League of Legends World Championship 2025: Celebrating the 15th Anniversary of LoL Esports

TIG SEA3 weeks ago

141 9 minutes read

September 30, 2025 – BY

Worlds 2025 Primer

Learn more about the 2025 League of Legends World Championship in China

The 2025 League of Legends World Championship marks a historic milestone: the 15-year anniversary of LoL Esports. Worlds is the pinnacle of competition, where the best teams from leagues around the globe face off for the ultimate title. This year, Worlds returns to China under the theme EARN YOUR LEGACY—a call to every pro that greatness is never given, only claimed. For fifteen years, unforgettable moments have defined careers, inspired regions, and etched themselves into esports history. Now, a new generation of legends has the chance to write the next chapter.

The official rules of the 2025 World Championship can be found here.

Here’s everything you need to know!

Worlds has three stages: the Play-In Stage (October 14), the Swiss Stage (October 15-25) and the Knockout Stage (October 28-November 9).

Play-In Stage (Bo5) – Beijing
(All matches begin at 4 p.m. CST / 10 a.m. CET / 1 a.m. PT unless otherwise noted)

Tuesday, October 14

Swiss Stage (Bo1, Bo3) – Beijing
(All matches begin at 4 p.m. CST / 10 a.m. CET / 1 a.m. PT unless otherwise noted)

Wednesday, October 15 – 1 p.m. CST / 7 a.m. CET / 10 p.m. PT Oct. 14
Thursday, October 16 – 1 p.m. CST / 7 a.m. CET / 10 p.m. PT Oct. 14
Friday, October 17
Saturday, October 18
Sunday, October 19
Wednesday, October 22
Thursday, October 23
Friday, October 24
Saturday, October 25 – 1 p.m. CST / 7 a.m. CET / 10 p.m. PT Oct. 14

Knockout Stage (Bo5) – Shanghai and Chengdu
(All matches begin at 3 p.m. CST / 9 a.m. CEST / 12 am PT)

Tuesday, October 28 (Quarterfinals)
Wednesday, October 29 (Quarterfinals)
Thursday, October 30 (Quarterfinals)
Friday, October 31 (Quarterfinals)
Saturday, November 1 (Semifinals)
Sunday, November 2 (Semifinals)
Sunday, November 9 (Finals – Chengdu)

QUALIFIED TEAMS

This year, the teams competing from each of the different regions are:

CHINA – LPL

Bilibili Gaming (BLG)

Anyone’s Legend (AL)

Top Esports (TES)

Invictus Gaming (IG)

KOREA – LCK

Gen.G (GEN)

Hanwha Life Esports (HLE)

KT Rolster (KT)

T1 (T1)

EMEA – LEC

G2 Esports (G2)

Movistar KOI (MKOI)

Fnatic (FNC)

AMERICAS – LTA

FlyQuest (FLY)

100 Thieves (100T)

Vivo Keyd Stars (VKS)

ASIA PACIFIC – LCP

CTBC Flying Oyster (CFO)

PSG Talon (PSG)

Team Secret Whales (TSW)

WORLDS FORMAT

SWISS STAGE DRAWS

Right after the Play-In Stage wraps, the action jumps straight into the Swiss Draws, with matchups revealed live and the first sparks of Worlds drama igniting.

Round 1 (October 14)

The first round is all based on seeding. This year, we’ve changed up our draw tiers and added in a new twist – the Play-In result doesn’t just decide who qualifies to Swiss, it also bumps that region’s #3 seed into Tier 2. Teams are split into three tiers:

Tier 1 (5 Teams): #1 seed from each region
Tier 2 (6 Teams): #2 seed from each region + the #3 seed from the Play-In winner’s region
Tier 3 (5 Teams): Remaining #3 seeds + the Play-In winner

Matchups will be:

Tier 1 vs Tier 3
Tier 2 vs Tier 2
And of course: no same-region showdowns in Round 1

Swiss Rounds 2–5 (October 15, 16, 19, 24)

From here on out, it’s simple:

Teams face others with the same record (1-0 vs 1-0, 0-1 vs 0-1, etc.).
No repeat opponents.
If a clash would repeat, or if a draw would force a different matchup to repeat, the team is redrawn into the next open slot.

The Knockout Draw (October 25)

Eight teams will rise from the Swiss Stage:

2 teams at 3-0
3 teams at 3-1
3 teams at 3-2

Quarterfinals are decided live:

Each 3-0 team draws a 3-2 opponent and is placed on opposite sides of the bracket.
The rest are drawn in sequence—no restrictions, no protections, just pure bracket fate.

Drops are back for Worlds 2025 and this is your last chance to earn them in 2025!

