World Championship 2023: League of Legends championship returns to South Korea

The World Championship, the ultimate showdown of League of Legends esports, is back in South Korea for the 2023 edition. After hosting the final stages of the 2014 competition and the entire 2018 event, South Korea welcomes the world's best teams once again, following the 2022 competition held in Mexico and the United States.

With Worlds 2023 now underway, Team BDS secured their spot through the Qualifying Series, leaving an indelible mark with a decisive 3-0 victory over the Golden Guardians. This victory surprised many, considering the initial favoritism towards North America's representative.

Here's everything you need to know about the 2023 World Championship:


Worlds 2023: Streaming

The tournament will be available for streaming on Riot Games' official Twitch channel. Additionally, viewers can choose from over 50 official co-streams, featuring notable personalities like Marc 'Caedrel' Lamont, Yiliang 'Doublelift' Peng, Ibai 'Ibai' Llanos, and Kamel 'Kameto' Kebir.

Worlds 2023: Dates, Format, and Venues

To accommodate LoL Esports pro players participating in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Worlds 2023 will run from October 10 to November 19 at four different venues in South Korea. The tournament's schedule is as follows:

• Play-Ins: October 10-15 (LoL Park, Seoul)
• Group Stage: October 19-29 (KBS Arena, Seoul)
• Quarter-finals: November 2-5 (Sajik Indoor Gymnasium, Busan)
• Semi-finals: November 11-12 (Sajik Indoor Gymnasium, Busan)
• Finals: November 19 (Gocheok Sky Dome, Seoul)

Worlds 2023 will feature 22 teams from around the world. The competition kicks off with the Play-In Stage, where lower-ranked teams will compete for two spots in the Swiss Stage. Joining them are the 14 seeded teams from major regions (LCK, LPL, LCS, and LEC).

Worlds 2023: Schedule and Results (Play-Ins)

In the Play-In Stage, eight teams are split into two double-elimination groups. The top two teams from each group advance to Play-In Round 2, with all matches being Best-of-3. Round 2 sees the upper bracket winner from each group facing the loser bracket winner from the other group, with both matches being Best-of-5.

Worlds 2023: Ticket Information

Tickets for Worlds 2023 will be available in three waves, with Play-In Stage tickets already on sale.

Worlds 2023: Teams and Rosters

Before the start of Worlds 2023, a qualifying match called the Worlds Qualifying Series (WQS) determined the final team for the Play-In Stage. JDG secured their Worlds spot alongside BLG, while Cloud9 dominated Evil Geniuses, securing the title of North America's strongest team.

LCK's Gen.G and T1 established themselves as the top teams, with Gen.G outperforming T1 in the finals. KT Rolster and Dplus KIA made their comeback to Worlds, as Hanwha Life Esports and DRX missed the cut. Fnatic earned the final spot in the Swiss Stage by defeating Team BDS in the LEC Finals' second lower bracket round.

Swiss Stage and Play-In Stage teams feature some of the biggest names in the League of Legends competitive scene, promising thrilling matches for fans worldwide.