Riot Games Announces Expansion of League of Legends World Championship to 12 Teams

History of the League of Legends World Championship

The League of Legends World Championship (Worlds) is the annual professional League of Legends tournament organized by Riot Games. It is the most prestigious tournament in League of Legends and features the best teams from around the world. The first Worlds was held in 2011, and the tournament has grown significantly over the years. In 2021, the tournament will be expanding to 12 teams, up from 10 teams in previous years.

The expansion of Worlds is a sign of the continued growth of League of Legends. The game has become one of the most popular esports in the world, and the World Championship is one of the most watched esports events. The expansion of the tournament will allow more teams to compete for the championship, and it will give fans around the world more opportunities to see the best teams in action.

New Regional Seeds for Worlds 2023

With the expansion to 12 teams, Riot Games has also announced changes to the regional seeds for Worlds. The new regional seeds are as follows:

• LPL (China): 4 seeds
• LCK (Korea): 4 seeds
• LEC (Europe): 3 seeds
• LCS (North America): 2 seeds
• PCS (Pacific): 1 seed
• VCS (Vietnam): 1 seed
• LLA (Latin America): 1 seed
• CBLOL (Brazil): 1 seed
• LJL (Japan): 1 seed
• TCL (Turkey): 1 seed

The new regional seeds are based on the performance of each region in recent international tournaments. The LPL and LCK have been the two most dominant regions in recent years, so they have been awarded the most seeds. The LEC and LCS have also been strong regions, so they have been awarded three and two seeds, respectively. The other regions have been awarded one seed each.

Format of Worlds 2023

The format of Worlds 2023 will be similar to the format of previous years. The tournament will be divided into two stages: the Play-In Stage and the Group Stage. The Play-In Stage will feature the 12 teams that did not receive a direct seed to the Group Stage. The top four teams from the Play-In Stage will advance to the Group Stage, where they will join the eight teams that received a direct seed. The Group Stage will be played in a double round-robin format, and the top two teams from each group will advance to the Knockout Stage. The Knockout Stage will be a single-elimination bracket, and the winner of the bracket will be crowned the World Champion.

Conclusion

The expansion of the League of Legends World Championship to 12 teams is a sign of the continued growth of the game. The new regional seeds and format will make the tournament more competitive and exciting than ever before. Fans around the world are eagerly awaiting the start of Worlds 2023, and they are sure to be treated to some of the best League of Legends action in history.