Worlds 2025 delivered a very different experience. The championship began on October 14 and concluded on November 9, taking fans on a road trip across China. Seventeen teams from five regions battled for the Summoner’s Cup and a staggering one million dollar prize pool. The tournament unfolded in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. Previous editions of Worlds featured larger team pools and group stages instead of the Swiss format. This made this year’s event feel much tighter from the opening match to the final showdown.
With this Worlds guide, we have gathered everything you need to know about the event.
The field had shrunk because Riot reworked the regional structure and pushed more qualification into domestic play, so you only saw the very top of each league on the main stage. Instead of classic groups, the tournament used a five round Swiss Stage that constantly reshuffled matchups based on records, and multi game series followed Fearless Draft, where teams could not repeat champions they had already picked in that match. That setup punished shallow champion pools, rewarded flexible squads, and turned Worlds 2025 into a tournament where every match day carried real weight.
LoL Worlds Guide: Schedule, Format, Stages and Standing
Worlds 2025 was split into three phases:
- Play-In
- Swiss Stage
- Knockout Stage
LoL Worlds Play-In Standing
T1
IG T1- Play‑In (Oct 14) Beijing – Beijing Smart Esports Center
- 2 teams (1 match): Best‑of‑five between the 4th‑seeded teams from LCK and LPL
- Winner advances to Swiss; loser is eliminated
LoL Words Swiss Stage Standing
GEN
PSG
FLYT1
G2
TES
CFO
FNC
BLG
100T
HLE
AL
VKS
TSW
KT
MKOITES100TALGENKTTSWT1CFOBLGFNCMKOIG2PSGHLEFLYVKS CFOALKTTESG2BLGGENT1TSWFLY100THLEVKSPSGMKOIFNC CFOHLEG2FLYGENTESMKOITSWBLGVKS100TT1 TESBLGCFOFLYMKOIT1 - Swiss Stage (Oct 15–25) Beijing – Beijing Smart Esports Center
- 16 teams: 15 direct qualifiers + Play‑In winner
- Five‑round Swiss: teams with 3 wins advance; teams with 3 losses are eliminated
- Bo1s except advancement/elimination matches, which are Bo3 with Fearless Draft
LoL Worlds Knockout Stage Standing
Quarterfinals BO5
AL T1G2TESGENHLEKTCFOSemifinals BO5
T1TESGENKTGrand Final BO5
T1KT- Knockout Stage (Oct 28 – Nov 2) Shanghai – Mercedes‑Benz Arena
- 8 teams: Single‑elimination bracket
- All matches Bo5
- World Final (Nov 9) Chengdu – Dong’an Lake Sports Park Gymnasium
- 2 teams: Best‑of‑five Grand Final.
- Champions lift the Summoner’s Cup and take the largest share of the $5M prize pool.
Regional Qualification and Seeds
Seventeen teams qualified for Worlds 2025 from five regions:
- Korea (LCK)
- China (LPL)
- Europe/EMEA (LEC)
- Americas (LTA)
- Pacific (LCP)
Each region had three slots, and the two best performing regions at MSI 2025 each earned one extra slot, which brought the tournament to 17 teams in total, with the last two seeds playing the single Play In match.
| Region | Worlds 2025 Slots | How Teams Qualify |
|---|---|---|
| Korea – LCK | 4 (3 to Swiss, 4th to Play‑In) | – 2025 MSI Champion – LCK 2025 Season Playoffs 1st – LCK 2025 Season Playoffs 2nd – LCK 2025 Season Playoffs 3rd (Lowest seed Play-In) |
| China – LPL | 4 (3 to Swiss, 4th to Play‑In) | – LPL 2025 1st – LPL 2025 Championship Points – LPL 2025 Regional Finals 1st – LPL 2025 Regional Finals 2nd |
| Europe – LEC (EMEA) | 3 (all Swiss) | – LEC 2025 Summer 1st – LEC 2025 Summer 2nd – LEC 2025 Summer 3rd |
| Americas – LTA | 3 (all Swiss) | – LTA 2025 Championship 1st – LTA 2025 Championship 2nd – LTA 2025 Championship 3rd |
| Pacific – LCP | 3 (all Swiss) | – LCP 2025 Season 1st – LCP 2025 Season 2nd – LCP 2025 Season 3rd |
Teams Qualified to LoL Worlds by Region
Below are all teams that qualified for Worlds 2025, grouped by region and seed.
Korea (LCK) — 4 Seeds
China (LPL) — 4 Seeds
Europe (EMEA – LEC) — 3 Seeds
Americas (LTA) — 3 Seeds
Pacific (LCP) — 3 Seeds
LoL Worlds 2025 Prize Pool
Worlds 2025 featured a 5,000,000 dollar prize pool, with the biggest cut of $1,000,000 going to the champions. This is the 3rd highest prize pool at a LoL Worlds Championship.
| Place | Prize | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,000,000 |  |
| 2 | $800,000 |  |
| 3 | $400,000 |  |
| 4 | $400,000 |  |
| 5 | $300,000 |  |
| 6 | $300,000 |  |
| 7 | $300,000 |  |
| 8 | $300,000 |  |
| 9 | $175,000 |  |
| 10 | $175,000 |  |
| 11 | $175,000 |  |
| 12 | $125,000 |  |
| 13 | $125,000 |  |
| 14 | $125,000 |  |
| 15 | $112,500 |  |
| 16 | $112,500 |  |
| 17 | $75,000 |  |
Broadcast & Watch Options
- Official Streams: Twitch and YouTube on the main LoL Esports channels (regional co‑streams may also be available).
- Languages: English plus multiple regional languages.
- VODs: Full match VODs typically available within hours after each broadcast.
LoL Esports has released a compilation showcasing some of the most memorable moments from Worlds 2025.
This year, T1 secured the threepeat and cemented their place in the history books.
LoL Worlds 2025 FAQ
When and where did Worlds 2025 take place?
Worlds 2025 ran from October 14 to November 9 across Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu in China. Play In and Swiss were held in Beijing, Knockouts in Shanghai, and the Grand Final in Chengdu.
How many teams played at Worlds 2025?
The tournament featured 17 teams from five regions.
Why did Worlds 2025 have only 17 teams?
Regional league changes and a shorter Play In phase cut the field to 17 teams. The two lowest seeded teams met in a single Play In series to decide the final Swiss spot.
What changed in the format compared to older Worlds?
A five round Swiss Stage replaced traditional groups. Most Swiss matches were best of one, while advancement and elimination matches were best of three with Fearless Draft. The Knockout Stage used a standard single elimination best of five bracket.
How did the Play In work?
On October 14 in Beijing, the LCK fourth seed faced the LPL fourth seed in a best of five. The winner moved into the Swiss Stage, and the loser went out of the tournament.
How did the Swiss Stage work?
From October 15 to 25 in Beijing, 16 teams played Swiss. Teams always faced opponents with the same record. Three wins meant qualification for Knockouts, while three losses meant elimination. Advancement and elimination series were best of three with Fearless Draft.
What was Fearless Draft at Worlds 2025?
In multi game matches, teams could not pick champions that had already been used earlier in that series. Regular bans still applied on top, which put a big spotlight on deep champion pools.
How was the slots divided at Worlds 2025?
LCK and LPL each had four slots, with their fourth seeds starting in the Play In. LEC, LTA, and LCP each had three spots.
What was the prize pool for Worlds 2025?
Worlds 2025 had a prize pool of 5,000,000 dollar, which was over double the Worlds 2024 prize pool. The champions took the largest share, with payouts scaling down through the runner up, other Knockout teams, and squads that exited during Swiss.
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