Worlds 2025: Everything you need to know

An entire year of top-tier League of Legends action is coming to a close. 17 of the best teams in the scene are set to battle it out at the biggest tournament of the year: Worlds 2025.

With sky-high stakes and epic clashes coming our way, it's time to take a look at everything there is to know about this year's Worlds before it officially kicks off on October 14th!

Format Explanation

Worlds 2025 will take place across three stages: Play-In Stage, Swiss Stage, and Playoffs. Here's how each stage will work:

Play-In Stage:

• One Bo5 match between the LCK's #4 seed and the LPL's #4 seed will decide which team joins the other 15 squads in the Swiss Stage

Swiss Stage: 

• Initial matches will be Bo1
• Elimination and Qualification matches are Bo3
• No matchup repeats
• Teams with three wins qualify to Playoffs. Teams with three losses are eliminated from Worlds 2025
• Opening matchups will be revealed immediately after the Play-In match
• Eight teams will qualify to Playoffs

Playoffs:

• Single-elimination bracket
• Teams are matched up according to their Swiss Stage records
• All matches are Bo5

To check out the complete lineup of teams at Worlds 2025, make sure to check out our list of qualified teams. Remember to follow the tournament on Strafe for all the latest results.

*Note: Fearless Draft will be used across the entire event, making every game attractive and unique.

Schedule

As far as League of Legends esports goes, there's no tournament like Worlds. To help you follow the action more easily, here's a comprehensive look at the schedule for every stage of Worlds 2025:

• Play-In Stage: T1 vs Invictus Gaming [October 14th - 1 am PT/10 am CET]
• Swiss Stage:
  • Round 1: October 15th
  • Round 2: October 16th
  • Round 3: October 17th-19th
  • Round 4: October 22nd-24th
  • Round 5: October 25th
• Playoffs:
  • Quarterfinals: October 28th-31st
  • Semifinals: November 1st-2nd
  • Grand Finals: November 9th

To find out more about the cities and venues in China hosting each stage of Worlds 2025, check out our complete guide.

Few events in esports can match the hype of Worlds Finals. (Credit: Marv Watson/Riot Games)

Where to Watch

This is it. Worlds is the tournament every League of Legends team strives to attend, and you won't want to miss a second of the action. Tune in to catch all of the Worlds 2025 games live on the official Twitch and YouTube channels for the tournament.

If you'd like to earn the chance to win drop rewards in the form of in-game emotes and more, make sure to watch the event on the LoL Esports website while logged in with your Riot ID.

Alternatively, you can also choose to follow the action along with your favorite co-streamers. Worlds 2025 is set to host the largest co-streaming program in the tournament's history, with over 100 creators joining in across multiple languages.

Whichever way you choose to tune in, make sure you're there when Worlds 2025 kicks off on Tuesday, October 14th!

Follow Strafe Esports for all the latest League news and our X account for the latest content and coverage. Also, stay tuned to Strafe YouTube for exclusive interviews, press conferences, and more.

Featured image credit: Yicun Liu/Riot Games

Read more:

All Teams Qualified for Worlds 2025

Worlds 2025 Ticket Sales: Prices, Dates, and Where to Buy

Red Bull League of Its Own 2025 Heads to Munich with T1, Los Ratones, G2, Karmine Corp