How Do Teams Qualify for Worlds 2017?

Riot·Aug 18, 2017·1 votes·45,092 views

The 2017 League of Legends World Championship begins on September 23, 2017 – just over one month from today.

With the introduction of the Play-In Stage, more teams from more regions than ever will compete. Read on for an explanation of regional seeding, how teams qualify, and when to tune in for the Summer (Split 2) Playoffs and Regional Qualifiers.

How are seeds allocated?

A region’s seeds are based on past international performance. Consistently strong regions send some or all of their seeds straight to the Group Stage, whereas other regions receive fewer seeds and start in the Play-In Stage.

For Korea’s League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK), three seeds are sent to the Group Stage.

In the following regions, the top two seeds are sent to the Group Stage and the third seed is sent to the Play-In Stage:

China – League of Legends Pro League (LPL)
Europe – European League of Legends Championship Series (EU LCS)
North America – North American League of Legends Championship Series (NA LCS)
Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau – League of Legends Master Series (LMS)

Based on the performance of Southeast Asia’s Garena Premier League (GPL) at the 2017 Mid-Season Invitational, they received an additional seed. One seed is sent to the Group Stage and the second seed is sent to the Play-In Stage.

In the following regions, one seed is sent to the Play-In Stage:

Brazil – Campeonato Brasileiro de League of Legends (CBLoL)
Commonwealth of Independent States – The League of Legends Continental League (LCL)
Japan – League of Legends Japan League (LJL)
Latin America North – Liga Latinoamérica Norte (LLN)
Latin America South – Copa Latinoamérica Sur (CLS)
Oceania – Oceanic Pro League (OPL)
Turkey – Turkish Championship League (TCL)

How do teams qualify?

There's one way teams from CBLOL, LCL, LJL, LLN, CLS, OPL, and TCL can qualify:

Win Summer Playoffs

There are two ways teams from GPL can qualify, again due to their region's performance at the MSI:

1st seed – Win Summer Playoffs
2nd seed – Win the Summer Playoffs expanded bracket qualifier

There are three ways teams from LCK, LPL, EU LCS, NA LCS, and LMS can qualify:

1st seed – Win Summer Playoffs
2nd seed – Have the most Championship Points by the end of Playoffs
3rd seed – Win the Regional Qualifier

When are Summer (Split 2) Playoffs in each region?

Summer Playoffs take place on different dates in each region:

LCK: 8/12 - 8/26, Finals 8/26
LPL: 8/22 - 8/26, Finals 9/1
EU LCS: 8/19 - 9/10, Finals 9/3
NA LCS: 8/19 - 9/10, Finals 9/3
LMS: 8/18 - 8/28, Finals 8/25
GPL: 8/21 - 8/27
CBLoL: 8/19 - 9/2, Finals 9/2
LCL: 8/19 - 9/3, Finals 9/3
LJL: 8/16 - 8/19, Finals 8/26
LLN: 8/14 - 8/26, Finals 8/26
CLS: 7/27 - 7/28, Finals 8/19
OPL: 8/25 - 9/2, Finals 9/2
TCL: 8/5 - 8/13, Finals 8/19

What are the Regional Qualifiers?

The LCK, LPL, EU LCS, NA LCS, and LMS all hold Regional Qualifiers after Summer Playoffs to determine which team from their region will secure the 3rd seed at Worlds.

Teams are ranked within the Regional Qualifiers based on their final Championship Points standings. Teams earn Championship Points based on where they finish in both the Spring and Summer Split Playoffs.

Most regions play out their Regional Qualifiers in a gauntlet format. Every match in the tournament is a Best of 5, and the four competing teams are seeded into a single elimination gauntlet-style bracket based on the amount of Championship Points they've earned.

In a gauntlet, teams with fewer points have to play more matches. They must defeat all of the higher seeds in order to qualify, whereas teams that finished with more Championship Points have a relatively easier road.

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In the LMS, Regional Qualifiers are played in a bracket format. After two initial matches between the 1st/4th and 2nd/3rd highest point holders, the winners of each duke it out in a final match.

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Where can I watch the Regional Qualifiers?

The Regional Qualifiers take place on different dates in each region. Every qualifier will be available to watch on Lolesports. For exact times, check your league’s schedule page.

NA LCS: 9/8 - 9/10
EU LCS: 9/8 - 9/10
LCK: 8/28, 8/30, 9/2
LPL: 9/2 - 9/3
LMS: 8/26 - 8/28

16 Comments

Miror BAug 19, 20174 votes

SKT the first team to qualify, showing that with hard work and a dream, you too can watch KT throw massively and not understand how a draft works.

RiotRiot chl0eAug 20, 20176 votes

Flash Wolves were actually the first to qualify!

Miror BAug 20, 20171 votes

Entirely forgot about the LMS, only because of all the other r/l stuff I've had to focus on. Not too surprised that they qualified though, as although there was one "superteam" dominating their region for a while (can't remember the name, think it was "raise gaming" or something like that) teams like those rarely do well in the playoffs.

