LoL Worlds 2022 date, cities, and schedule revealed

The date, format, schedule, and locations for Worlds 2022 have finally been confirmed.

After repeated difficulties due to travel restrictions and other related issues, League of Legends esports fans finally know when and where the game’s 12th pro season will end. Riot Games has given a full breakdown of the Worlds 2022 schedule and confirmed which cities will host the festivities.

Worlds 2022 is headed to North America and unfortunately, Canada is being left out of the action. Three of the four cities are in North America, while Mexico will also get to see some of the event’s matches play out live.

Worlds 2022 cities revealed

Worlds 2022 will take place in Mexico City, New York City, Atlanta, and San Francisco.

Though teams will always hope to win Worlds, teams that start in the play-ins are facing a grueling travel schedule. This stems from the event starting in Mexico City then moving all the way to New York City, a 2,000 mile flight for play-in teams. From there, things move clear across the United States, going from the northeast in New York to the southeast in Atlanta, Georgia. From there it’s another cross-country flight, going from the east coast to the west coast for the Worlds 2022 finals in San Francisco, California.

This is good news for American League of Legends fans as everyone outside the midwest is a short trip away from part of the event. The Atlanta portion of the event was previously set to take place in Toronto, Canada. 

Worlds 2022 date, schedule

Worlds 2022 will take place from September 29 to November 5. While there will be multiple breaks across the event, but Worlds will once again take place over a five-week period. The play-in, group stage, playoff semifinals, and grand finals will all take place in different cities. The summer season is still ongoing, the participants have not been decided just yet.

Here’s the full breakdown of the Worlds 2022 schedule:

Worlds 2022 play-in stage (September 29-October 4, Mexico City)

The action begins at Mexico City’s Arena Esports Stadium at Artz Pedregal with the play-in stage. 12 teams from 11 different leagues will compete for four spots in the group stage. In a surprise twist, two LEC teams are set to take part in the play-in stage.

Worlds 2022 group stage (October 7-10 and 13-16, New York City)

A 2,000 mile flight separates the first two stages of the event. Teams go from Mexico City to New York City, with the Worlds 2022 group stage landing in the Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden. The group stage includes 16 teams broken up across four groups, with the top two of each advancing forward. Luckily, they won’t have to travel at all for the next leg of the event.

Worlds 2022 knockout stage quarterfinals (October 20-23, New York City)

For the playoffs, things move from the Hulu Theater to Madison Square Garden proper. The iconic arena has hosted a long list of major traditional sports events, and also hosted a portion of Worlds 2016.

Worlds 2022 knockout stage semifinals (October 29-30, Atlanta)

Things move south for the final four with Worlds 2022 moving to the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. The home of the Atlanta Hawks will host two series that decide the competitors for the grand finals. This portion of the event was originally slated to take place in Canada, but plans have changed since.

Worlds 2022 grand finals (November 5, San Francisco)

Save the date, because Worlds 2022 closes out in San Francisco, California on November 5. The Chase Center will host the final series of the event and all the festivities that go along with it. The Chase Center actually has a smaller seating capacity than Madison Square Garden, meaning there will be fewer seats available for the grand finals than the quarterfinals. 

Will Worlds 2022 be in Canada?

Worlds 2022 will not be in Canada, much to the chagrin of LoL fans in the country.

Though the event was supposed to be split across Mexico, the United States, and Canada, things are going to be limited to the southern portion of the North American continent. The quarterfinals of the playoffs were originally slated to take place in Toronto, but were instead moved to Atlanta, Georgia. This is a tough blow for Canadian fans as well as the actual competitors, who will face a tougher travel schedule as a result.