Pools Revealed for the 2022 League of Legends World Championship
The highly-anticipated 2022 League of Legends World Championship is less than a month away, and the pool breakdown for this year’s participants has been unveiled. The major region representatives are back on top, making this tournament an exciting one for fans worldwide.
To ensure fair competition, the groups are drawn in a way that ensures all teams in a given pool are distributed across the four groups of four. The performance of a region’s teams in international events over the previous two years determines the pool they will secure, potentially leading to easier groups once the draw is made.
It’s important to note that customary regional restrictions apply to both draws, meaning that no two teams from the same region can be placed in the same group.
The thrilling draw show will take place right after the LCS Championship concludes. The event will be hosted by LeTigress, as confirmed by a post on Riot’s Weibo page.
Group Stage Pools
- Pool 1: LPL No. 1, LCK No. 1, LEC No. 1, LCS No. 1
- Pool 2: LPL No. 2, LCK No. 2, LEC No. 2, PCS No. 1
- Pool 3: LPL No. 3, LCK No. 3, LCS No. 2, VCS No. 1
- Pool 4: All four teams will come from play-ins
This is the first time since 2020 that all four major regions (China, Korea, Europe, and North America) will have their champions compete in different groups by being in “Pool 1.” North America’s champions have previously been absent from Pool 1 due to TSM’s poor performance in the 2020 group stage. However, Cloud9’s triumph at last year’s competition and Evil Geniuses’ strong showing at this year’s Mid-Season Invitational have elevated the North American teams’ status.
Pools for Play-In Stage
- Pool 1: LPL No. 4, LCK No. 4, LEC No. 3, PCS No. 2
- Pool 2: LEC No. 4, LCS No. 3, VCS No. 2, LJL No. 1
- Pool 3: OCE No. 1, TCL No. 1, LLA No. 1, CBLOL No. 1
The play-in stage will follow a similar format to last year. It is worth noting that the Vietnamese top flight (VCS) will be sending teams to Worlds for the first time since 2019. Additionally, Europe’s fourth seed will replace the Russian LCL’s champion. With these changes, the tournament will consist of a total of 24 teams, with 12 teams competing in the play-ins.
The play-in stage will kick off in Mexico City on Thursday, Sept. 29, and the group stage will commence on Friday, Oct. 7 at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
Related: All teams qualified for the 2022 League of Legends World Championship
Stay tuned for more exciting updates as the countdown to the 2022 League of Legends World Championship continues!
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