Riot Games has announced the venues and dates for its two major 2026 League of Legends esports events. The Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) will be held in South Korea, while the World Championship final will take place in New York.
The MSI 2026 event will run from June 28th to July 12th at Hall 2 of the Daejeon Convention Center (DCC) in Daejeon, South Korea. The 2026 League of Legends World Championship will end on November 14th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. This marks the return of MSI to South Korea since the 2022 event held in Busan at BEXCO.
MSI 2026 returns to South Korea
MSI 2026 will feature 11 competing teams. The LCK, LCS, LCP, LEC, and LPL regions will each send two teams, while CBLOL from Brazil will send one team.
The bracket stage will include seven teams: the top team from each of the six regions and the LPL’s second seed after their victory in First Stand. The play-in stage will have teams from LCK, LCS, LCP, and LEC competing, with only one team advancing. The play-in stage is scheduled from June 28th to July 1st, followed by the bracket stage starting on July 3rd. The grand final is set for July 12th. The Daejeon Convention Center has previously hosted the 2023 LCK Summer Finals.
Tickets for MSI will be available in phases through Interpark. Domestic sales in South Korea start on May 21st. International tickets requiring a passport will have a Mastercard presale on April 21st, followed by general sales on April 23rd.
LoL Worlds returns to North America
The 2026 World Championship will be the first time returning to North America since 2022. Nineteen teams will compete, with LCK, LCS, LCP, LEC, and LPL each getting three slots, CBLOL sending two teams, and the final two positions determined by MSI results.
The play-in stage will take place from October 15th to 18th at the Riot Games Arena in Los Angeles. Originally planned for Texas, the location has been changed to Los Angeles.
Following that, the Swiss Stage and Knockout Stage will be held at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen, north of Dallas. The Swiss Stage is scheduled from October 23rd to 31st, while the quarterfinals will be from November 3rd to 6th and the semifinals from November 7th to 8th.
The tournament will conclude at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where the 2026 world champion will be crowned on November 14th. More details on World Championship ticket sales will be provided after mid-July, according to Riot Games.