Worlds 2026 Pick'Em Dates Confirmed

Worlds 2026 Pick'Em finally has an official schedule. Riot confirmed that Pick'Em and Crystal Ball will return for the 2026 World Championship, with the first prediction window opening on October 11 at 1:00 CEST. Players will be able to make predictions through the LoL Esports Pick'Em page or directly inside the League of Legends client.

The announcement also confirms separate prediction windows for Play-Ins, Swiss and the Knockout Stage, meaning players will have several deadlines to track throughout Worlds.

Worlds 2026 Pick'Em dates

The confirmed schedule is:

Riot says rewards are expected to be distributed within 48 hours after the Worlds Final ends.

Crystal Ball is returning

Crystal Ball is officially back for Worlds 2026. Riot says the prediction experience will return with familiar ways to play alongside new rewards. The company has not yet published every reward detail in the Primer, so players should avoid treating reward lists from previous Worlds events as confirmed for 2026.

Crystal Ball predictions open at the same time as the first Play-In picks on October 11. Unlike stage-by-stage Pick'Em, Crystal Ball is designed around predictions that cover the tournament as a whole, making the opening window especially important for players who want to complete every available category before Worlds begins.

Play-In predictions open first

The first active Pick'Em window covers the Play-In Stage. Worlds 2026 Play-Ins run from October 15 to October 18 in Los Angeles. The stage features four teams in a double-elimination Best-of-5 bracket, with one team advancing to the Swiss Stage.

Play-In predictions open on October 11 and lock immediately before the first match on October 15. That gives players several days to evaluate the bracket after the Play-In draw, which is scheduled to take place after the CBLOL Final on October 10.

Swiss picks open on October 18

Players who miss the Play-In window will still have another major opportunity once the tournament moves into Swiss. Swiss Stage predictions open on October 18 and remain available until the first Swiss match on October 23.

The Swiss Stage runs through October 31 and determines which eight teams advance to the Knockout Stage. Because the Play-In winner joins the main field before Swiss begins, this second window also gives players more tournament information than they have at the start of Pick'Em.

Knockout predictions open October 31

The final major Pick'Em window begins once the Swiss Stage ends. Knockout predictions open on October 31 and lock before the first Knockout match on November 3.

At that point, the remaining field will be much smaller and the bracket will be known, shifting the prediction challenge away from broad tournament expectations and toward individual series. The Worlds 2026 Final takes place on November 14 in Brooklyn.

How to enter Worlds 2026 Pick'Em

Players can make their picks through the official LoL Esports Pick'Em page or directly through the League of Legends client.

A valid Riot account and Summoner Name are required to participate and receive eligible rewards. Pick'Em availability is not universal, and Riot lists several excluded territories and regions where League is operated by a local publisher. Reward eligibility can also vary depending on local regulations. That makes the official Pick'Em page the safest place to check whether the event and rewards are available for your account.

What to watch before Pick'Em opens

The key date before predictions go live is October 10. The Play-In draw takes place after the CBLOL Final, giving players the actual opening bracket before Play-In predictions begin on October 11. From there, the best approach is to treat every prediction window separately rather than locking into one tournament narrative. The Play-In field, Swiss matchups and Knockout bracket all provide new information as Worlds progresses.

What this means for Worlds 2026

Pick'Em now has a clear calendar, so the biggest risk is simply missing a lock. October 11 starts the process, but players will need to return for the Swiss and Knockout prediction windows later in the tournament.

For anyone following Worlds from a prediction angle, Winio can also be used to explore a selection of League of Legends match predictions and analysis of completed matches as the tournament develops.