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Worlds 2026 uses several different draws, not one event-wide lottery: the Play-In draw makes a fully random four-team bracket, the first Swiss draw matches teams by tier, later Swiss draws pair teams with the same record, and the quarterfinal draw sets the eight-team knockout bracket. Riot had scheduled these draws for dates after October 7, 2026, so the matchups below describe the rules—not completed results.
At a glance: what each draw decides
| Draw | What is being paired | Main restrictions | What it determines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Play-In | Four participating teams | Fully random; any team may face any other | The opening matches and route through a double-elimination bracket |
| Swiss Round 1 | Tier 1 versus Tier 4; Tier 2 versus Tier 3 | Teams from the same region cannot meet | The first Swiss-stage opponents |
| Swiss Rounds 2–5 | Teams with the same win-loss record | No repeat opponents; same-region matchups are allowed | Each subsequent Swiss round’s opponents |
| Quarterfinals | Eight Swiss qualifiers | The two 3–0 teams are randomly paired with two 3–2 teams; the four others are paired with one another | The opening matches in the single-elimination Knockout stage |
Riot’s Worlds 2026 Primer provides the detailed draw rules; the Worlds 2026 League Handbook summarizes the stage structure.
What the Play-In draw determines
The Play-In is a four-team, best-of-five, double-elimination bracket. Its draw is fully random: any of the four teams can be matched with any other. That means the draw determines the opening matchups and, through the bracket, each team’s possible route through the stage.
The listed participants are the second CBLOL team, Karmine Corp (KC), Cloud9 Kia (C9), and MVK Esports (MVK). Riot scheduled this draw for October 10, after the CBLOL final. As of October 7, it had not taken place.
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How the first Swiss draw works
Once Play-Ins are complete, the opening Swiss draw assigns Round 1 opponents from four tiers. Tier 1 plays Tier 4, while Tier 2 plays Tier 3. Same-region teams are protected from facing one another in this round.
| Tier | Teams listed by Riot |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 | GEN, AL, TLAW, G2 |
| Tier 2 | Second CBLOL team, TSW, HLE, BLG |
| Tier 3 | LYON, MKOI, T1, TES |
| Tier 4 | CFO, IG, DK, Play-Ins winner |
The tier list sets the eligible pools; it does not disclose the Round 1 matchups. Riot scheduled the initial Swiss draw for October 18, after Play-Ins.
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How Swiss draws work in Rounds 2–5
After the opening round, teams are paired with others who have the same match record. For example, a team at 1–0 draws from the other 1–0 teams. A team cannot be drawn against an opponent it has already faced in the Swiss stage. Unlike the opening round, same-region opponents are allowed from Round 2 onward.
The Swiss stage has five rounds. A team that reaches three wins advances to Knockouts; a team that reaches three losses is eliminated. These thresholds explain why each round’s draw is based on current records rather than the original tiers.
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What the quarterfinal draw determines
After Swiss, eight teams qualify for single-elimination Knockouts. Riot’s stated rule places the two teams with 3–0 records against two of the four teams with 3–2 records, selected at random. The four remaining qualifiers are then randomly paired into the other two quarterfinals. This draw therefore determines all four quarterfinal matchups, subject to those record-category pairings.
Riot scheduled the quarterfinal draw for October 31, the final day listed for Swiss. The Knockout stage is scheduled for November 3–14.
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When the 2026 draws are scheduled
These are Riot’s planned dates as published in its Worlds 2026 Primer; they are not confirmation that a draw has occurred or that the schedule cannot change.
- October 10: Play-In draw, after the CBLOL final.
- October 15–18: Play-In stage; October 18: initial Swiss draw.
- October 23, 24, 26, and 30: Swiss-round draws.
- October 23–31: Swiss stage; October 31: quarterfinal draw.
- November 3–14: Knockouts.
How this fits into Worlds 2026
Riot’s March 2026 update describes a 19-team Worlds allocation, including an additional CBLOL slot. The format then uses a four-team Play-In to qualify one team, followed by 16 teams in five Swiss rounds and eight teams in single-elimination Knockouts. The different draws reflect those distinct stages: qualification, Swiss opponent selection, and knockout bracket placement.
See Riot’s MSI and Worlds Updates for the 2026 allocation context.
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