First Stand Tournament (FST)
In 2025, a new global tournament will launch at the end of the first split, uniting all regions in Seoul, South Korea. This event will feature innovative formats like Fearless Draft, where champions picked in one game are banned for the remainder of the series. It is set to disrupt traditional drafts and matchups, increasing the variety of champions seen in pro play and pushing teams to adapt their strategies on the fly, making for a more dynamic and unpredictable viewing experience.
Mid-Season Invitational (MSI)
Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) is a high-stakes showdown where only the best of the best will emerge. This tournament, which bridges the gap between the spring and summer splits, offers more than just the title and recognition—it’s a critical opportunity for teams and regions to gain an advantage heading into Worlds.
MSI 2025 will feature 10 teams from five major leagues: the LPL, LCK, LTA, LEC, and LCP. Each of these leagues will send their top two teams to represent their region, ensuring that only the best talent from each corner of the globe will compete.
The road to becoming the MSI Champion will unfold across two stages. The tournament begins with a Play-In Stage, where four of the ten teams will battle it out. Only the top two teams from this stage will advance, joining six pre-qualified teams in a showdown that will ultimately crown the MSI Champion.
The MSI Champion will earn a guaranteed slot at Worlds, provided they meet the competitive requirement in the summer split set by the regional league. This additional Worlds slot serves as a powerful motivator, allowing the champion team to focus on refining their performance for the year’s ultimate competition. Additionally, the region of the MSI runner-up will also gain an extra slot at Worlds, boosting its representation and giving another team a shot at international glory.
World Championship (Worlds)
The League of Legends World Championship is the pinnacle of LoL Esports. Worlds 2025, hosted in Chengdu, China, will showcase a total of 17 teams competing for the title of world champion.
Each of the five regions - LCK, LEC, LCP, LPL and, LTA - will be granted three slots, accounting for 15 of the participating teams. The two remaining slots are awarded based on performance at the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI). This structure maintains global representation while rewarding top performance, ensuring that the strongest regions and teams are well-represented on the world stage.
A single best-of-five match makes up the Worlds 2025 Play-Ins Stage. The winner joins the other 15 qualified teams in the Swiss Stage.
The Swiss Stage will feature a five-round, Swiss-style format, in which teams with the same win-loss record will compete against each other until they achieve three wins or three losses. Matches that determine advancement or elimination will be best-of-three, while the others will be best-of-one.
The Knockout Stage will feature eight teams that qualify from the Swiss Stage. Based on their placement in Swiss, they will be drawn into a best-of-five single elimination bracket. This bracket includes Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Finals and will determine the 2025 World Champion.
Worlds is the most widely viewed and followed esports tournament and is among the world's largest and most popular gaming and sporting events. With over a decade’s worth of champions, we’re excited for many more years of the best of the best battling it out on the Worlds stage.
