The wait is almost over.
The 2020 League of Legends World Championship kicks off on Sept. 25 in Shanghai. But before it gets underway, Riot will be holding draws for the play-in and group stage of the tournament.
The Worlds draw show is the process by which teams are placed into their groups based on region and seed.
What’s the format for the play-in and group stages?
This year, 22 teams will be challenging for the championship title, condensing the play-in stage to 10 teams instead of the usual 12. To accommodate for this, Riot has adjusted the format for the event, splitting the 10 play-in teams into two seeded groups of five.
Each of these groups will play a single round-robin cycle, with the first-place teams advancing to the group stage and the last-place squads being eliminated from the tournament.
As for the group stage, three teams from China, three from Europe, three from Korea, two from North America, and one from Taiwan will be drawn into four groups from A to D. The four winners of the play-in stage will join them.
What’s the schedule?
The Worlds 2020 draw show is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 7am CT. This will include commentary and analysis from LCS and LEC talent.
Which teams are competing?
China – LPL
- First seed: Top Esports
- Second seed: JD Gaming
- Third seed: Suning
- Fourth seed: LGD Gaming
Europe – LEC
- First seed: G2 Esports
- Second seed: Fnatic
- Third seed: Rogue
- Fourth seed: MAD Lions
Korea – LCK
- First seed: DAMWON Gaming
- Second seed: DRX
- Third seed: Gen.G
North America – LCS
- First seed: Team SoloMid
- Second seed: FlyQuest
- Third seed: Team Liquid
Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and South East Asia – PCS
- First seed: Machi Esports
- Second seed: PSG Talon
Brazil – CBLOL
- First seed: INTZ
Commonwealth of Independent States – LCL
- First seed: Unicorns of Love
Japan – LJL
- First seed: V3 Esports
Latin America – LLA
- First seed: Rainbow7
Oceania – OPL
- First seed: Legacy Esports
Turkey – TCL
- First seed: Papara SuperMassive
How do I watch?
You can catch the event on the LoL Esports YouTube channel, the Riot Games Twitch channel, or watch.lolesports.com. The draw show will also almost certainly be co-streamed by League streamers, personalities, and foreign commentators.