Riot Games announced today that the 2025 League of Legends World Championship will span four Chinese cities, beginning with the Play‑In Stage on Oct. 14 and concluding with the grand finals on Nov. 9 in Chengdu.

The tournament opens at the Beijing Smart Esports Center, a venue designed specifically for high‑level competition. Sixteen squads—including two Play‑In winners—will vie in a Swiss‑style group stage from Oct. 15–25. Matches are best‑of‑one, except for decisive advancement or elimination pairings, which will be best‑of‑three.

On Oct. 14, the fourth‑seed teams from Korea’s LCK and China’s LPL will face off in best‑of‑five series for the final two Swiss‑Stage berths. The winners progress, and the losers exit the competition.

Worlds 2025

The eight teams that survive Swiss play advance to the Knockout Stage, slated for Oct. 28–Nov. 2 at Shanghai’s Mercedes‑Benz Arena. All matches in this single‑elimination bracket are best‑of‑five, with quarterfinals and semifinals played on consecutive days—a first in Worlds history, designed to test both the strategic depth and stamina of the competitors.

The championship culminates at Chengdu’s Dong’an Lake Sports Park Multifunctional Gymnasium on Sunday, Nov. 9. The modern facility, celebrated for its sweeping glass façade and capacity for 18,000 spectators, will host the finals, where the winning squad will hoist the Summoner’s Cup and claim the title of 2025 world champion.

Seventeen teams will compete in total. Korea and China, as the top performers at the Mid‑Season Invitational, will each field four representatives; Europe’s LEC, the Pacific’s PCS and the Americas’ LCO will each send three. This year’s Worlds marks the fifteenth anniversary of competitive League of Legends and continues Riot’s commitment to showcasing the sport at world‑class venues across Asia.