Riot Games announces big changes for 2020 World Championship
It has been confirmed by Riot Games that the teams qualifying to the 2020 World Championship from Vietnam will not be able to participate at the tournament due to travel restrictions, forcing the publisher to make some big changes to the World Championship format.
With this sad news, Riot has released an update on the tournament format which will see some changes. The play-in stage in particular will be hit with changes, while the third seed from the LCK will now automatically qualify for Worlds’ main event.
The play-in stage will be changed from 12 teams down to 10. According to Riot, this is most optimal to keep an even number of teams in the play-in. With this change, one team has to be promoted directly to the main-event and the choice has fallen on the third seed from LCK. The decision is made after evaluating past regional performances at international tournaments.
The new play-in stage will consist of two seeded groups of five teams. Each group will play a single round-robin, which means that all teams will play each other one time. The first-place team from each group will advance to the group stage in the main event, while the last-place teams will be eliminated.
The third and fourth-place teams in each group will meet in a best-of-five series where the loser gets eliminated. The winner will go on and meet the second-place team in the opposite group in a deciding best-of-five series. The winners of those two matches will also qualify for the group stage.
Riot notes that they will typically prefer a double round-robin format, but it won’t be possible under these new circumstances. Instead, the teams will meet each other only one time on Summoner’s Rift, but those teams will still get an equal number of red and blue side games in this format.
With these changes, the group pool also changes a bit now that the third seed from LCK will be promoted directly ahead. The different pools are illustrated here.
Worlds will kick off with the play-in stage on Friday, September 5, where teams including LGD Gaming and MAD Lions will be ready to battle. Riot emphasizes that more changes could be coming since the situation around the event can still change at any time.
Read Also
Esports Betting
These Are Our Betting Tips for the League Championship Series Week 4
Ben Boland
The 2026 LCS Summer Split is in full swing, with the eight North American squads all vying for a chance to represent the region at this year's World Championship. With Worlds being on home soil, there is more than just a ticket to Worlds at stake. Each series in the regular season carries weight, as the standings will determine their seeding and potentially their fate in the playoffs. Week four ...
League of Legends
Caps To Be Announced As Third Inductee in the LoL Hall of Legends
Hannan Mundia
After Faker and Uzi were inducted into the Hall of Legends in 2024 and 2025 respectively, the European League of Legends player Caps will be the next to get the same treatment. League of Legends has been a cornerstone in the professional gaming scene for over a decade. In that time, a handful of players have managed to leave their mark for all future fans and fellow players to learn ...
Esports Betting
MLBB is the most-watched game from the EWC, and it’s hard to see another game beating it
Michael Hassall
The Esports World Cup 2026 has officially passed its midway point and viewership figures for the tournament have surpassed many expectations so far, as per Esports Charts. The viewership tracking site revealed new statistics for the event on Aug. 6, showcasing just how many games had set new records in viewership, including one name leading the way in views: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. MLBB leads the viewership charts with the ...
League of Legends
LCK 2026 Rounds 3–4 Preview, Schedule, Predictions, and More
Hannan Mundia
2026 LCK Rounds 3-4 are slated to start soon, and this preview highlights the schedule, our expert predictions, and everything else you need to know before watching. The LCK has been upside down recently. Teams that were considered absolute powerhouses are seemingly falling off, while previous underdogs have been causing upset after upset. 2026 LCK Rounds 3-4 are starting soon, and the big question here is which team will reign ...
League of Legends
LEC 2026 Summer split preview, schedule, predictions, and more
Hannan Mundia
The 2026 LEC Summer split will be the deciding split to determine which teams can make it to the World Championship, and this preview aims to highlight everything you need to know about it. It isn’t a stretch to say that the LCK and LCP are the only two competitive League of Legends regions actually pulling their weight currently. The LEC did show potential at the start of the year, ...
League of Legends
How is League of Legends Classic different from the modern version?
Hannan Mundia
League Classic brings the classic League of Legends gameplay and design from when the game first came out, but how is it different from the modern version? The modern League of Legends mode is arguably in its best state in terms of popularity, with a study even reporting that playing LoL can improve brain function. Over a decade of gameplay and multiple marketing tactics by Riot Games have bumped up ...
League of Legends
Best Champions for every role in League of Legends Classic mode
Hannan Mundia
League Classic sees the return of League of Legends Season 3, but which champions were deemed the best during that time? League of Legends has gone through a lot of changes since it first came out. While the map and item-related changes naturally impacted the game's state, so did the many champion nerfs, buffs, and reworks. Multiple champions played completely differently in Season 3 than they do now. Since League ...
