The League of Legends 2019 World Championship play-ins have finished, and the knockout stage is ready to go. The knockout phase will feature the first seed from each group facing off against the second seed in a best-of-five series. The winners of these series will move on to the main event.
Here are the teams that have qualified for the Worlds 2019 play-in knockout stage.
Group A
Clutch Gaming (first seed)
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Clutch Gaming has had an incredible season. The North American team started in second-to-last place in the 2019 LCS Spring Season, but turned things around under Dignitas’ guidance. With new coaching and mentality, Clutch qualified for Worlds through the LCS Regional Finals as the third seed from NA.
Unicorns of Love (second seed)
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After not being accepted into the rebranded LEC, Unicorns found a new home in the LCL. This fresh start has helped them bounce back from a disappointing EU LCS season. Now representing the CIS region, Unicorns have made it to the play-in knockout stage.
Group B
Splyce (first seed)
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Splyce secured their spot at Worlds as the second-place team from the LEC Regional Finals. It wasn’t an easy journey for them, with some losses throughout the season raising doubts about their qualification. However, they had a strong start in the play-in stage, winning against DetonatioN FocusMe and Isurus Gaming. Despite a loss on the third day, Splyce finished at the top of their group with a 3-1 record.
Isurus Gaming (second seed)
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Isurus Gaming are the winners of the LLA 2019 and the only Latin American team at Worlds. They prepared for the event by boot camping in South Korea, and their performance has been solid so far. They finished with a 2-2 record in the group stage, losing to Splyce but showing potential to upset stronger teams in the knockout stage.
Group C
Hong Kong Attitude (first seed)
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The LMS third-seed Hong Kong Attitude faced challenges throughout the season, including their coach being banned from Taiwan. However, they managed to secure a spot at Worlds by performing well in the LMS 2019 regional finals. They finished first in their group with strong drafts and aggressive play.
Lowkey Esports (second seed)
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Lowkey Esports qualified for Worlds through the lower bracket of the VCS 2019 Summer playoffs. They have shown both strength and weakness in the play-ins, winning against Hong Kong Attitude and MEGA but also losing to them. They face DAMWON Gaming in the knockout stage, where their chances of advancing to the main event are not high.
Group D
DAMWON Gaming (first seed)
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DAMWON Gaming is the only team to finish the first phase of play-ins with a perfect 4-0 record. They qualified by winning the LCK 2019 regional finals after losing to SKT T1 in the playoffs. DAMWON has been dominant in their group and are a strong contender to stay in the tournament.
Royal Youth (second seed)
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Royal Youth, the winner of the TCL 2019 Summer playoffs and Turkey’s representative at Worlds, didn’t have high expectations going into play-ins. The team was formed just over a year ago and lacks experience compared to other participants. However, they made it through the play-ins and face Clutch in the knockouts after winning a tiebreaker against Flamengo Esports.
The knockout stage will begin on Oct. 7, where teams will battle for the remaining eight spots in the 2019 Worlds main event.