Two Lives: League of Legends MSI and Worlds to see format changes, including new double elimination and Swiss-style groups

Who said no second chances?

Both international League of Legends tournaments are receiving massive format changes in 2023. The Mid-Season Invitational and Worlds are the two pinnacles of competitive League of Legends for Riot Games and every professional team. Now, both tournaments will undergo format changes following years of criticism and concerns, just in time for the new competitive season.

Coming into 2023, Riot Games has outlined their plan to alter their two largest League of Legends tournaments to ‘give fans more high-stakes matches and best-of series.’ The idea for alterations to both is to address issues regarding the single-elimination format that has plagued many teams. Fans have criticised the format as being ‘too punishing’, and disallowing teams from messing up. Often times, in matches during the group stage and playoffs, a single series determines a teams’ culminated run, and as fans, it was frustrating to watch.

MSI changes

The number of teams attending MSI in 2023 has been increased from 11 to 13. Moreover, the tournament stages: Play-In Stage and Bracket Stage, have been altered to allow double-elimination in both.

The Play-In Stage will include eight teams:

• 2nd seed from LEC, LCS, and LPL
• 1st seed from LLA, CBLOL, PCS, VCS, and LJL*

*LLA= Latin America, CBLOL= Brazil, PCS= HK, Macau, Taiwan, VCS= Vietnam, LJL= Japan

MSI Play-In Stage. Image credit: LoL Esports/ Riot Games

The eight teams will contend into two groups of four, competing in Bo3, double-elimination matches. Three teams will emerge from this stage, that being the winners of each group, as well as the winner of the last chance qualification match that will be held between the winners of both groups lower brackets. These three teams will go on to compete with the five teams already waiting in the Bracket Stage.

Meanwhile, the Bracket Stage will include eight teams, that being the 1st seed from the LEC, LCS, and LPL, alongside the 1st and 2nd seed from the LCK (this year due to the region winning Worlds 2022). Games will be held in a Bo5 format, double-elimination once again.

MSI Bracket Stage. Image credit: LoL Esports/ Riot Games

According to Riot Games’ report, their intentions with the changes was to acknowledge MSI as an ‘opportunity for fans to evaluate the relative strength of teams and regions at the midway point of the season.’ MSI 2023 will be held in London, as reported on Strafe Esports earlier.

Worlds Changes

Excitement abounds for the Pacific region as more good news arrives. Worlds 2023 is slated to be held in Korea for the first time in five years! Home of the defending World Champions, DRX, as well as the Unkillable Demon King himself, there is no greater venue potentially to reignite the fanbase than the birthplace of esports (as quoted by Riot Games).

First off, Worlds’ attendance has been reduced from 24 teams in 2022 to 22 teams in 2023. This is due to the added complexity of the new format that has also added a new stage to Worlds. Worlds has traditionally been played in three stages: that being Play-Ins, Groups, and Knockouts (AKA Play-Offs). However, Riot Games has now elected to add an additional stage of qualification, the Worlds Qualifying Series (WQS).

Due to popular demand, fans of the LEC and LCS can enjoy a showdown between their respective fourth seeds in a Bo5 series that allows a ticket for one to Worlds. The hope for Riot in future years, is to expand the series to include more regions and teams, however currently it addresses the thirst fans have had for a series against one another. The LEC and the LCS have faced off approximately once in the last three years.

Core Changes to Play-In Stage

Moreover, the Play-In Stage has seen a massive overhaul, taking over from the Group Stage (which has been done away with). Play-In Stage will now include 8 teams split across two groups. The groups will face off in Bo3 matches, with the two best teams qualifying for the next stage.

The 8 seeds facing off in Play-In Stage are:

• 1st and 2nd seed from VCS and PCS
• 1st seed from LLA, CBLOL, LJL
• Winner of WQS

Worlds 2023 Play-In Stage. Image credit: LoL Esports/ Riot Games

Core Changes to Swiss Stage and Knockout Stage

In lieu of the traditional Group Stage, there is now a Swiss Stage, including the top 16 teams, 14 teams pre-selected, and the 2 that qualified from the Play-In Stage. It will then feature a five-round, Swiss-styled system where the teams with the same win-loss record will compete with each other until they achieve either 3 wins or 3 losses. Regular matchups will feature Bo1 except for when a match will either advance or eliminate a team, in which case it will be played as a Bo3.

Worlds 2023 Swiss Stage. Image credit: LoL Esports/ Riot Games

The 14 teams pre-selected for Swiss Stage are:

• 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th seeds from LPL and LCK (8)
• 1st, 2nd, and 3rd seeds from LEC and LCS (6)

8 teams will advance to the final stage, the Knockout Stage, where placement is based on performance during the Swiss Stage. All series are Bo5s with single-elimination the line. Based on Riot Games’ announcement on the 10th of Jan regarding these changes, the idea was the ‘minimize elimination games that do not impact the outcome of the tournament for both teams playing…multiple elimination format gives teams a chance early in the tournament to make a comeback if they started poorly.’

Worlds 2023 Knockout Stage. Image credit: LoL Esports/ Riot Games

However, they have also reiterated that the reason the Knockout Stage has remained as is, is because ‘teams have the opportunity to prove who is the best of the best- no second chances, no breathing room, just one shot to win it all.’

Image credit: LoL Esports/ Riot Games