-shifting potential of WORLDS - where our pros have the chance to change the world and fans bear witness to the most impactful moment of the year.

When and Where is Worlds happening?

Worlds begins with the Play-In Stage on September 25 and will conclude with Finals on November 2. For fans joining us on-site, the Worlds Fan Fest also will make its return beginning October 31 through the Finals in London.

Play-In Stage - Sept. 25-29; Riot Games Arena, Berlin, Germany.

(All matches begin at 5 a.m. (05:00) PT / 2 p.m. (14:00) CEST unless otherwise noted)

  • Wednesday, September 25

  • Thursday, September 26

  • Friday, September 27

  • Saturday, September 28

  • Sunday, September 29

Swiss Stage - Oct. 3-7, Oct. 10-13; Riot Games Arena, Berlin, Germany

(All matches begin at 5 a.m. (05:00) PT / 2 p.m. (14:00) CEST unless otherwise noted)

  • Thursday, October 3

  • Friday, October 4

  • Saturday, October 5

  • Sunday, October 6

  • Monday, October 7

  • Thursday, October 10

  • Friday, October 11

  • Saturday, October 12

  • Sunday, October 13

Knockout Stage - Oct. 17-20, Oct. 26-27; adidas arena, Paris, France, 

(All matches begin at 5 a.m. (05:00) PT / 2 p.m. (14:00) CEST unless otherwise noted)

  • Thursday, October 17

  • Friday, October 18

  • Saturday, October 19

  • Sunday, October 20

  • Saturday, October 26

  • Sunday, October 27 (6 a.m. (06:00) PT / 2 p.m. (14:00) CET)

Final - Nov. 2; The O2, London, United Kingdom
The Opening Ceremony will begin at 7 a.m. (07:00) PT / 2 p.m. (14:00) GMT.

  •  Saturday, November 2

If you’re joining us in person at the event, please check out the Riot Games event policies here:

Which teams are competing?

A region’s seeds are based on past international performance and regional performance. Consistently strong regions send some or all of their seeds straight to the Swiss Stage, whereas other regions receive fewer seeds and/or start in the Play-In Stage.

This year, the 20 teams competing are:

CHINA – LPL

1st Seed: Bilibili Gaming DreamSmart (BLG)

2nd Seed: TOP Esports (TES)

3rd Seed: LNG Ninebot Esports (LNG)

4th Seed: WeiboGaming TapTap (WBG)

KOREA – LCK

1st Seed: Hanwha Life Esports (HLE)

2nd Seed: Gen.G (GEN)

3rd Seed: Dplus KIA (DK)

4th Seed: T1 (T1)

EUROPE – LEC

1st Seed: G2 Esports (G2)

2nd Seed: Fnatic (FNC)

3rd Seed: MAD Lions KOI (MAD)

NORTH AMERICA – LCS

1st Seed: FlyQuest (FLY)

2nd Seed: Team Liquid Honda (TL)

3rd Seed: 100 Thieves (100)

ASIA PACIFIC – PCS

1st Seed: PSG Talon (PSG)

2nd Seed: Fukuoka Softbank Hawks Gaming (SHG)

VIETNAM – VCS

1st Seed: GAM Esports (GAM)

2nd Seed: Vikings Esports (VKE)

BRAZIL – CBLOL

paiN Gaming (PNG)

LATIN AMERICA – LLA

Movistar R7 (R7)

What’s the format?

This year, Worlds will feature 20 teams in three stages of competition: the Play-In Stage, the Swiss Stage, and the Knockout Stage (Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Finals). A detailed breakdown of each stage is below.

Play-In Stage: Sept. 25-29

Eight teams will start the tournament in the Play-In Stage: The top seeded teams from CBLOL and LLA, the top 2 seeded teams from PCS and VCS, and the 3rd seeded teams from LEC and LCS. These teams will be drawn into two, best-of-three, double elimination brackets. The winners of each bracket will move on to the Swiss Stage. In the lower bracket, teams with a 1-1 record from opposing brackets will play against each other to fight for the last two advancement spots. That means 4 teams in total move on to the Swiss Stage!

Swiss Stage: Oct. 3-7; Oct. 10-13

The four qualified Play-In Stage teams will join the top 2 seeded teams from LEC and LCS as well as the top 4 seeded teams from the LCK and LPL. These 16 teams will be split into four draw pools and will be drawn into an initial set of 8 best-of-one matches based on their seeding: Pool 1 teams will play Pool 4 teams, and Pool 2 teams will play Pool 3 teams. Additionally, no team will play a team from their own region in the first round. Pools consist of:

  • Pool 1: LCK1, LCS1, LEC1, LPL1

  • Pool 2: LCK2, LPL2, LCS2, LEC2

  • Pool 3: LCK3, LCK4, LPL3, LPL4

  • Pool 4: Play-In Stage Teams

Following the first round of play, there will be another draw for the second round to pair teams with the same record against one another - this time with no further draw restrictions. New this year, teams will not be placed in rematches against previous opponents. The tournament will repeat this process for 3 more rounds of play, pitting teams with even-records against each other until they reach 3 wins to advance, or 3 losses to be eliminated from competition. 