Throughout the tournament, viewers on LoLEsports.com can unlock nine brand-new exclusive rewards, each Dropped at key moments along the road to Finals. On top of that, the Esports 2025 Capsule is up for grabs whenever a Pentakill, Baron steal, Dragon steal, or Silver Scrapes occurs on the Rift.

Stay tuned and keep your eyes on the action because more surprise Drops may appear from Coinbase, Crunchyroll, Esports World Cup, Opera GX, Secretlab and more before Worlds 2025 comes to a close.

Rewards

Opening Day: LET’S GOOO! Emote
Beginning of Swiss Stage: o7 Emote
Second week of Swiss Stage: What Just Happened? Emote
Quarter Finals: Come Get It! Emote
Semi-Finals: I’M. NOT. SAD. Emote, Viktor-y! Emote
Finals: POWER UP! Emote, Cheerful Worlds Icon
Trophy Ceremony: Buffmo Emote

Be sure to tune in during the key tournament moments above to have a chance to receive these rewards and more!

TWITCH SUBSCRIPTIONS

All Twitch subscribers to participating LoL Esports channels* during Worlds receive benefits like custom chat emotes, badges, and ad-free viewing. Riot will allocate a portion of the proceeds to the Global Revenue Pool, which directly supports leagues and teams in the LoL Esports ecosystem.

Twitch Subscription Perks:

Ad-free Viewing: Enjoy uninterrupted broadcasts.
Event-Exclusive Twitch Chat Emotes: Showcase your fandom in chat with unique emotes.
Twitch Channel Badges: Display loyalty with special subscriber badges.
Channel Points: Earn and redeem points for fun interactions.
Subscriber-Only Chat: Participate in exclusive discussions.

*Participating LoL Esports Channels:

Additional Benefits for Paid and Gifted Subscribers*, available starting 10/10:

“FABULOUS!” In-Game Emote: Fans who subscribe to our esports channels using a paid or gifted sub* on Twitch will receive a new Akali in-game emote after claiming the reward in their Twitch inventory.
Event Chat Badge: Fans who subscribe to either Riot’s LoL Esports channels or participating Worlds official co-streamers using a paid or gifted sub* receive a Worlds global chat badge to add to their collection.

To receive these drops:

Connect your Twitch and Riot accounts
Subscribe to a participating channel with a paid or gifted sub
Claim the reward from your Twitch inventory

For more information about drops, please see the Twitch Drops website.

*Note: Prime subscriptions are not eligible for these rewards (in-game emote, event badge). If subbing to an official co-streamer for the event chat badge, the sub must occur during the Worlds co-stream.

WORLDS 2025 CO-STREAMING

Worlds 2025 is set to host the largest co-streaming program in tournament history. Powered by Opera GX, the Co-Streamer Hub will feature over 100 creators across multiple languages and viewing styles, giving fans an easy way to follow their favorite personalities in one central directory. The invite-only program highlights community creators who’ve covered regional leagues and past global events, while also welcoming new voices from across the League ecosystem.

All qualified teams are invited to co-stream the full event and encouraged to collaborate with affiliated creators. The full remote co-streamer lineup will be revealed on October 7, with on-site co-streamers announced ahead of Finals Week.

WORLDS PICK’EMS POWERED BY AWS

Mark your calendars, Pick’Ems is returning for Worlds 2025 with familiar ways to play, new rewards, and the debut of Community Factions!

Key Dates:

October 7, 11 am PT: Picks open for Crystal Ball, Factions, and Swiss Stage predictions
October 14, before the first Play-Ins match: Swiss Stage picks lock
October 25, after the final Swiss match: Knockout Stage picks open
October 28, before the first Knockouts match: Knockout stage picks lock
November 9: Worlds Final concludes. Pick’Ems scores finalize, and rewards will be aimed to be distributed within 48 hours

Pick’Ems, Powered by AWS, kicks off one week before Worlds with Crystal Ball and Swiss Stage predictions! This year, we are offering even more ways to play with the community with our newest Pick’Ems feature, FACTIONS.

By joining a Faction, fans declare allegiance to their favorite creator and earn points as Worlds 2025 progresses. At the end of the tournament, the Faction with the highest average score wins an exclusive Emote for every participant! Get your Faction picks lined up because this Emote is not available anywhere else.

Format Updates: With a condensed Worlds 2025 schedule, we’ve adjusted the Pick’Ems cadence to keep the experience competitive:

Play-Ins and Swiss are bundled into a single stage of predictions
Knockouts will follow a “Pick-all-at-once” format, instead of round by round
Fans can now predict Swiss qualifying records (3-0, 3-1, or 3-2)

Rewards: Players can earn exclusive in-game items for participation and performance in traditional Pick’Ems, Crystal Ball, and Factions. From a collection of all ultimate skins for perfect picks to a “HONK” emote just for participating, we’ve got a suite of rewards on tap. All rewards will be distributed within 48 hours of Worlds ending.

