# Riot Games 2026 League of Legends tournament changes > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/riot-games-2026-league-of-legends-tournament-changes > Updated: 2026-09-03T16:21:51.000Z. Sources: 5. Developments: 2. Riot Games has introduced new competitive structures for League of Legends in 2026, focusing on tournament formats and player development. In one announcement, Riot Games detailed a revised Play-In stage format for the 2026 World Championship. This new structure utilizes a double-elimination bracket for four teams competing for a single spot in the Main Stage. Notably, the Play-In stage will no longer include representatives from the Chinese (LPL) or Korean (LCK) leagues, instead featuring seeds from the LEC, LCS, LCP, and CBLOL. Simultaneously, Riot Games and TJ Sports announced the inaugural 2026 World Star Challengers Invitational. This pilot tournament is designed as a Tier 2 competition to bridge the gap between emerging talent and top-tier professional leagues. Scheduled for late September to early October 2026, the event will feature 16 teams from China, Korea, APAC, the Americas, and EMEA, alongside the Asia Masters champion, utilizing a format of round-robin matches followed by a knockout stage. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-03: Riot Games announces 2026 World Star Challengers Invitational Riot Games and TJ Sports will host the 2026 World Star Challengers Invitational, a pilot tournament for 16 Tier 2 League of Legends teams to foster global player development. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/riot-games-announces-2026-world-star-challengers-invitational ### 2026-09-02: Riot Games announces new Worlds 2026 Play-In format Riot Games is changing the 2026 League of Legends Worlds Play-In format to a four-team double-elimination bracket that excludes Chinese and Korean teams. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/riot-games-announces-new-league-of-legends-tournament-formats-for-2026 --- Cite as: Riot Games 2026 League of Legends tournament changes. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/riot-games-2026-league-of-legends-tournament-changes