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League of Legends at the 2025 Esports World Cup: Format, Prize Pool, Schedule, and Key Details


League of Legends at the 2025 Esports World Cup
Image: League of Legends at the 2025 Esports World Cup

League of Legends (LoL) will once again take center stage at the Esports World Cup 2025, hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 7 to August 24. Thanks to a three-year partnership between Riot Games and the Esports World Cup Foundation, League of Legends is officially locked in as a featured title through 2027.


Here's a comprehensive overview of what to expect from the LoL tournament at EWC 2025, including its structure, schedule, prize pool, and broader esports impact.


Tournament Format

The 2025 League of Legends tournament will include 12 teams and take place across two main stages: the Group Stage and the Playoffs.


Group Stage

July 16–17, 2025

  • Features 8 teams, seeded 5th–12th based on MSI 2025 final standings.

  • Split into two double-elimination groups (4 teams each).

  • All matches are best-of-one (Bo1).

  • The top two teams from each group advance to the Playoffs.


Playoffs

July 17–20, 2025

  • Includes 8 teams:

    • Top 4 MSI 2025 teams (seeds 1–4, auto-qualified).

    • 4 teams advancing from the Group Stage.

  • Single-elimination bracket:

    • Quarterfinals (July 17–18): Best-of-three (Bo3)

    • Semifinals (July 19): Best-of-three (Bo3)

    • Grand Finals (July 20): Best-of-five (Bo5)


Draft Format

While not yet confirmed, the Fearless Draft system—used in other 2025 LoL tournaments—is expected to return for this event.


Prize Pool & MVP Bonus

  • Total Prize Pool: $2,000,000 USD

    • Champion takes 40% ($800,000)

    • Remaining is distributed among other placements (full breakdown TBD)

  • MVP Bonus: The tournament's Most Valuable Player receives an additional $10,000 USD


Venue

All LoL matches will be held at the Qiddiya Arena in Boulevard Riyadh City—part of a massive 645,000-square-foot esports venue equipped to host multiple high-profile tournaments simultaneously.

Broadcasts will be available on the official Esports World Cup Twitch and YouTube channels. While exact times are TBA, previous events suggest evening match slots (e.g., 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. AST).


Team Qualification & Regional Representation

Total Teams: 12

  • 4 teams qualify directly to the Playoffs via MSI 2025 (1st–4th place)

  • 8 teams seeded 5th–12th enter the Group Stage

2024 EWC Champion

  • T1, the defending champion, is invited again—though its seed depends on MSI 2025 results.

Regional Breakdown

The 12 participating teams represent global competitive regions:

  • LCK (Korea): 2 teams

  • LPL (China): 2 teams

  • LEC (Europe): 2 teams

  • LTA (League of Legends Championship of the Americas): 3 teams (2 North, 1 South)

  • LCP (League of Legends Championship Pacific): 2 teams (Pacific merger of PCS, VCS, LJL, LCO)


Confirmed Teams?

No official teams have been confirmed as MSI 2025 concludes July 12. However, based on 2024’s elite lineup and current regional power rankings, fans can expect strong contenders like:

  • LCK: T1, Gen.G, Hanwha Life Esports

  • LPL: Bilibili Gaming, Top Esports

  • LEC: G2 Esports, Fnatic

  • LCS/LTA: Team Liquid, FlyQuest

  • LCP: Regional leaders TBD


Why It Matters

While not part of the official Riot Games tournament calendar (like MSI or Worlds), the Esports World Cup is Riot-sanctioned and offers a unique high-stakes competition between international teams outside Riot-run circuits.

It also contributes to the EWC Club Championship, which awards $20 million USD across all EWC titles. The top team takes the $7 million prize.

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