Worlds 2021 groups to be determined in tomorrow’s Draw Show

The first matches of the 2021 World Championship will be decided tomorrow.
Image via Riot Games

After months of anticipation, League of Legends fans will finally find out what the first battles of this year’s World Championship will be when groups are decided during tomorrow’s Draw Show.

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Riot Games is hosting the Draw Show tomorrow at 7am CT, which will divide all the Worlds-qualified teams into groups for the play-ins and the group stage. Ten teams will have to battle their way through the play-in stage, which will be split into two groups. These groups will be decided during tomorrow’s Draw Show by drawing five teams each from two different pools, while group stage divisions will be drawn from three different pools. 

Play-ins

Ten teams will begin their climb for the Summoner’s Cup earlier than the others as they fight for a chance to reach the group stage through play-ins. They will be divided into two groups and will face each other in a best-of-one against every other team in their group. At the end of play-ins, the top team of each group will directly advance to the group stage. The third and fourth-placed teams will fight each other in a best-of-five, with the winning team going up against the second-placed team from the opposite group. The winning team from that match will proceed to the group stage. 

The qualified teams for the Worlds 2021 play-in stage are the following: 

Pool A

  • LNG Esports (LPL)
  • Hanwha Life Esports (LCK)
  • Cloud9 (LCS)
  • Mega Bank Beyond Gaming (PCS)

Pool B

  • RED Canids Kalunga (CBLOL)
  • Unicorns of Love (LCL)
  • Detonation FocusMe (LJL)
  • Infinity Esports (LLA)
  • PEACE (LCO)
  • Galatasaray Esports (TCL)

Group stage

Twelve teams are already qualified for the group stage, and thus won’t have to play through play-ins. These 12 teams will be placed into four groups during tomorrow’s draw show. Rules state no two teams from the same region can be drafted in the same group, however.

During the group stage, every team will have to play against every other competitor from the same group twice. At the end of the second stage of Worlds 2021, only two teams from each group will advance to the final round, the knockout stage. 

Teams already qualified for the group stage are the following: 

Pool A

  • EDward Gaming (LPL)
  • DWG KIA (LCK)
  • MAD Lions (LEC)
  • PSG Talon (PCS)

Pool B

  • FunPlus Phoenix (LPL)Gen.G (LCK)
  • Gen.G (LCK)
  • Fnatic (LEC)
  • 100 Thieves (LCS)

Pool C

  • Royal Never Give Up (LPL)
  • T1 (LCK)
  • Rogue (LEC)
  • Team Liquid (LCS)

The 2021 League of Legends Worlds Championship will take place from Oct. 5 through Nov. 6 in Reykjavík, Iceland. Like in previous international events, the VCS representatives from Vietnam will be absent due to COVID travel restrictions.


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Author
Cecilia Ciocchetti
Freelance writer mainly focusing on the League of Legends and VALORANT esports scenes. Sometimes at events interviewing professionals of the scene, from players to the talented people working behind the curtains. You can reach out to me via Twitter.