The knockout stage of the 2024 League of Legends World Championship is upon us, setting the stage for intense battles as eight teams vie for a shot at the trophy. With finals in London just around the corner, fans are eager to see who will emerge victorious.
This year’s tournament has been filled with surprises from the beginning, from a CBLOL team qualifying for the main stage to no EMEA teams qualifying for the knockout stage after G2 Esports were also eliminated. Other minor regions also fell short despite impressive showings throughout the tournament, like GAM Esports, who eliminated MAD Lions KOI in the Swiss stage. And the cherry on top has to be FlyQuest keeping Western hopes alive.
The four LPL teams showcased their dominance throughout the tournament as all qualified for the final stage of the competition. Unsurprisingly though, Gen.G, who are heavily favoured for winning Worlds this year, are still in the run for the Summoner’s Cup. But it seems that once again all roads will lead to T1, the reigning champions, who aim to defend their title and secure a fifth championship.
Format and participating teams
The knockout stage follows a single elimination best-of-five format, where teams must win three games to advance or face elimination from the tournament. The top eight teams qualified after the Swiss stage, which featured intense competition, with some matches being closer than most had thought they could be, resulting in some surprising qualifier teams, like LNG Esports.
LNG secured their spot by finishing the LoL Worlds Swiss stage with an impressive 3-0 record, a feat most fans would have thought impossible at the beginning of the tournament when it was not sure who their mid laner would be. Gen.G also achieved a perfect 3-0, with a notable victory over Hanwha Life Esports in the LCK Summer Finals rematch. Top Esports made their mark by sweeping Dplus KIA to finish with a strong 3-1 record, and LCK first seed, HLE, secured their place with a 3-1 record after overcoming FlyQuest, but not without breaking a sweat.
T1, the current champions, clinched their spot by defeating G2 Esports with a 2-0 score, which safeguarded their record of never losing more than one game in the main stage of Worlds. Weibo Gaming advanced with a 3-2 record after eliminating Fnatic and Dplus. Finally, Bilibili Gaming rounded out the top eight, eliminating G2 Esports with a close 3-2 record in a series that could have gone either way.
Last but not least to qualify were FlyQuest, beating Team Liquid 2-1 in a rematch of the LCS Summer Finals, which was the last match of the Swiss stage.
Upcoming knockout matches
As the knockout stage begins, these initial four matchups will determine who advances in the tournament.
Time | Matchup | Winner |
TBD | LNG Esports vs. Weibo Gaming | |
TBD | Gen.G vs. FlyQuest | |
TBD | Hanwha Life vs. Bilibili Gaming | |
TBD | T1 vs. Top Esports |
The crown is still up for anyone to grab. T1 will look to to secure their fifth title, Gen.G will fight with the hope of finally lifting a trophy, and the LPL teams aim to reclaim their long-lost throne in London on Nov. 2 at the O2 Arena.