2026 League of Legends World Championship KST Schedule

The Swiss stage of the 2026 League of Legends World Championship will be held in Allen, United States. The first match begins at 2 a.m. on October 24, Korean time. Four LCK teams, including Gen.G, will compete.

The schedule and figures are based on the October 5, 2026 LoL Esports announcement.

Key tournament information

The World Championship is an international tournament that determines the season’s world champion. It is organized by Riot Games. A total of 19 teams will compete in the 2026 tournament.

The play-in determines which teams advance to the Swiss stage. Eight of the 16 teams survive the Swiss stage. In the knockout stage that follows, a team is eliminated after one match loss. Tournament overview, host cities and full schedule

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In the Swiss stage, three match wins mean advancement and three losses mean elimination.AI-generated image

2026 Worlds schedule in Korean time

The Swiss stage runs from October 24 to November 1 by Korean date. The times below are when play begins on each match day, not the match times for individual teams.

There are no Swiss matches on October 28, Korean time. The final starts at 4 a.m. on November 15, Korean time. The dates and times follow the Korean-time listings in the Worlds 2026 Primer.

Common mistakes when saving the schedule

Adding the time difference again to a schedule already converted to Korean time will give you the wrong date. The KST times in the announcement are already Korean time. Recording both the local and Korean dates can help avoid confusion.

• CDT is US Central Daylight Time during this Swiss stage.
• Korean time is 14 hours ahead of the corresponding CDT time.
• Save the first-match reminder for 2 a.m. on October 24 (October 24, 02:00, US · South Korea), not the night of October 23.

2026 Worlds LCK teams and their first opponents

The four LCK teams are listed below. All start in the Swiss stage. Their first opponents are based on the official bracket checked on October 20, 2026.

First-round opponents are posted in the official Swiss Bracket. Matchups from the second round onward depend on earlier results. The order of teams in the table is not the order of matches that day.

How to check the official bracket

Check matchups in the tournament page’s Swiss Bracket. Check match times separately on the schedule page. The two pages provide different information.

1. Open the Worlds tournament page on LoL Esports.
2. Find the two teams for the relevant round in the Swiss Bracket.
3. Check the date and start time for that matchup on the official match schedule.

How the 2026 Worlds Swiss stage works

In the Swiss stage, a team advances to the quarterfinals with 3 match wins. A team is eliminated after 3 match losses. There are at most 5 rounds.

Records count matches, not individual games. For example, winning two games in a Bo3 adds one win to a team’s match record. This distinction follows section 4.1.2 and the definitions in the tournament rules.

The difference between the first round and later draws

First-round opponents are determined by draw groups. From the second round onward, teams with the same win-loss record face each other. The rules on matches between teams from the same region also change.

LCK teams can therefore face each other from the second round onward, but they must have the same record to be potential opponents. The detailed draw conditions are set out in the tournament format section of the official guide.

Are there exceptions to the rematch ban?

The rules allow an exception when no eligible draw is possible. Officials may apply this provision. It should be read alongside the general rule against rematches.

Section 4.3.3.2 of the 2026 World Championship Event Specific Ruleset states:

In the case where there are no eligible draws due to this rule, it may be waived by WCE officials.

This means the restriction may be waived if it leaves no eligible draw. It is therefore worth checking whether a simulator includes this exception in its draw rules. A simulated bracket does not replace the official draw.

What to watch for

What a match means for advancement depends on the teams’ current records. Single-game and best-of-three matches can take place in the same round. Distinguishing the following conditions makes the bracket easier to read.

• A team with a 1-1 record plays a single game next.
• A team with 2 wins or 2 losses plays a Bo3 for advancement or survival.
• A team that finishes 3-0 faces a 3-2 team in the quarterfinals.

The last point means Swiss-stage records also affect the quarterfinal draw. The specific opponent for a 3-0 team is determined by a draw. This condition appears in the quarterfinal draw section of the official guide.

Online viewing and attending in person

Online viewers and in-person attendees need to check different information. Online viewers should check match times and broadcast channels. Attendees should also check the venue and ticket terms.

General ticket sales began on July 24, 2026 (US). That date alone does not show whether seats are still available. Check the official linked sales page for seat prices and fees. Official match schedule, broadcast channel information, ticket sales announcement

Official anthem

The 2026 official anthem is True Damage’s Know My Name. Riot Games announced True Damage’s participation on September 29, 2026. The official music video draws on Faker and T1’s competitive play. Worlds Anthem Presented by True Damage