Worlds 2024 Play-In Stage: The Battle for a Spot in the Swiss Stage

The Play-In stage of League of Legends Worlds 2024 will kick off on September 25, 2024, featuring eight teams. These teams come from minor regions or represent third seeds from major regions like LEC (Europe) and LCS (North America). The teams include notable names such as MAD Lions (LEC #3), 100 Thieves (LCS #3), and PSG Talon (PCS #1). They will battle it out in double-elimination brackets, with the top four advancing to the next phase, the Swiss Stage.

In this Play-In phase, each match will be best-of-three, adding intensity and unpredictability to the series. Teams will need to secure their place in the Swiss stage, where they’ll face off against stronger, more established teams like the top seeds from LPL and LCK, as well as the MSI 2024 champion, Gen.G.

The Swiss Stage will follow a more complicated format, with teams needing to win three matches to advance or losing three to be eliminated. This format ensures that each match is critical and creates exciting scenarios as teams of similar standings face off​.

The Play-In stage will be streamed live on the official LoL Esports channels on platforms like Twitch and YouTube.

This stage is critical for teams from smaller regions, as it gives them a chance to prove themselves against more established teams and advance to the main event.

Teams Involved:

• 8 teams will compete in the Play-In stage.
  • 1st and 2nd seeds from regions like the PCS (Pacific Championship Series) and VCS (Vietnam Championship Series).
  • 1st seeds from minor regions like LLA (Latin America) and CBLoL (Brazil).
  • 3rd seeds from major regions such as the LEC (Europe) and LCS (North America).

Format:

• The Play-In stage consists of two double-elimination brackets.
• Matches are best-of-three (BO3).
• Teams that survive the Play-In stage will advance to the Swiss Stage where they face top-tier teams like Gen.G, the LCK and LPL top seeds, and other qualified teams.

Advancement:

• Only four teams will progress from the Play-In Stage to the Swiss Stage, where they will join the 16 qualified teams. Here, the competition becomes more intense as the format switches to best-of-one (BO1) matches, followed by best-of-three elimination rounds.

Swiss Stage

The Swiss Stage is the second phase of Worlds 2024 and features a unique Swiss system format. This stage consists of 16 teams:

• The 4 teams advancing from the Play-In Stage.
• Top teams from major regions like:
  • 4 LPL seeds (China),
  • 3 LCK seeds (Korea),
  • 2 LEC and LCS seeds (Europe, North America),
  • Gen.G, the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2024 champion.

Format of the Swiss Stage:

1. BO1 Matches for Initial Rounds: The stage begins with best-of-one (BO1) matches, where teams are seeded based on their prior performance. After the first round, teams are grouped with others who have the same win-loss record.
2. Progression System: The Swiss system means that each team will continue to face opponents with similar records throughout the stage. Teams need to win three matches to advance to the next round, and if they lose three matches, they are eliminated. Once teams reach the crucial elimination or advancement point, those games switch to best-of-three (BO3) to heighten the stakes.
3. High Stakes: With no second chances after three losses, every game is critical. Teams that achieve three wins proceed to the Knockout Stage, while those with three losses are eliminated from the tournament.

The Swiss Stage ensures that no team is eliminated too early due to a bad matchup, as teams face opponents with similar performance, creating competitive balance. It’s a phase where resilience and adaptability are key, making it a fan-favorite part of the Worlds format.