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World Championship 2014 Preliminary Schedule

Riot·8/5/2014, 11:34:13 PM·3 votes·20,596 views
It’s getting closer and closer to the ultimate showdown in Seoul on October 19th where we’ll crown the League of Legends World Champions 2014. As teams from around the world battle to come out on top in their regional leagues, here’s a glimpse at the group stages, quarter-final and semi-final that are going to take us towards the final showdown at Sangam Stadium. First of all, here’s a quick guide to how this will work. Each of the 16 qualifying teams for Worlds will be drawn into one of four groups (four teams per each group). Two out of the four groups will play the entirety of their group stage games in Taiwan, and the other two groups will play the entirety of their group stage games in Singapore. During the group stage, each team will play every other team twice (once on blue side, once on purple) - meaning that each team plays six games and there are 24 games per location. For more information on how this will all play out, check out our Worlds rulebook - and look out for more information on lolesports.com within the next few weeks. Calendars at the ready - here are the dates and times for the upcoming stages.

GROUP STAGE ONE: September 18 - 21
Taipei, Taiwan

Local time: 5pm - 11pm
PDT: 2am - 8am
CEST: 11am - 5pm
KST: 6pm - 12am

GROUP STAGE TWO: September 25 - 28
Singapore, Singapore

Sept 25 - 26 Sept 27 - 28
Local time: 5pm - 11pm Local time: 2pm - 8pm
PDT: 2am - 8am PDT: 11pm - 5am
CEST: 11am - 5pm CEST: 8am - 2pm
KST: 6pm - 12am KST: 3pm - 9pm

QUARTERFINALS: October 3-6
Busan, Korea

October 3 October 4-5 October 6
Local time: 5pm - 10pm Local time: 2pm - 7pm Local time: 5pm - 10pm
PDT: 1am - 6am PDT: 10pm - 3am PDT: 1am - 6am
CEST: 10am - 3pm CEST: 7am - 12pm CEST: 10am - 3pm

SEMIFINALS: October 11-12
Seoul, Korea

Local time - 5pm - 10pm
PDT - 1am - 6am
CEST - 10am - 3pm

FINALS: October 19
Seoul, Korea

Local time - 4pm - 9pm (3:30pm Opening Ceremony)
PDT - 12am - 5am (11:30pm Opening Ceremony)
CEST - 9am - 2pm (8:30am Opening Ceremony)
Tickets will be on sale for all of the stops very shortly, so check back to lolesports.com to secure your spot for the upcoming stages!

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52 Comments

Earl Eulrich8/6/2014, 12:01:47 AM9 votes

Nice to have the schedule out, but i guess it means it´ll be a single elemination tournament again?

I feel that´s really a bad way to do an important tournament like Worlds. Double elemination (->Upper+Lower-Bracket) is a much better way to make sure the teams in the final are the two best teams of the Tournament in the end. The current OGN-Champions Summer just is a brilliant example of how very strong teams can go out early just because they are in the wrong Bracket, while much weaker Teams make it to Semis/Finals (SKT K got out in quarters while S made it to 3rd place match...and I doubt anyone in their right mind would believe S is stronger than K). Or maybe have a look at TI4...Vici went out there in the Upper bracket 1st round vs the coming Champions, just to fight all the way through the Lower-brackets and reach the Finals. In a Single-elemination they would have been tied for last, making a difference of almost half a million Dollars for them, just because of the seating. So luck of the Draw will play a huge role again in Worlds S4, which is kind of a shame.

Pros of Having Upper-/Lower-Bracket:

  • Strong Teams that get eliminated early because they are matched against the up and coming World Champion get a 2nd Chance to make it to the Final and strike back, so luck of the draw doesn´t play such an important role for a Team to make it to the Finals ->It´s fairer
  • It provides more Drama, due to the comebacks of teams in the Lower-bracket -> more entertainment
  • more Games to watch

Cons:

  • more Games to play

Edit: the currently running 3rd place match of OGN Summer is just a very very good example of why single-elemination is a terrible modus for important tournaments. SKT S is very obviously outclassed hard by Samsung White and wouldn´t have managed to get through quarters if they would have been in the other Bracket. So if SKT K and S would have been in each others Brackets it´s fair to assume K would be a finalist now and S would have gone out as 7/8th place...so K would already be qualified for Worlds if they would have had more luck when they drew Brackets. And Luck really should not play such an important factor in these events.

