The World Championship is the largest competition in League of Legends (LoL) esports and one of the most well-known and long-running competitions in professional esports. So what about League of Legends World Championship 2023? What are the changes in Worlds and how is the format of the game? Let lolt1 answer your questions in this sharing of us!
The 2023 League of Legends esports season comes to a close with Worlds 2023, also known as Season Worlds 2023. Best of threes, a Swiss-style stage, and other significant format adjustments were made to the competition in 2023 compared to earlier years. Fans can expect a highly competitive and entertaining event with these new changes in place. For more information, including the tournament’s format, please refer below!
League of Legends games’ premier competition for the year is the 2023 World Championship. During the month-long competition for the Summoner’s Cup, the tournament invites 22 teams from all game regions.
This year, 22 teams from around the world will compete in the Worlds:
- 4 from China
- 4 from Korea
- 3 from EMEA
- 3 from North America
- 2 from PCS (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Southeast Asia and Oceania)
- 2 from Vietnam
- 1 from Brazil
- 1 from Japan
- 1 from Latin America
- 1 from Worlds Qualifying Series
Play-in events for the previous title were held in Mexico, and the grand finale was held in San Francisco. Although American supporters were delighted to see the championship return to their country, the competition struggled to maintain the usual number of viewers due to the less-than-ideal time difference for the other major regions.
Format of League of Legends World Championship 2023
Worlds will also have a brand-new structure! 22 teams will be invited to participate this year at Worlds in three separate competition rounds: Play-Ins, Swiss, and Knockouts. Before starting the main event, players will enter a new level of qualification – Worlds Qualifying Series.
The fourth seed from the LEC will face the fourth seed from the LCS in a best-of-five matchup for the Worlds Qualification Series. The match’s victor earns a ticket to the Worlds. The WQS champion will play at Worlds in Korea along with 21 other teams, 8 of which will advance from the Play-In Stage. These seed distributions were based on how well each area had previously performed internationally.
Stage 1 (Play-In)
- 8 teams take part (the two seed teams from LEC, LCS and LPL, and one seed teams from LLA, CBLOL, PCS, VCS, and LJL).
- There are two double-elimination divisions for teams to compete in. This series is best of three.
- The champion of one group’s upper bracket will compete against the other group’s lower bracket winner. This series is best of five.
- The two best-of-five champions move on to Stage 2.
Stage 2 (Swiss)
- 16 teams compete, of which 14 teams have already advanced for Stage 2, plus the two Stage 1 qualifiers.
- 5-round Swiss-style setup
- Teams with three victories move on to Stage 3, while those with three defeats are ousted.
- All other matches are best of one; qualification and elimination matches are best of three.
Stage 3 (Knockout)
- 8 Stage 2 finalists take part (include the three winners of Play-Ins, along with LEC1, LCS1, LPL1, LCK1, and LCK2).
- One-round knockout process
- All games are best-of-five.
Where will Worlds 2023 take place?
Worlds 2023 will definitely take place in South Korea, but the venues and times have not yet been decided, according to Riot Games’ announcement. Since South Korea has one of the largest League of Legends fan bases and also leads the list of countries with the most World titles won, this is undoubtedly very exciting news.
Despite having one of the largest fan bases, South Korea has only held Worlds twice, the most recent being in 2018 when Invictus Gaming won the championship match against Fnatic. League of Legends is usually very well-liked in South Korea, to the point where Riot Games recently established an exclusive gaming lounge there.
Tentative Schedule (September 25 – November 4)
- Worlds Qualifying Series (WQS) and Play-Ins: September 25 – October 3
- Swiss Group Stage: October 6-9 and October 12-15
- Knockouts
- Quarterfinals: October 19-22
- Semifinals: October 28-29
- Finals: November 4
What’s new at Worlds 2023?
The 2023 League of Legends (LoL) World Championship, also known as Worlds, will be held in South Korea from September 25 through November 4. The tournament will undergo major format changes compared to previous years, including the implementation of best of threes, a swiss-style stage, and more.
One of the notable changes is the introduction of a five-round Swiss-style stage. In this stage, teams with similar win-loss records will compete against each other, and the teams with the best records will advance to the knockout stage. The best-of-three format will also be implemented throughout the tournament, including in the play-ins, groups, and knockout stage.
As of now, the exact venues and dates for Worlds 2023 are yet to be determined. However, Riot Games has confirmed that the tournament will take place in South Korea. Fans can expect a highly competitive and entertaining event with these new changes in place.
About MSI 2023
The Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) is an annual international League of Legends esports tournament held between the first and second splits of all regions, with the exception of EMEA, where it is held between the second and third split.
The champions of each competitive region as well as the runner-ups of the major regions compete for the MSI title. In 2023, the tournament underwent major format changes compared to previous years, including a complete revamp of the tournament’s format.
MSI 2023 will be held in London, England, and will feature an eight-team bracket with a play-in stage. The teams that will start from the playoffs include the winners from LCK, LPL, LEC (only in Spring), LCS, and the runner-up from LCK (awarded by winning Worlds 2022), while the other teams will start from the play-in stage.
All matches except the lower bracket final will be played in a best-of-three format, and the lower final will be played in a best-of-five format. The top three teams from the play-in stage will join the five teams from the playoffs in the bracket stage. The MSI 2023 champion will earn a spot in the World Championship later in the year.
Final Words
The LoL World Championship is typically a live, in-person LAN tournament. The competition was held in 4 North American locations in 2022, with the finals taking place in San Francisco, USA. South Korea will host the 2023 World Championship, which is anticipated to be another live LAN tournament. Closer to the tournament, the location and precise dates of the 2023 World Championship will be announced.