In total, 8 teams will move on to Knockouts. While the initial rounds are best-of-one, all advancement and elimination matches will be best-of-three. Throughout the Swiss Stage, side selection will be determined by initial draw pool - the higher pool will receive side selection. In matches between teams from the same draw pool, side selection will be determined by coinflip. 

Knockout Stage: Oct. 17-20 (Quarterfinals); Oct. 26-27 (Semifinals); Nov. 2 (Finals)

Eight teams move on to the Knockout Stage, which encompasses Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Finals. For this stage, the tournament transitions to a single-elimination bracket with all matches played in a best-of-five format. Quarterfinal matchups will be decided by an on-stage draw following the final day of the Swiss Stage. In this draw, teams that advanced with a 3-0 record will be matched against teams that advanced with a 3-2 record. The remaining teams will then be matched against one another.

The team that comes out on top will become the 2024 World Champions.

Main Broadcast

You can catch every match on LoLEsports.com! Check out the schedule below.

For fans watching on LoLEsports.com, we will celebrate each major moment of Worlds with exclusive rewards, including new unique emotes, icons, and a collectible legacy emote! For every Pentakill, Dragon steal, and Baron steal, you'll receive an Esports 2024 Capsule. During the Finals, we'll also be adding Quadra kill to the Capsule drop pool. Additionally, keep your eye out for Drops from our Worlds partners this year. 

Be sure to tune in during the Key Tournament Moments for an opportunity to receive these rewards!

Key Tournament Moments:

Opening Day of Play-Ins

Heheh Okay Emote (Tristana)

Swiss Week 1

We Chillin Poro Icon

Swiss Week 2

I'll Be Leaving Emote (Teemo)

Quarterfinals Begin

oH yEaH? Emote (Anivia)

Semifinals Begin

Prestige Juicy Emote (Gangplank Legacy)

Finals Opening Ceremony

#1 Fan Poro Icon

Trophy Lift Ceremony

Big Fan Poro Icon

The Opera GX Experience

We’re excited to welcome Opera GX, the gaming-focused web browser, as our newest LoL Esports partner, just in time for Worlds 2024. Opera GX will offer fans in certain regions special access and features for viewers of the Worlds 2024 tournament through their web browser. This collaboration allows Opera GX users to enjoy an immersive viewing experience throughout Worlds, including integrated access to custom mods, a co-streaming hub and more.

Co-Streaming

Co-streaming at Worlds 2024 will be our biggest offering yet! We expect more than 75 creators to be involved giving fans even more options to follow Worlds alongside the main broadcast. 

After a successful test at MSI, all official co-streamers will once again be unlocked to stream every stage and match at Worlds, making it easier for our co-streamers to create great content and for our fans to find their favorite personalities. 

For the first time ever, we will be providing a Co-Streamer Hub powered by Opera GX that will serve as an interactive directory of co-streamer channels. This will allow fans to see all the co-streaming options in one centralized location and allow them to filter for creators in their language of choice.

All professional teams that have qualified for Worlds 2024 are invited to spin up an official team co-stream throughout the duration of the tournament. Even after elimination, teams are encouraged to continue streaming the event. 

We plan to announce the full roster of remote co-streamers on September 19, and our announcement of on-site co-streamers for the Worlds 2024 Final will come closer to the Finals date. 

For all other third party content creators (i.e. those that have not been officially invited to live stream the tournament), the standard Content Creator Guidelines remain in effect. There have been some minor changes, so please give them a read! 

Pick’Em Powered by AWS

Crystal Ball and Play-Ins Picks: 10 a.m. PT September 18 - 5:15 a.m. PT September 25

Pick’Em, Powered by AWS, opens a week before Worlds begins with both Crystal Ball and Play-In Stage predictions. Crystal Ball challenges players to dive deep into the meta, making tournament-long predictions that are scored separately from traditional Pick’Em picks.

Swiss Picks: 1 p.m. PT September 29 - 5:15 a.m. PT October 3

Players can select the 8 teams out of the field of 16 they think will advance to Knockouts, as well as earning additional points for successfully predicting one team which will go a perfect 3-0.

Knockouts: 4 p.m. PT October 13 - 7:15 a.m. PT November 2

Each phase of Knockouts picks will be available as matchups are determined, locking at the start of each individual match. Make sure to come back each week to earn as many points as you can!

Rewards

Players can earn exclusive in-game items for participation and performance in BOTH traditional Pick'Em and Crystal Ball separately.

