Worlds 2026 line-up nearly set: Team Secret Whales lead the Asia-Pacific challenge as T1 go for a fourth straight title
With three weeks to go before League of Legends Worlds in the US, only the last LCS and CBLOL places are still open. Here's where the field stands.
The 2026 League of Legends World Championship starts in three weeks, and most of the 19 places are filled. esports.gg's tracker was last updated on 23 September. It shows the LCK, LPL, LEC and LCP teams all confirmed. Only North America and Brazil still have places to decide.
Who has qualified
- LCK (Korea): Gen.G, Hanwha Life Esports (MSI 2026 champions), T1, Dplus KIA
- LPL (China): Anyone's Legend, Bilibili Gaming, Top Esports, Invictus Gaming
- LEC (EMEA): G2 Esports, Movistar KOI, Karmine Corp
- LCP (Asia-Pacific): Team Secret Whales, CTBC Flying Oyster, MVK Esports
- LCS (North America): esports.gg lists Team Liquid and Cloud9, with one place still open
- CBLOL (Brazil): two places still open
This is the first Worlds since 2024 with separate LCS and CBLOL representation, after the Americas league (LTA) split in 2025. Brazil was originally given one place and received a second in March after criticism that the region was under-represented.
Asia-Pacific's hopes: Team Secret Whales
Southeast Asian fans will be watching Team Secret Whales most closely. The Vietnamese-rooted team, formed in late 2024 from a merger of Team Secret and Team Whales, beat CTBC Flying Oyster 3-0 in the LCP Split 3 final. That was their third LCP title in a row and it made them the region's first seed.
Crypto Briefing and GosuGamers highlight the team's young jungler Hizto, who is 18 and has won several MVP awards this season. The team has improved on the international stage. They finished 12th–14th at Worlds 2025, then reached 5th–6th at MSI 2026, where they beat Top Esports along the way. CTBC Flying Oyster go as second seed and MVK Esports as third.
Where and when
- Play-in: Riot Games Arena, Los Angeles, from 15 October
- Swiss stage, quarter-finals and semi-finals: Credit Union of Texas Event Center, Allen, Texas
- Final: Barclays Center, New York, 14 November
Wikipedia's event page says Worlds is expected to use Fearless Draft, where a champion used earlier in a series can't be picked again by either team. The format is a double-elimination best-of-five play-in, then a 16-team Swiss stage and best-of-five knockouts.
Can anyone stop T1?
T1 have won the last three Worlds and are going for a fourth in a row. They got in as an LCK seed this year and are not the region's top team. Gen.G and MSI champions Hanwha Life will both expect to challenge them, and so will LPL sides Anyone's Legend and Bilibili Gaming.
Worlds matches in the US mean early-morning viewing for Malaysian fans, so plan for some early alarms in October and November.
Key takeaways
- Worlds 2026 runs from 15 October to 14 November in Los Angeles, Allen (Texas) and New York.
- The LCK, LPL, LEC and LCP teams are confirmed. The remaining LCS and CBLOL places are decided in early October.
- Team Secret Whales are Asia-Pacific's top seed after a third straight LCP title.
- T1 are chasing a fourth consecutive world title.
FAQ
How many teams play at Worlds 2026? Nineteen, starting with a play-in stage in Los Angeles.
Where is the Worlds 2026 final? At the Barclays Center in New York on 14 November.
Which Asia-Pacific teams have qualified? Team Secret Whales, CTBC Flying Oyster and MVK Esports from the LCP.
Sources: esports.gg, Sheep Esports, GosuGamers, Crypto Briefing, Wikipedia