Riot has announced that League of Legends Worlds 2025 will take place in China from October 14-November 9. The premier event of the League calendar will take place in three venues across China, culminating in Chengdu’s Dong’an Lake Sports Park Multifunctional Gymnasium.
Worlds 2025: Dates, format, and venues
Play-In and Swiss Stages will be played on the 2,000 capacity Beijing Smart Esports Center, a dedicated esports event. According to Riot, “the Play-In Stage will host a one-day best of five between the fourth seeded team of the two best performing regions from MSI to punch their ticket to the Swiss Stage.” This corresponds to the fourth seeds of Korea and China, following their strong MSI showings.
Following the Play-Ins on October 14, we’re straight into the Swiss Stage from October 15-25, with 16 teams competing to progress to the Knockout Stage, where eight teams will contest a single-elimination eight-team bracket, where there is no room for error in best-of five contests.
The Knockout Stage will take place in Shanghai’s Mercedes-Benz Arena, a 18,000-seat arena. New to Worlds 2025, there is now no break between the quarter and semi-finals. Previously, there has been a week’s break between the matches, meaning teams will have less time to practice and strategise as they aim to defeat their semi-final opponents.
The Finals will be played on November 9, at Dong’an Lake Sports Park Multifunctional Gymnasium in Chengdu, another 18,000-seat arena where one team will lift League of Legends’ most prestigious trophy, the Summoner’s Cup.
Anyone’s Legends to lead Chinese charge for home glory
Worlds 2025 will be only the third time the Worlds has taken place in China since the establishment of Worlds in 2011. Despite the game’s popularity in China, the region has hosted fewer Worlds than the EU or NA.
No Chinese team has ever won in China, with Edward Gaming, Invictus Gaming, and FunPlus Phoenix taking their victories in Reykjavik, Incheon and Paris, respectively.
Anyone’s Legend, as the LPL Split 1 and 2 Champions, will be hoping to break that pattern and immortalise their names as the first Chinese team to win a Worlds in China. Certainly, there will be no lack of effort, with Coach Wong ‘Tabe’ Pak outlining the squad’s gruelling scrim schedule to streamer, Caedrel, at MSI, where the Chinese roster finished third.
While LCK teams, and MSI finalists, Gen.G and T1 will remain betting favourites, the Chinese region will have hope in how competitive Anyone’s Legend looks in international tournaments, pushing both Gen.G and T1 at MSI to five games.
For the Korean fans, the question will be whether Jeong ‘Chovy’ Ji-hoon will capture that coveted Worlds title, or whether Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok will capture another Worlds, a title which has become synonymous with T1 as an organisation.
As for EU, they will be hoping simply not to replicate MSI’s disaster-class of an event. The region was buoyed by G2’s fourth-place finish at the Esports World Cup, but whether that success can be replicated in best-of-fives, potentially in Fearless Draft, remains unclear.
Which teams will play League of Legends Worlds 2025?
Currently on Gen.G are guaranteed to attend Worlds 2025, guaranteed to at least make the play-in between Korea and China’s fourth seeds, though Gen.G will almost certainly join in the Swiss Stage. So stay tuned to League of Legends’ regional leagues to see who else can make the event.
Three teams from each region will get a spot at the Swiss stage, with LCK and LPL’s splits already in action, and LCP and the LEC beginning soon. Certainly, Fnatic will be hoping to take one of the LEC spots as the team looks to return to international competition after securing Yun ‘Poby’ Sung-won to their roster.
Darragh Harbinson is an esports writer specialising in Counter-Strike. He has written for Esports News UK, Esports Insider, UKCSGO, Dexerto, and Rush B Media.