Sure iGuessAug 22, 20174 votes

What happens if two teams have the same amount of points. For example, if immortals makes it to finals with TSM and loose to TSM, then TSM will be NA's number one seed and Immortals will have 90 points but so will cloud 9 sense they got 70 from the spring split and 20 from the summer split. I am assuming they will pick Immortals sense they have the better record for summer split but they do have the same amount of points so i am curious as to who they would pick as second seed for NA.

Miror BAug 22, 20171 votes

Summer always takes priority, thus IMT would get in.

SteefnessAug 29, 20173 votes

Which is pretty ridiculous. C9 made playoffs both splits whereas IMT stunk it up in the Spring. C9 has shown that they are more consistent but are punished because they had a slightly better showing the previous split. What's the point of even having the point system if that's how you're going to do it, just give the second seed to the second place team in Summer. Backwards thinking, and possibly influenced by the desire to have different teams represent NA (as if it matters).

DomermacAug 19, 20173 votes

Why is LMS the only region where there is a bracket? To me it says seeding is extraneous. Probably creates more playoff competition but seems a little PC for professional gaming. Ribbons, ribbons, ribbons for all! First seed should get a bigger advantage IMO.

SteefnessAug 29, 20171 votes

They've allowed regions not named NA or EU to regulate themselves, to set their own rules for how things are determined. That's why you see the weird things like the old game 5 blind pick rule in LCK, or the splitting of the league into two groups like LPL first did and EU followed. Look up non sequitur, it fits what you're bringing up. Most professional sports playoffs involve a bracket system exactly like the one LMS is doing, where the top seeds play the bottom seeds, and it's just like the split playoffs are laid out in NA and EU with the top seeds getting paired with the lower seeds. It has nothing to do with PC, and there's no reason to bring up politics in a video gaming comments board.

DomermacSep 1, 20172 votes

I understand the bracket system and that most professional sports use it. However if you looked across the other major regions (NA, EU, LCK, LPL) you'll notice a bracket system playoff to decide the 3rd place team for each region at worlds. I'm saying that I think LMS being a bracket for the worlds qualifier is stupid. They've already done that for the title of their region. Points are accrued over two splits, a team that is more consistent and has more points should be rewarded more. If you've fought for that advantage, you deserve it. Hence the PC of making it all equal anyways, your non sequitur comment leads me to believe you missed that. Also I think its naive to think that video games are devoid of politics or their influence.

SteefnessSep 10, 20171 votes

And you missed the part where I mentioned that each region besides NA and EU get to decide how they do things. They probably have a reason for it, so there's really no reason for you to be bitching about it because it doesn't affect you in any way.

xSirlancealotxAug 31, 2017

The funny thing about this is that it actually made the wild card regions have only 1 team in the group stages effectively. Sure now 24 teams instead of 16 get to say they went to worlds. No one expects anyone but NALCS, EULCS, LPL, and LMS to make it out of the play ins. If this happens there will be only 1 wild card team in the group stage and that would be from the GPL because they did the best at MSI. They get a slot in the 2nd seeds. Gigabites Marines will be the only team from the wild card regions in group stage this year.

TharusAug 19, 20172 votes

Why not make more groups in the group stage for the other regions and a bigger knockout stage like in soccer?

SteefnessAug 29, 20171 votes

The whole thing takes a month to get through as it is, doesn't need to be any longer.

TaihlAug 29, 20171 votes

Is there an article explaining the Play-Ins? By my count i see 12 teams seeded into groups directly and then 12 other teams set into the play-ins. I can only assume that those 12 will compete in some type of knockout bracket system for the remaining 4 seeds for worlds. If there is an article explaining this I would appreciate a link; if not, why not? I must admit I do like the changes being made to how Worlds seeding works. I think the extra international games being played by regions not named Korea will help to improve those teams. I almost look forward to the play-ins more than Worlds itself, the games appear as though they will be much more competitive.

BigBellBruteAug 29, 20171 votes

Play ins round 1 four groups, three teams each. Randomly drawn. Double round robin. Winners of each group advance as 1 seed for round two, 2nd place gets 2 seed.
Round two Randomly redrawn 1 seeds must play 2 seeds. Best of 5. The four Winners advance to group stage as group 3 seeds.

Who is in for Group stage so far..
Korea Longzhu gaming, SKT, TBD.
NA Immortals, TSM.
EU G2, Misfits China Royal Never give up, Edward LMS Flash Wolves, AHQ SouthEast Asia Gigabyte Marines.

Who is into the play in. NA TBD Gauntlet winner EU TBD Gauntlet winner China TBD Regional winner. LMS Hong Hong Attitude SouthEast Asia Young Generation. Japan Rampage Brazil TBD LCL TBD Latin America North Lyon Gaming Latin America South Kaos Latin Gamers Oceana TBD
Turkey 1907 Fenerbahce