Participation

  • Make 1st Crystal Ball pick: Kha’Zix "You Don't Say" Emote

  • Make Swiss picks: Gragas "Here's To You" Emote

  • Make 1st Quarterfinals pick: 1 Esports 2024 Capsule

  • Make 1st Semifinals pick: 1 Esports 2024 Capsule

  • Make Finals pick: 1 Esports 2024 Capsule

Pick’Em

  • Perfect Picks: All 7 Ultimate Skins

  • S-Tier (Top 5% of global scores): 100 Event Pass Tokens + 4 Esports 2024 Capsules + Teemo "Up To No Good" Emote + Galio "Gasp!" Emote 

  • A-Tier (Top 20% of global scores): 3 Esports 2024 Capsules + Teemo "Up To No Good" Emote + Galio "Gasp!" Emote

  • B-Tier (Top 40% of global scores): 2 Esports 2024 Capsules + Galio "Gasp!" Emote

  • C-Tier (Top 70% of global scores): 1 Esports 2024 Capsule + Galio "Gasp!" Emote

Crystal Ball

  • S-Tier (Top 5% of global scores): 100 Event Pass Tokens + 4 Esports 2024 Capsules + Oriana "I'm So Sorry, WHAT?" Emote + Briar "I WAS ROOTING FOR YOU" Emote

  • A-Tier (Top 20% of global scores): 3 Esports 2024 Capsules + Oriana "I'm So Sorry, WHAT?" Emote + Briar "I WAS ROOTING FOR YOU" Emote

  • B-Tier (Top 40% of global scores): 2 Esports 2024 Capsules + Briar "I WAS ROOTING FOR YOU" Emote

  • C-Tier (Top 70% of global scores): 1 Esports 2024 Capsule + Briar "I WAS ROOTING FOR YOU" Emote

For the last three years, there have been zero Perfect Picks! We have added guaranteed rewards for the top 5,000 highest ranked scores in both the Pick’Em and Crystal Ball global leaderboards. Those top scorers will additionally earn the Worlds 2024 Viego Skin as well as Viego (if not already unlocked).

Worlds 2024 Pick'Em is not available to play in all regions and requires a valid Riot Account and a Summoner Name to play and receive rewards. Please note that eligibility for prizes and rewards may vary in different regions due to local regulations. Scoring for Crystal Ball predictions takes place after Worlds concludes and all performance-based Tier rewards will be delivered by November 3. If you believe you qualified for a Pick’Em reward and did not receive credit for it by November 10, please contact Player Support.

Worlds Unlocked 2024 presented by Opera GX - Available September 12

Worlds Unlocked returns for 2024 to once again deliver LoL Esports’ most diehard fans a curated bundle of limited edition physical and in-game items to celebrate the biggest esports event in the world.

This year, Worlds Unlocked is presented by our new partner Opera GX, and physical products in the bundle are entirely exclusive to the Collector’s Edition and unavailable for purchase outside of the set. These exclusive items are being produced alongside Worlds Unlocked and are a limited edition release only available during Worlds.

Worlds Unlocked 2024 Collector’s Edition ($99 USD):

Worlds 2024 Lux Figure

Worlds 2024 Championship Baron Plush

Worlds 2024 HyperX Keycap Set

Worlds 2024 HyperX Mousepad

Worlds 2024 Pin

Digital items:

  • Worlds 2024 Event Pass

  • Classic unvaulted past Worlds skin capsule

  • Worlds 2024 Viego Skin

  • Exclusive Worlds 2024 Viego Skin Chroma

  • Exclusive Worlds 2024 “Um What?” Icon

  • Exclusive Worlds 2024 “Oh My.” Emote

  • Exclusive “It’s MINE!” Mercedes-Benz Emote

Worlds 2024 will also see the release of a limited edition 1/6 scale statue of Lux, produced by Jimei Palace, that will debut alongside the Worlds Unlocked 2024 Collector’s Edition. The Lux statue will feature four flag stands for fans of the major LoL Esports regions to customize and display to their liking as well as an exclusive “AWW YEAH!” animated emote.

Fans will be able to purchase Worlds Unlocked and pre-order the Worlds 2024 Lux ⅙ Scale Statue by Jimei Palace along with other limited edition Worlds 2024 merchandise at https://merch.riotgames.com/en-us/collection/worlds-2024/ 

Availability of Worlds Unlocked varies based on location.

Worlds 2024 Merchandise - Available September 19

Gear up with the Worlds 2024 Merch Collection and prepare to make them believe! Taking inspiration from Europe as fans and teams descend on the continent to see who will hoist the Summoner’s Cup, the Worlds 2024 Merch Collection features a variety of apparel and accessories. The Worlds 2024 Merch Collection will be available online beginning September 19.

Worlds Anthem Save-the-Date

It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for: the Worlds 2024 anthem and music video will debut at 8 a.m. PT Tuesday, September 24! The anthem will be available wherever you can listen to music, and you can watch the music video on all major viewing platforms including YouTube, Vevo, and more.

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