Trevorghost8/6/2014, 12:02:58 AM7 votes

Every match is in the middle of the night for NA. item 3070 That's fine. I didn't want to watch Worlds anyways.

Bro Maniac8/7/2014, 7:58:21 PM6 votes

Some people complaining about this schedule are really quite funny. It sounds a little selfish to me that you want RIOT to make a schedule that fits one specific region - mostly NA or EU - every year. Besides the fact that some World Championships have already bin IN the United States, what gives you the right to think that you deserve live games more than people in other regions do? Just FYI: They've had sucky schedules for the last years! It's not like esports is a small thing in Korea- want proof?

Those were OGN HOT 6 Summer Finals 2013. Imagine the WORLD CUP FINALS STADIUM that by the way fits over 60 000 people (not sure if supposed to use period or comma in between). Getting that kind of venue is amazing and I feel like other regions deserved being able to watch matches live at a nice time. There are VODs (in my opinion the same as rebroadcasts, no idea where you see the difference) for everyone and you won't miss a second of the action.

And getting up at an unfortunate time ONCE for finals won't get you fired / make you fail a class / kill you - I hope.

Now I can't think of more arguments to throw at you, so peace out and have fun watching worlds :)

Iloqiak8/6/2014, 9:35:24 AM5 votes

It's funny to see that as soon as the games, during worlds, doesn't fit the NA timezone, everyone loses their minds and almost rages about it. When it was in LA I had to stay up most of the night if I wanted to see the games, same as you are this year. My problem now is the games being played in the daytime in Europe. So now i guess I won't be able to see the games because it's during work hours. My point is, stop rage about it. They have put so much work into this, and the only appreciation you give them is: "fuck man now NA have to watch in the night. How can you let a whole region miss the Worlds!!!???" Think about the Asian regions too. They have been in the same situation as you are now in NA

Menbung8/6/2014, 3:29:52 PM4 votes

Why are people in NA complaining? Most of the matches are during the weekend. yes either in the wee hours of the morning, but minus the friday and thursday games.... Why are you in class? I can't wait for worlds!

Vexen IV8/6/2014, 12:10:59 AM3 votes

Please tell me that they are going to show Rebroadcasts throughout the day the matches are held or they will lose out in a serious amount of viewers in NA

C9 Scott Free 8/6/2014, 5:41:50 AM3 votes

This is the second year in a row you have made world finals a pain for NA. why? :/

Azhenot8/6/2014, 10:54:06 AM3 votes

Damn i'll have to watch on the twitch app like a ninja during class. :pAkali

Bro Maniac8/6/2014, 1:13:16 AM2 votes

Those were very interesting 34 pages of rules! I think I'll dream of WCE ... WCE ... WCE summoner 3

Tosíd8/7/2014, 1:11:56 PM2 votes

why are you all NA kids crying like bitches just because its at nigth? its been the same for Europe and Asia the last 2 championships so i dont see a reason to cry. just deal with what the other regions have been dealing with u fat fucks

Smoke8/6/2014, 4:24:35 AM1 votes

Anyone else joining us? http://lolviewingparty.com

Dracyan8/6/2014, 12:31:40 AM1 votes

At least I can watch the finals LOL

BEEF CAK8/6/2014, 10:01:38 AM1 votes

Why is everyone from NA crying about it? Yeah its in the afternoon but lets be real you don't do homework anyway soo....

Jenks8/6/2014, 12:15:13 AM1 votes

If I wasn't the kind of guy to stay up until the sun comes up I would have a problem with this schedule

Bro Maniac8/6/2014, 12:24:02 AM1 votes

[deleted]

Tirizzle8/6/2014, 7:35:25 PM1 votes

Bye bye Worlds viewership numbers. Enjoy dropping for ages.

Ilekku8/7/2014, 12:41:52 PM1 votes

If you think that you must see every single Worlds game go to Youtube and watch games when you have time.

misa jajabinks8/6/2014, 1:37:16 AM1 votes

Riot, there are not enough teams competing in the worlds. There should be 4 group stages, each with 4 teams, 3 from NA LCS,3 from EU LCS, 3 from CHINA LPL. 3 from KOREA OGN, 2 from GPL southeast Asia and 2 from CBLOL Brazil or other leagues. PLZZZZ! This would be so awesome! Make this happen plz!

PAPERpop8/6/2014, 1:14:34 AM1 votes

Right when I have classes...

Fijianthug8/6/2014, 3:08:33 AM1 votes

Man, I am waiting to grab a ticket :(