The 2026 League of Legends World Championship (Worlds) has kicked off in the United States, drawing attention to T1's historic quest for a fourth consecutive title under the leadership of Lee Sang-hyeok, known as 'Faker.'
On October 15, the tournament commenced with the Play-In Stage at the Riot Games Arena in Los Angeles, marking the start of a month-long schedule. A total of 19 teams from six regions, including Korea, China, North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Asia-Pacific, and Brazil, are participating. The competition will unfold in three stages: Play-In, Swiss, and Tournament.
In the Play-In Stage, four teams are competing: Cloud9 Kia from North America, Karmine Corp from Europe, FURIA from Brazil, and MVK Esports from Asia-Pacific. This stage follows a double-elimination format, where teams must win three out of five matches to advance. Only one team will move on to the Swiss Stage. In the opening match, Karmine Corp defeated Cloud9 Kia with a set score of 3-2.
The Swiss Stage will feature 16 teams competing against each other based on their win records, with the first eight teams to achieve three wins advancing to the quarterfinals. Conversely, teams that record three losses will be eliminated.
Four teams from the Korean League (LCK) are participating: Gen.G, Hanwha Life Esports, T1, and Dplus Kia. These teams will skip the Play-In Stage and enter the Swiss Stage, which begins on October 23.
The spotlight is on T1's potential to secure a fourth consecutive Worlds title. T1 has won the championship three years in a row since 2023, bringing their total to six titles. If they win again this year, they will set a record for the first four-peat in the tournament's history.
Another point of interest is the performance of Lee Min-hyung, known as 'Gumayusi,' who transferred from T1 to Hanwha Life Esports. Hanwha Life recently won the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) by defeating China's BLG 3-2 in the finals and also secured second place in the LCK. Fans are eager to see if Gumayusi can lift the Worlds trophy with his new team.
Gen.G, led by Jeong Ji-hoon, known as 'Chovy,' is also aiming for its first Worlds title. Gen.G secured the top seed by winning the LCK finals against Hanwha Life Esports 3-1, and their ability to maintain their domestic dominance on the global stage will be closely watched.
Dplus Kia, centered around Heo Su, known as 'ShowMaker,' is looking to reclaim the Worlds title for the first time in six years. Although they entered the LCK as the fourth seed, they proved their strength by winning the E-Sports World Cup (EWC) in Paris last July, defeating Karmine Corp 3-0 in the finals after overcoming BLG and Gen.G in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.
There is also interest in whether the LCK can continue its streak of five consecutive Worlds titles, which began in 2022, despite strong competition from international teams.
Among the international contenders, China's BLG is considered a formidable rival, led by Park Do-hyun, known as 'Viper,' who previously played for Hanwha Life. Viper contributed to BLG's victory in the First Stand Tournament (FST) and has also experienced success at MSI.
European powerhouse G2 Esports is another team to watch. With Rasmus Winther, known as 'Caps,' leading the charge, G2 has shown strength in the European league and is challenging the dominance of Korean and Chinese teams in the Worlds competition.
The Swiss Stage and the quarterfinals and semifinals will take place in Allen, Texas. The finals will be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on November 14 at 2 p.m. local time (November 15 at 4 a.m. KST).
* This article has been translated by AI.
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