The 2025 League of Legends World Championship runs from October 14 to November 9, 2025, across Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu in China. This year introduces the Fearless Draft system—teams cannot repeat the same champion across games in a series—raising the stakes on draft strategy.
Play-In: T1 Eliminates IG 3–1
On October 14, the Play-In stage opened with a high-stakes series between T1 (LCK) and Invictus Gaming (LPL) in a best-of-five match. T1 secured a 3–1 victory, denying IG a spot in the Swiss stage.
Here’s how the series broke down:
Game 1: T1 asserted early control and won.
Game 2: IG responded with strong macro play and claimed the win.
Game 3 & 4: T1 regained momentum, outmacroed IG in mid and late game fights, and closed the series.
With this win, T1 advances to the Swiss stage and IG is eliminated from the tournament on day one. For IG, despite being a fourth seed in LPL, their Worlds run ends before Swiss.
Swiss Stage: October 15–25 (Format and Stakes)
The Swiss Stage begins October 15 and runs through October 25 with a short break mid-stage. Sixteen teams, including T1 now, compete over five rounds. Matchups are based on win–loss records. Teams that reach three wins advance; those with three losses are eliminated. Most encounters are best-of-one, but deciding matches (for advancement or elimination) move to best-of-three.
This stage tests consistency, draft flexibility, and resilience. Because IG is out, one fewer LPL contender remains, increasing pressure on other Chinese squads to carry the region forward.
Knockout Stage: October 28 – November 9
Starting October 28, the Knockout Stage features quarterfinals and semifinals (through November 2), culminating in the Grand Final on November 9. All matches are best-of-five under Fearless Draft rules.
The quarterfinals and semifinals will take place at Shanghai’s Mercedes-Benz Arena, and the final will be held in Chengdu’s Dong’an Lake Sports Park Gymnasium.
What This Result Means & What to Watch
T1’s victory over IG is significant in multiple ways. First, it cements T1’s status as a stable contender—they’ve now qualified for the main stage and avoid the riskier Swiss matches early. Secondly, IG’s early exit is a blow for LPL’s depth: losing a fourth seed before Swiss highlights how competitive this year’s field is.
For fans and analysts, here’s what to watch going forward:
Draft adaptation under Fearless Draft: With IG out, T1 now has to face fresh opponents who may ban differently. The no-repeat rule pushes teams into deeper champion pools.
Bracket balance: IG’s absence shifts probability edges in brackets where they might’ve been wildcard threats.
Momentum and psychology: Winning in a dramatic Play-In battle gives T1 a mental boost heading into Swiss.
Regional implications: LPL now has one fewer team to champion, increasing pressure on remaining teams like Top Esports, BLG, and JDG.