LoL Worlds 2026 in Malaysia time: play-ins start 2am on 16 October, final early on 15 November
Riot has set the Worlds 2026 schedule across Los Angeles, Texas and New York. Here is what the start times mean for fans watching from Malaysia.
The League of Legends World Championship returns to the United States this month, and for fans in Malaysia that means a run of very early mornings. With the 19-team field confirmed and the schedule published, the opening Play-In stage begins in Los Angeles on Thursday 15 October, which is the small hours of Friday 16 October in Malaysia.
The tournament moves through three American cities over a month: Los Angeles for the Play-Ins, Allen in Texas for the Swiss stage and most of the knockouts, and Brooklyn, New York, for the grand final on 14 November.
Play-In stage: 15-18 October, Los Angeles
Four teams contest the Play-Ins at the Riot Games Arena in a double-elimination bracket, with every series played as best-of-five. Only one team progresses to the main event. The field includes Europe's Karmine Corp and Vietnam's MVK Esports, the third seed from the Asia-Pacific LCP, alongside representatives from North America and Brazil.
Matches start daily at 11am Pacific time, which is 2am in Malaysia the following day.
Swiss stage: 23-31 October, Allen, Texas
Sixteen teams then play a Swiss format in which three wins secure a place in the knockouts and three losses mean elimination. Series are a mix of best-of-one and best-of-three. Top seeds Gen.G, Anyone's Legend, Team Liquid and G2 Esports are drawn against fourth-pool teams in round one, with no same-region matchups allowed. The round-one draw is held on 18 October, after the Play-Ins finish.
Start times range from 12pm to 3pm Central time, roughly 1am to 4am in Malaysia.
Knockouts and final
The quarter-finals and semi-finals run from 3 to 8 November at 4pm Central time. As US clocks change at the start of November, that is about 6am in Malaysia. The best-of-five grand final in Brooklyn starts at 2pm Eastern on Saturday 14 November, which is 3am on Sunday 15 November in Malaysia.
Who to follow from the region
Southeast Asian interest centres on the LCP's three teams: Team Secret Whales, Taiwan's CTBC Flying Oyster and MVK Esports. The LCK sends Gen.G, Hanwha Life Esports, T1 and Dplus KIA, while the LPL is represented by Anyone's Legend, Bilibili Gaming, Top Esports and Invictus Gaming.
Riot's Pick'Ems open on 10 October at 4pm Pacific time, which is 7am on 11 October in Malaysia. Predictions for the Play-Ins lock on 15 October, for the Swiss stage on 23 October and for the knockouts on 3 November.
Key takeaways
- Play-Ins run 15-18 October in Los Angeles, starting at 2am Malaysia time each day.
- The Swiss stage runs 23-31 October in Allen, Texas, roughly 1am-4am in Malaysia.
- Knockouts are 3-8 November, at about 6am Malaysia time.
- The Brooklyn final is at 3am on Sunday 15 November, Malaysia time.
- Pick'Ems open at 7am on 11 October, Malaysia time.
FAQ
What time does Worlds 2026 start in Malaysia? The first Play-In matches begin at 2am on Friday 16 October, Malaysia time (11am Pacific on 15 October).
Where is the Worlds 2026 final? In Brooklyn, New York, on 14 November at 2pm Eastern, which is 3am on 15 November in Malaysia.
Which Asia-Pacific teams are at Worlds 2026? The LCP sends Team Secret Whales, CTBC Flying Oyster and MVK Esports, with MVK starting in the Play-Ins.
Sources: Inven Global, Fragster, Hotspawn