Riot Games may scrap the Play-In Stage at the League of Legends World Championship (LoL Worlds) next year.
In its place, there’s a chance that Worlds will combine with the Demacia Cup Global Invitational, which debuted this year.
The newly expanded Demacia Cup created an international tournament for teams that failed to qualify for Worlds.
Chris Greeley, global head of LoL esports, revealed that the publisher is currently exploring the option, but nothing is official yet.
Demacia Cup Global Invitational
The inaugural Demacia Cup Invitational was held in China earlier this year during the break between Summer Splits and Worlds.
BNK FEARX from South Korea’s LCK defeated the LPL’s Team WE 3-1 in the final to win the tournament.
The event featured teams from the LCK, LPL, LEC, LCS, LCP, and CBLOL ranging from 4th place to 7th place in their respective playoffs.
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That led to a total of 16 teams competing in China, significantly more than the four that entered the Play-Ins this year.
This would mean a substantial increase in the number of competitors and potentially the length of the tournament.
It appears Riot wants to feature more teams in international events after announcing First Stand 2027 will be the biggest LoL tournament ever.
While Riot confirmed the LoL Swiss Stage will take place in Japan and the Knockouts in Korea, a location for the tournament opening has not been confirmed.
With no decisions finalized, Riot says it will update fans once plans are in place.
And Greeley teased that Riot is hoping to add more third-party tournaments like the World Star Challengers Invitational.
How do you feel about the Demacia Cup potentially feeding into the LoL Worlds Swiss Stage? Share your thoughts with us on the Insider Gaming Discord.
Meanwhile, Riot Games revealed why K/DA was brought back now in a new interview. And for even more Insider Gaming delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.
An esports journalist for nine years with a focus on LoL Jack has written for national newspapers, interviewed major names, and driven people mad with puns. He's most proud of…
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