The pointy end of the League of Legends competitive calendar is fast approaching now, with the star-studded 2023 World Championship field slowly taking shape as leagues from North America and EMEA to Korea, China, and all across the globe wrap up their endmost seasons.
This year, Worlds will descend on South Korea for the first time since 2018, when Invictus Gaming became the first-ever Chinese world champions.
League’s premier event looks very different this year, with Riot Games rubberstamping several format changes ranging from the introduction of best of threes to a Swiss-style stage and more bracket-based play.
Worlds 2023 is been penned in for an Oct. 10 start date, which is a little later than the standard September click-off. The play-ins and group stages will be held in Seoul before the tournament shifts to Busan for finals. Seoul’s 17,000-capacity Gocheok Sky Dome will be hosting the grand finals.
When the premier event finally begins in late October we will have 22 League teams locked in and ready to battle for history at the 13th edition of one of the most illustrious tournaments in all esports. That will include four representatives each from heavyweight regions like China and Korea, between three and four from NA and EMEA, and a host of Cinderella hopefuls.
2023 League World Championship teams
LCS (North America)
- NRG (LCS 2023 Championship Champion)
- Cloud9 (LCS 2023 Championship Runner-Up)
- Team Liquid (LCS 2023 Championship 3rd Place)
LCS teams still in contention
- Golden Guardians (through NA vs. EU Qualifying Series)
Following their 3-0 win over Evil Geniuses in the upper bracket, Cloud9 has secured their spot at Worlds 2023. At worst, they’ll qualify for the tournament as the third seed. Likewise, NRG‘s 3-1 victory over Golden Guardians locks them in for Worlds, with C9 and NRG to play for a top-two seed next weekend.
Golden Guardians and Team Liquid have also secured their spots at Worlds but after TL’s 3-2 victory on Aug. 13, the Guardians will have to fight through the Worlds Qualifying Series against the LEC fourth-seed.
NRG claimed NA’s top seed heading into the Korean event after beating threepeat-bound C9 in a four-game series in New Jersey. C9 slots in as the second representative.
LEC (EMEA)
- G2 Esports (LEC 2023 Season Finals Champion)
- Fnatic (LEC 2023 Season Finals Runner-Up)
- MAD Lions (LEC 2023 Season Finals 3rd Place)
LEC teams still in contention
- Team BDS (through NA vs. EU Qualifying Series)
After a dominant showing vs. Excel Esports, MAD Lions earned the first Worlds slot for the LEC by ensuring that they wouldn’t finish below third place in the 2023 LEC Season Finals. G2 Esports did the same by defeating Team BDS, who will need to defeat the LCS representative at the Play-In Qualifying Series if they want to actually make it to Worlds.
Fnatic overcame MAD Lions in the lower bracket to set up a grand final against G2. Both are going to Worlds, with G2 claiming the top seed after a 3-1 victory in the big dance.
LCK (Korea)
- Gen.G (LCK 2023 Summer Champion)
- T1 (LCK 2023 Championship Points)
- KT Rolster (LCK 2023 Regional Finals Winner)
- Dplus KIA (LCK 2023 Regional Finals Runner-Up)
Gen.G’s 3-2 victory over T1 on Aug. 12 locks them in as the first home team to secure a spot at Worlds 2023. Gen.G is unassailable for the LCK Championship points lead, meaning that, should they win the Summer Split, the second-placed team will receive the Worlds spot instead.
T1 also earned their place at Worlds 2023 after collecting 170 championship points, pushing them into the second representative slot for the region. Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok will be making history this year since this will be the first time in his career that the GOAT will be playing for the Summoner’s Cup in his home country.
On Aug. 24, KT Rolster secured their sport at Worlds 2023 by defeating Hanwha Life in the Regional Finals. Dplus KIA followed suit in their qualification match with wins over DRX and Hanhwa Life.
LPL (China)
- JD Gaming
- Bilibili Gaming
- LNG Esports
- Weibo Gaming
JDG qualified for Worlds by winning the 2023 LPL Summer Split, while Bilibili racked up a whopping 150 championship points over the course of the year, locking them in as the second seed for China. Meanwhile, LNG Esports‘ three-headed monster of Scout, Gala, and Tarzan helped them win the 2023 LPL Regional Finals over Weibo, although both teams are also headed to Worlds due to their respectable efforts over the course of the season.
PCS (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Southeast Asia, Oceania)
- PSG Talon (2023 Summer Champion)
- CTBC Flying Oyster (2023 Summer Runner-Up)
After PSG Talon claimed victory over Beyond Gaming, they locked in their spot at the Play-In at worst. Beyond’s woes only worsened in the lower bracket as they were bundled out by CTBC Flying Oyster, who return to Worlds for the second year running. PSG emerged victorious in the PCS final, claiming the top seed.
VCS (Vietnam)
- GAM Esports (2023 Summer Champion)
- Team Whales (2023 Summer Runner-Up)
GAM Esports were pushed to the brink but emerged winners of the VCS, claiming the top seed as Vietnam finally returns to the Worlds stage. Team Secret, who pushed GAM to five games in the upper bracket final, bowed out in their own five-match defeat to Team Whales, who went on to lock in second seed.
CBLOL (Brazil)
- LOUD (CBLOL 2023 Split Two Champion)
The pocket-rockets at the Worlds Play-In last year would not be denied a record third straight appearance, as LOUD defeated paiN Gaming 3-1 to secure their spot in Korea.
LJL (Japan)
- DetonatioN FM (LJL 2023 Summer Champion)
LLA (Latin America)
- Movistar R7 (LLA 2023 Closing Champion)
Movistar R7 will represent the wider Latin America region after a grand final sweep over Estral Esports. The Movistar squad went all but untouched in the playoffs, conceding two games over three best-of-fives after a 14-2 season.
Worlds 2023 Qualifying Series Winner
- TBA (Golden Guardians vs. Team BDS)
We will continuously update the above details for you as all the competitive League seasons continue to wrap up over the next few months.
