LOL Worlds 2022 - Format, teams, schedule & more
The 2022 League of Legends World Championship has arrived. Here's all you need to know about it.
André González Rodríguez
11th Oct 2022 12:00
Image via Riot Games
The League of Legends World Championship is finally back and it's ready to culminate an exciting League of Legends 2022 Season.
After two strenuous long years, the biggest tournament of the year is finally back in person in none other than the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS’) home region of North America.
At Worlds 2022, the best teams all across the world will represent their regions proud as they duke it out in a month-long tournament. The winner of the event will not only get to etch themselves in League of Legends history after hoisting a new-look Summoner’s Cup but will also get to claim themselves as the best team in the world.
Here’s everything you need to know about the tournament including its format, the teams participating, the schedule, and more.
What is the format for Worlds 2022?
Like previous iterations of the tournament, Worlds this year house three stages: Play-In Stage, Group Stage, and lastly, the Knockout Stage.
Play-in Stage
Kicking off the tournament will be the Play-In Stage. Here, a total of 12 teams were split into two groups of during—this was done during the Worlds Group Draw Show—where they will duke it out in a round-robin style format.
From there, the top team of each group, Group A and Group B, will automatically qualify for the Group Stage. The second, third, and fourth-placed teams in each group will advance to the second round of Play-Ins—essentially a playoff bracket—and ditch the best-of-ones they’ve been playing up to this point in favor of best-of-five series. In the end, two winners of each group will move on to the Group Stage.
Group Stage
In the Group Stage, a total of 16 teams, including four of the qualified Play-In Stage teams, will be divided into groups of four, Group A, Group B, Group C, and Group D. The groups were decided in the Worlds Group Draw Show and the four Play-in Stage teams were placed accordingly.
It’ll be a double round-robin with all best-of-one matches whereupon the top two teams in each group advance to the Knockout Stage while the bottom two teams are eliminated. It’s worth noting that if needed, tiebreakers will also be played in a best-of-one format.
Knockout Stage
Lastly, in the Knockout Stage, the eight teams from the Group Stage will duke it out in a playoffs-style, best-of-five bracket. It’ll be a single-elimination bracket where the first-placed teams take on second-place teams from other groups.
The winner of the bracket is crowned the World Champion.
What teams are going to Worlds 2022?
This year, Worlds will be housing a total of 24 teams from all around the globe. Regions such as China, Korea, North, America, Latin America, Taiwan, and more will all be taking part in the international tournament.
The CIS region will not be able to compete, in response, Riot Games granted the European region (LEC) a fourth slot.
Play-In Stage teams and groups:
Group A
- Fnatic (LEC)
- Beyond Gaming (PCS)
- DetonatioN FocusMe (LJL)
- Evil Geniuses (LCS)
- LOUD (CBLOL)
- Chiefs Esports Club (LCO)
Group B
- DRX (LCK)
- Royal Never Give Up (LPL)
- Saigon Buffalo (VCS)
- MAD Lions (LEC)
- Istanbul Wild Cats (TCL)
- Isurus (LLA)
Knockout Stage teams and groups:
Group A
- Cloud9 (LCS)
- T1 (LCK)
- EDward Gaming (LPL)
Group B
- JD Gaming (LPL)
- G2 Esports (LEC)
- DWG KIA (LCK)
Group C
- Rogue (LEC)
- Top Esports (LPL)
- GAM Esports (VCS)
Group D
- Gen.G (LCK)
- CBTC Flying Oyster (PCS)
- 100 Thieves (LCS)
Schedule for Worlds 2022
Like every year, Worlds will be a near month-long endeavour, this means there will be a lot of matches to play.
The tournament will first begin with the Play-In Stage, which will take start on Thursday, September 24, and finish on October Thursday, October 6. Past that, the Group Stage will follow, this will begin on Friday, October 7, and finish on Sunday, October 16.
Lastly, to round out the tournament, the Knockout Stage will begin with the first set of Quarterfinals on Thursday, October 20 going until Sunday, October 23, moving to the Semifinals on Saturday, October 29, and Sunday, October 30, before finishing with the finals on Saturday, November 5.
How and where to watch Worlds 2022
League of Legends fans will be able to watch the 2022 League of Legends World Championship via the official lolesports.com website, as well as the official Twitch and YouTube channels.
About The Author
André González Rodríguez
André is a Freelance League of Legends Journalist at GGRecon. He has written about his state’s local esports teams such as the Florida Mayhem and the Florida Mutineers on the Valencia Voice (Valencia College’s online newspaper). André has been watching esports since 2013 spanning different titles such as Call of Duty, League of Legends, Overwatch, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and Ultimate, as well as other FGC titles.
