Demacia Cup considered for Worlds 2027 play-in replacement

Riot Games is considering using the Demacia Cup as a replacement for the Worlds 2027 play-in stage, which could give teams another path to the League of Legends World Championship. The proposal remains under discussion, and Riot has not announced a qualification format.

Riot disclosed the proposal on Friday, Nov. 13, in an announcement that also confirmed the host locations for its 2027 international events. The developer said the change could add more best-of series to the competitive calendar and create more opportunities for teams to qualify for Worlds.

Riot has not specified how many teams would participate, how Worlds places would be distributed among regions or whether the 2026 eligibility rules would remain. It is also unclear whether the event would retain its online Swiss stage and in-person, single-elimination bracket.

The Demacia Cup has traditionally been a Chinese competition featuring LPL teams and other domestic rosters. Its format changed in 2026, when Riot expanded it into the Demacia Cup Global Invitational for its first international edition.

The 2026 tournament featured 12 teams from six regional leagues: the LPL, LCK, LEC, LCS, LCP and CBLOL. Invitations went to teams that had failed to qualify for Worlds 2026, with places allocated according to regional results. The LPL and LCK each received three invitations, the LEC and LCS received two each, and the LCP and CBLOL received one apiece.

The event opened with an online Swiss stage and continued with a live, single-elimination bracket featuring best-of-five series in Beijing, China. Brazil’s RED Canids were eliminated in the Swiss stage. BNK FEARX defeated Team WE 3-1 in the final.

Riot has not provided a timetable for a final decision on the proposal. The developer plans to release more information as the plans develop.

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Reviewed and fact-checked by Alex Panasenko on November 14.