The two Play-In stage groups at the 2022 League of Legends World Championship have been revealed. Following the finals of the LCS Summer Playoffs today, the 12 teams competing in the opening round of Worlds were drawn into two groups of six, officially showcasing who their opponents will be when the event begins later this month.
The Worlds Play-In stage will take place prior to the main event of the tournament. The play-in stage traditionally puts the champions of pro League's minor regions against the lowest-qualifying teams from the scene's major regions.
This year, 12 teams will participate in the Play-In stage, with the top four advancing to the group stage of Worlds.
Here are the groups for the Worlds 2022 Play-In stage.
Each region will send one team to the Worlds play-in stage, except for Europe, which will send two of its squads: Fnatic and MAD Lions. The LEC has two representatives at the Worlds play-in this season because of the absence of a team from the LCL. The LCL will not participate in the tournament this year, as the league has been on pause since March due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The LEC's two teams were placed into opposite groups, as they cannot face off against each other in the play-in stage due to regional restriction rules at international tournaments. Due to the absence of the LCL, those regional restriction rules could be temporarily lifted for the LEC's fourth-seeded squad should both of them advance out of the play-in stage.
Of the 12 teams at play-ins, only four will advance to the tournament's main event, where 12 more automatically qualified teams will await them.
The Worlds Play-In stage will begin on Sept. 29 in Mexico City.