Don’t give up on your Perfect Pick dream! Anything can happen during the biggest event of the year!

Worlds 2025 Pick’Ems is available to play in all regions except for Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Sudan, Venezuela, Syria, Quebec, Myanmar; where League of Legends is published by a local publisher (e.g., China); or any other region where this offer is void; 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 on or around November 11.If you believe you qualified for a Pick’Ems reward and did not receive credit for it by November 17, please contact Player Support.

GLOBAL POWER RANKINGS POWERED BY AWS

Global Power Rankings powered by AWS returns for Worlds, with daily updates rolling out after each match day. The model tracks results from across the tournament to dynamically adjust team standings, giving fans a fresh look at the global competitive landscape.

The Global Power Rankings data model has been enhanced to improve its accuracy and predictive performance. Starting with Worlds, GPR will incorporate a “Stomp Factor” when calculating team Power Scores. Teams now gain more points for decisive victories than for close wins. This addition enables GPR to more precisely identify and rank the world’s elite teams by reflecting the dominance exhibited in their wins.

WORLDS 2025 IN-GAME OFFERINGS

Worlds 2025 is bringing some of the most exciting in-game promotions yet, blending the spirit of competition with the culmination of a year-long narrative. This year’s featured skin, Kinkou Xin Zhao, marks the first time that seasonal storytelling ties directly into team revenue sharing, complete with a Worlds Chroma to collect.

Fans can also look forward to the return of pro team global emotes, with each team contributing to the design of their unique emote, as well as the comeback of team-branded Summoner Icons. Equip one, and your Summoner ID will proudly display that team’s TRICODE to rep your favorite team on the Rift.

Additionally, Elite chromas have arrived for two legendary championship teams in LoL Esports history: 2018 Invictus Gaming and 2017 Samsung Galaxy. While Worlds Winner skins released since 2019 have included Elite chromas, we’re now extending that tradition to earlier collections, with more teams and eras to be added in future Worlds patches.

After a successful trial at MSI, we’re bringing back the International Tournament Skin Promotion once again at Worlds ‘25. From November 10-18, we’re giving players the chance to grab the same skins used by the winning team during the Finals at a major discount! The offering will allow players to choose from role-specific bundles at 50% off with dynamic pricing that adjusts based on what you already own. Players can also pick up individual skins at 33% off.

Please note: Prestige, Ultimate, Mythic Variant, Exalted, and Transcendent skins are not included in this promotion. If one of these is used during the Finals, it’ll be replaced with a comparable eligible skin.

Finally, for every purchase of Panda Pal Lux from Nov 5 – Dec 3, Riot will contribute 100% of proceeds, as well as a 2x match, to the Riot Games Social Impact Fund, a donor advised fund account sponsored by ImpactAssets!

WORLDS 2025 MERCHANDISE

Celebrate 15 years of Lol Esports with the official Worlds 2025 merchandise collection! This year’s collection takes thematic cues from the Trials of Twilight storyline and features a variety of accessories and apparel perfect for watching the best League of Legends players compete for the Summoner’s Cup. The Worlds 2025 collection will be available online beginning October 13.

NA/EU: merch.riotgames.com
KR: riot-store.co.kr
CN: https://leagueoflegends.tmall.com, https://v.douyin.com/ijPwQMdt/

RIFTBOUND WORLDS BUNDLE 2025

Riftbound is thrilled to join the action for Worlds 2025 with an exclusive Teemo bundle just for the occasion. This commemorative box contains a Panda Teemo promotional card, three oversized battlefields celebrating the event with a theme of Chinese cities, card sleeves, a foiled deckbox and matching playmat for your favorite Riftbound deck, and the prestige and excitement that comes with 15 years of LoL Esports.

WORLDS UNLOCKED 2025 PRESENTED BY OPERA GX

Worlds Unlocked is back for 2025, and it’s literally bigger than ever. We can’t give too much away, but this year’s edition is a can’t miss with a mix of digital and physical items worthy of a 15-year celebration of League dominance. Stay tuned – we’ll be sharing more in the coming days when Worlds Unlocked will be available for purchase on the Riot Games Merch Store so you can secure your piece of the celebration.

A THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS

A huge thank you to our roster of global partners supporting Worlds 2025! This year, world-class brands include AWS, Cisco, Coinbase, Crunchyroll, Esports World Cup, HyperX, Mastercard, Mercedes-Benz, OMEN, Opera GX, OPPO, Red Bull, Secretlab, and Verizon, bringing next level experiences and enhancements to LoL Esports fans. Whether you’re taking in the action in person or viewing from afar, our partners are instrumental in delivering new tech innovations, product features, rewards, merch, and more to our events.