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Here’s how the new Worlds 2023 format works and its full schedule

worlds 2023 lead image

Riot Games changed the format for Worlds 2023 and while it’s not the double-elimination bracket fans were hoping for, it will provide more opportunities for more competitors.

Worlds is the biggest League of Legends event of the year. Every competitive region sends out its best representatives for this race where the prize is glory. Fans at home have the chance to get in on the fun with Worlds 2023 drops but the actual esports talent has a lot more action ahead of them.

With Worlds 2023 fast approaching and the event set to use a new format, it’s worth going over what is going to happen and what the schedule looks like. Here’s the breakdown of each stage of the event, how it will play out, and when it happens.

Full League of Legends Worlds 2023 schedule

Worlds 2023 starts on October 10 and runs until November 19. Competitors won’t just be playing non-stop for that long, however.

The event is split across three stages which is broken up further from there with the Play-In, Swiss Group, and Knockout Stages. The two lattermost stages have a break during the action. Here’s the full schedule:

StageDates
Play-Ins Round 1October 10-14
Play-Ins Round 2October 15
Swiss Group StageOctober 19-23, 26-29
Knockout StageNovember 2-5, 11-12
Worlds 2023 FinalsNovember 19

Worlds 2023 Play-Ins format explained

The Worlds 2023 Play-Ins will give two teams a ticket to the Swiss Group Stage. The Play-Ins are broken up into two parts.

Eight teams are divided into two groups of four, where they play in a double-elimination brackets. Matches are best-of-three. The top two teams from each group advance to the second part of the Play-Ins.

Group AGroup B
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LOUDDetonatioN FocusMe
PSG TalonTeam BDS
Rainbow7Team Whales

The second part of the Play-Ins pits the top seed from one group against the second seed from the opposite. They play against each other in a best-of-five match. The two winners advance to the Main Event, starting with the Swiss Stage.

How does the Worlds 2023 Swiss Stage work?

The Worlds 2023 Swiss Group Stage will take 16 teams and match them against each other, with teams that win three matches advancing and teams that lose three getting eliminated.

This Swiss-style format will play out across five rounds. The first round matches teams from different regions. From there teams are seeded and matched based on their record during the stage. The Swiss format used in Worlds 2023 is identical to the one seen in top-level Counter-Strike tournaments.

Here is when each round will play out:

  • Round 1- October 19
  • Round 2- October 20
  • Round 3- October 21-23
  • Round 4- October 26-28
  • Round 5- October 29

16 teams are drawn into eight matches for the first round. In the second round, teams that won their first-round match will be matched against each other, while teams that lost their first match will first-round match will get paired off. All of these matches are best-of-one.

Things get more complicated in the third round.

Four teams will enter round three with 2-0 records and will play the first qualifying matches for the Knockout Stage. The two winners advance to the Knockout Stage. These matches are best-of-three.

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Similarly, four teams will be left with two losses at the end of the second round. These teams will play in the first elimination matches, with the losers being eliminated from the tournament. Elimination matches are also best-of-three series.

The remaining eight teams will have a 1-1 record and will play in a best-of-one match.

In the fourth round, teams with two wins and a loss play to determine who advances to the Knockout Stage. Teams with one win and two losses play an elimination series. All fourth-round matches are best-of-threes.

The fifth round is the final one. The final six teams will have a 2-2 record and will play to determine which three teams advance to the Knockout Stage. The losers are eliminated from contention.

summoner's cup trophy at league of legends worlds championship event

When is the Worlds 2023 Knockout Stage?

The Worlds 2023 Knockout Stage is a straightforward eight-team, single-elimination tournament.

In a format that all LoL esports fans will be familiar with, the top eight teams compete in a single elimination bracket to decide the champion of Worlds 2023. All matches are to the best-of-five. 

Teams are matched based on their record in the group stage. One series will be played each day, letting fans take in all the action. The Worlds 2023 Finals takes place on November 19, which will see the world champions hoist the Summoner’s Cup.

Written by Steven Rondina X Twitter Logo

Steven Rondina has been playing video games since he was a toddler and appreciates every genre out there. He has earned the platinum trophy in every Soulsborne game, is regularly Master Ball-ranked on the competitive Pokemon ladder, and has spent thousands of hours missing shots on Dust 2. His work has previously been featured by Bleacher Report and The Washington Post, and he was an Assistant Editor at WIN.gg. You can follow him on Twitter / X at @srondina.

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