All LoL Worlds 2024 Play-in matches

With less than a month to go, the 2024 League of Legends World Championship Play-in stage is fast approaching. Starting on Sept. 25, eight teams will battle it out in Berlin for a coveted spot on the Swiss stage, kicking off the intense road toward the Summoner’s Cup.

This year’s Worlds edition will take place across Europe, with 20 teams competing in three stages: Play-in, Swiss, and Knockouts. As each split concludes, more League teams continue to secure their spots. The stakes are incredibly high—one misstep could mean the difference between advancing to the Swiss stage or going home painfully early.

LoL Worlds Play-Ins format and qualified teams

The Play-in stage of League Worlds 2024 is where the journey begins, but just for eight of the 20 qualified teams. They’ll compete in two double-elimination brackets, where the teams will play in best-of-three matches. Two teams that go 2-0 will advance to Swiss stage. Those in the lower bracket with a 1-1 track record will face each other, with the matches squaring teams from the opposing brackets—this Worlds, no early rematches.

The teams participating in the Play-in stage are:

• PCS: PSG Talon as first seed and Fukuoka SoftBank HAWKS Gaming as second seed
• VCS: GAM Esports as first seed and Vikings Esports as second seed
• LLA: Movistar R7
• LEC: MAD Lions
• CBLOL: Decided on Sept. 7
• LCS: Decided on Sept. 1

These qualified League teams will fight tooth and nail for a spot in the next phase of the Championship, where the competition will only get tougher.

All matches for Worlds 2024 Play-Ins

The Play-Ins matches are structured in a way that every game counts, and therefore, the round one draw show is a crucial step for them to ensure a good matchup. The matches were randomly decided after the 2024 LEC Season Finals in Munich and we can already tell there’ll be great matches to open the 2024 World Championship.

Here’s a look at the first round of matches for the Play-Ins:

• MAD Lions vs. Vikings Esports
• PSG Talon vs. CBLOL first seed
• GAM Esports vs. Fukuoka SoftBank HAWKS Gaming
• LCS third seed vs. Movistar R7

These matches set the stage for what will be a thrilling Play-ins, with each team aiming to secure one of the coveted Swiss spots. As the tournament progresses, the excitement will only build, leading to the climactic Grand Finals on Nov. 2 at the O2 in London.