Riot Games Announced New Formats for MSI and Worlds 2025

Riot Games has updated the formats of the major international League of Legends tournaments — Mid-Season Invitational and Worlds. In 2025, the number of participants, qualification, and tournament structure have changed. The announcement was made on the official page of the tournament operator on X .

MSI now includes 10 teams — the top two from each major region. The main changes in the championship format:

The MSI winner automatically qualifies for Worlds.
The region that finishes second receives an additional, fourth slot at Worlds.
Champions of each region and the runner-up from the First Stand-winning region advance directly to the Bracket Stage.
The remaining four teams start from the Play-In, playing in a bo5 GLS format. Two teams with 2-0 and 2-1 results advance to the playoffs.
The Bracket Stage will be held in a bo5 double-elimination format.
The World Championship for LoL also received an updated format. The main changes:

Play-In: Four teams from regions (LCK, LPL , LEC, and LTA) with additional slots will play one bo5 match. The winner advances to the main stage of the tournament.
Swiss Stage: 16 teams (3 from each region + Play-In winner) will play 5 rounds. The 8 teams that first achieve 3 wins will advance to the playoffs.
Playoffs: 8 teams will compete for the championship title in a bo5 single-elimination bracket.
The changes increase the number of teams and revise the qualification system, giving regions with strong results a better chance on the international stage. MSI will be held from June 27 to July 12 in Canada, and Worlds will traditionally be held in China in the fall.