The 2024 League of Legends World Championship Play-In stage is here! Eight teams will battle it out in Berlin for a coveted spot on the Swiss stage, kicking off the intense road toward the Summoner’s Cup.
This year’s Worlds edition will take place across Europe, with 20 teams competing in three stages: Play-In, Swiss, and Knockouts. As each split concludes, more League teams continue to secure their spots. The stakes are incredibly high—one misstep could mean the difference between advancing to the Swiss stage or going home painfully early.
Here’s everything you need to know about League Worlds 2024’s Play-In stage.
Table of contents
LoL Worlds Play-Ins format and teams
The Play-In stage of League Worlds 2024 is where the journey begins—but only for eight of the 20 qualified teams. They’ll compete in two double-elimination brackets, where the teams will play in best-of-three matches. Two teams that go 2-0 will advance to the Swiss stage. Those in the lower bracket with a 1-1 track record will face each other, with the matches squaring teams from the opposing brackets—in this year’s Worlds, there are no early rematches.
Below is a list of the teams that have qualified for the Worlds 2024 Play-In.
| Qualification | Team(s) |
|---|---|
| LEC Summer (third seed) | MAD Lions KOI |
| LCS Summer (third seed) | 100 Thieves |
| PCS Summer (champion, runner-up) | PSG Talon Fukuoka SoftBank HAWKS |
| VCS Summer (champion, runner-up) | GAM Esports Vikings Esports |
| CBLOL (champion) | paiN Gaming |
| LLA Closing (champion) | Movistar R7 |
These qualified League teams will fight tooth and nail for a spot in the next phase of the Championship, where the competition will only get tougher.
All matches for Worlds 2024 Play-Ins: Schedule and results
The Play-Ins matches are structured in a way that every game counts, and therefore, the round one draw show is a crucial step for them to ensure a good matchup. The matches were randomly decided after the 2024 LEC Season Finals in Munich and we can already tell there’ll be great matches to open the 2024 World Championship.
Below is the exact schedule and results for the opening games of Worlds 2024:
Wednesday, Sept. 25
- 7am CT: MAD Lions KOI 2-0 Vikings Esports
- 10am CT: paiN Gaming vs PSG Talon
Thursday, Sept. 26
- 7am CT: SoftBank HAWKS vs GAM
- 10am CT: 100 Thieves vs Movistar R7
How to watch the Worlds 2024 Play-In: All streams
Worlds 2024’s Play-In will be streamed live on YouTube and Twitch as well as through the Riot website. If you missed the action, spoiler-free replays will be posted to each channel at the end of each matchday.
Streams are also available in other languages: Check the Leaguepedia page for the tournament for a full list close to the event.
These matches set the stage for what will be a thrilling Play-In with each team aiming to secure one of the coveted Swiss spots. As the tournament progresses, the excitement will only build, leading to the climactic Grand Finals on Nov. 2 at the O2 in London.
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