LEC Summer 2026: Playoff format, schedule, and Worlds qualification
Sep 4, 2026, 5:31 PM · 1 min read
Live schedule and standings: LEC
The LEC Summer 2026 playoffs open on 5 September in Madrid and run through 20 September at the Palais Nikaïa in Nice. Six teams, Bo5 only, for the European title and three Worlds tickets.
At a glance
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Event dates | Playoffs: 5 – 20 September 2026 |
| Venues | Madrid (5 – 6 September), Berlin (11 – 12 September), Nice / Palais Nikaïa (18 – 20 September) |
| Field | 6 teams (top 6 from a 10-team regular season) |
| Format | Double elimination, every series Bo5 (Fearless Draft) |
| Stakes | LEC Summer title + 3 Worlds berths |
Format
Regular season ran 24 July – 30 August: ten teams, round-robin Bo3, bottom four out. The six qualifiers move into a double-elimination bracket. One loss sends you to the lower bracket. A second sends you home.
Seeds 1 through 4 start in the upper semis. Seeds 5 and 6 wait in the lower quarters: one series, already elimination, against a Madrid loser.
Every playoff series is Bo5. Win the Madrid upper final and you go straight to the grand final in Nice with a Worlds ticket already secured. The last three Bo5s of the split are at the Palais Nikaïa: the final Worlds spot, seeding, then the title.
The field
Karmine Corp closed the round-robin 9–0 and picked 
GIANTX for the opener. 
Team Vitality (2nd) draws 
G2 Esports (3rd).
| Team | Regular season | Entry |
|---|---|---|
| Karmine Corp | 9–0 (seed 1) | Upper semi vs GIANTX |
| Team Vitality | 7–2 (seed 2) | Upper semi vs G2 |
| G2 Esports | 6–3 (seed 3) | Upper semi vs Vitality |
| GIANTX | 5–4 (seed 4) | Upper semi vs Karmine Corp |
 Natus Vincere | 5–4 (seed 5) | Lower quarter, 11 September |
 Movistar KOI | 4–5 (seed 6) | Lower quarter, 12 September |
Out of the bracket: 
Fnatic (3–6, 1–2 to GIANTX on 30 August), 
SK Gaming (3–6), 
Team Heretics (2–7) and 
Shifters (1–8). No playoffs, and no Worlds 2026 for Fnatic.
Schedule
Madrid, Saturday 5 September (Bo5)
- 12:00 CEST (UTC+2): Team Vitality vs G2 Esports
- 17:00 CEST (UTC+2): Karmine Corp vs GIANTX
Madrid, Sunday 6 September (Bo5)
- Upper final: Saturday’s two winners. The victor goes to the Nice grand final, locking in a Worlds ticket.
Berlin, 11 – 12 September (Bo5, 17:00 CEST, UTC+2)
- Friday 11: Natus Vincere vs an upper-semi loser
- Saturday 12: Movistar KOI vs the other loser
Nice, Palais Nikaïa, 18 – 20 September (Bo5)
- Friday 18: last Worlds qualification series
- Saturday 19: Worlds seeding (1 and 2)
- Sunday 20: grand final
Where to watch
Catch all the action live on ReadyCheck: official streams are embedded on our match pages alongside real-time stats. The 
LEC hub has the bracket; the League of Legends hub groups the rest of the circuit.
