The knockout stage of the 2026 League of Legends World Championship starts Tuesday, Nov. 3, with one quarterfinal a day through Friday, Nov. 6. Every quarterfinal and both semifinals (Saturday, Nov. 7, and Sunday, Nov. 8) start at 4 p.m. CT in Allen, Texas, which is 5 p.m. ET and 2 p.m. PT. The final moves to Brooklyn on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT), according to LoL Esports' official schedule and its Worlds 2026 primer.
Quarterfinal matchups and dates
These are the series on LoL Esports' official schedule:
- Tuesday, Nov. 3 (5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT): Top Esports vs. Invictus Gaming
- Wednesday, Nov. 4 (5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT): Gen.G vs. LYON
- Thursday, Nov. 5 (5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT): Dplus KIA vs. Bilibili Gaming
- Friday, Nov. 6 (5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT): T1 vs. Karmine Corp
- Saturday, Nov. 7 (5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT): first semifinal
- Sunday, Nov. 8 (5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT): second semifinal
- Saturday, Nov. 14 (2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT): final in Brooklyn
Who made it and who went home
In the Swiss stage, teams with the same record meet each round, and three wins send a team through while three losses send it home. Gen.G and Dplus KIA went 3-0. T1, Invictus Gaming and Top Esports finished 3-1, and Karmine Corp, LYON and Bilibili Gaming took the last three spots at 3-2 on Oct. 31. That leaves three Korean teams, three Chinese teams, LYON and Karmine Corp.
Karmine Corp is Europe's last team standing. It knocked out Spain's Movistar KOI 2-0 in a decisive Oct. 31 series between two 2-2 sides, and G2 Esports had already gone out at 1-3. KOI started 2-0 and then lost three straight best-of-threes without winning a game. The French side's reward is Friday's series against T1, winner of the last three world titles.
How the playoffs work
Every playoff series is best of five, and the loser is eliminated. A series that goes the distance can run well past three hours, since games usually last more than 30 minutes and each one opens with a draft in which both teams pick their characters, called champions. LoL Esports' official schedule has not yet set the Nov. 7 and Nov. 8 semifinal pairings, which will be filled by the four quarterfinal winners.
The quarters and semis are at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen, north of Dallas. For the final week, LoL Esports is running a fan fest at Pier 36 in Manhattan from Nov. 12 to Nov. 14. If you play Pick'Ems, Riot's prediction game, playoff picks lock before Tuesday's first series.
Where to watch Worlds 2026
Every series streams free on lolesports.com, the LoL Esports YouTube channel and the Riot Games channel on Twitch. Riot also authorizes co-streamers, who rebroadcast the feed with their own commentary, so your favorite creator may be carrying it too.
League of Legends itself is free to play, and it sits on our list of the best free PC games if Worlds makes you want to try it. If you'd rather follow this kind of game on your phone, Mobile Legends holds its own world championship in Istanbul in January, and our guide covers the M8 Mobile Legends dates, tickets and format.
Frequently asked questions
What time are the Worlds 2026 quarterfinals?
Each quarterfinal starts at 5 p.m. ET, 4 p.m. CT and 2 p.m. PT. There is one series per day from Tuesday, Nov. 3, to Friday, Nov. 6, played in Allen, Texas. The semifinals on Nov. 7 and Nov. 8 keep the same start time.
When and where is the Worlds 2026 final?
Saturday, Nov. 14, in Brooklyn, New York. It starts at 2 p.m. ET, which is 11 a.m. PT, and like every playoff series it is best of five. LoL Esports also runs a fan fest at Pier 36 in Manhattan from Nov. 12 to Nov. 14.
Who plays in the Worlds 2026 quarterfinals?
Top Esports faces Invictus Gaming on Nov. 3, Gen.G plays LYON on Nov. 4, Dplus KIA meets Bilibili Gaming on Nov. 5 and T1 takes on Karmine Corp on Nov. 6. Gen.G and Dplus KIA earned their spots by going 3-0 in the Swiss stage.
Is any European team left at Worlds 2026?
Only Karmine Corp, from the LEC. Movistar KOI went out 2-3 after losing to Karmine Corp on Oct. 31, and G2 Esports was eliminated at 1-3. Karmine Corp's quarterfinal against three-time defending champion T1 is Friday, Nov. 6, at 5 p.m. ET.
How do the Worlds playoffs work?
It is a single-elimination bracket of eight teams. Every series is best of five, so the first team to win three games advances and the loser goes home. A full five-game series can run more than three hours, counting the draft before each game in which teams pick their characters.
Where can I watch Worlds 2026 for free?
Riot streams every series free on lolesports.com, on the LoL Esports YouTube channel and on the Riot Games Twitch channel. Authorized co-streamers also rebroadcast the matches with their own commentary on their personal channels.
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