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Demacia Cup 2026 Opening Matchups and Start Times for Every Region
29 Sep, 2026, 14:29
|Last updated: 29 Sep, 2026, 14:29
The opening matchups for the League of Legends Demacia Cup 2026 have been set, with 12 teams from six regions beginning their campaigns on Oct. 3. The first round features six cross-regional best-of-one matches before the competition moves to longer series later in the Swiss stage.
The draw kept teams from the same region apart in the opening round, setting up meetings between representatives from the LPL, LCK, LEC, LCS, CBLOL and LCP.
Demacia Cup 2026 Opening Matchups and Start Times
All six opening matches will be played on October 3. The tables below show the scheduled start times across major regions.
Americas
| Match | Pacific (PDT) | Central (CDT) | Eastern (EDT) | Brasília (UTC-3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RED Canids vs Natus Vincere | 1 AM | 3 AM | 4 AM | 5 AM |
| LGD Gaming vs FlyQuest | 2 AM | 4 AM | 5 AM | 6 AM |
| Shopify Rebellion vs KT Rolster | 3 AM | 5 AM | 6 AM | 7 AM |
| Team Vitality vs BNK FEARX | 4 AM | 6 AM | 7 AM | 8 AM |
| GAM Esports vs Team WE | 5 AM | 7 AM | 8 AM | 9 AM |
| HANJIN BRION vs JD Gaming | 6 AM | 8 AM | 9 AM | 10 AM |
Europe
| Match | UK (BST) | Central Europe (CEST) | Eastern Europe (EEST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| RED Canids vs Natus Vincere | 9 AM | 10 AM | 11 AM |
| LGD Gaming vs FlyQuest | 10 AM | 11 AM | 12 PM |
| Shopify Rebellion vs KT Rolster | 11 AM | 12 PM | 1 PM |
| Team Vitality vs BNK FEARX | 12 PM | 1 PM | 2 PM |
| GAM Esports vs Team WE | 1 PM | 2 PM | 3 PM |
| HANJIN BRION vs JD Gaming | 2 PM | 3 PM | 4 PM |
Asia
| Match | Vietnam (UTC+7) | China / Taiwan (UTC+8) | Korea / Japan (UTC+9) |
|---|---|---|---|
| RED Canids vs Natus Vincere | 3 PM | 4 PM | 5 PM |
| LGD Gaming vs FlyQuest | 4 PM | 5 PM | 6 PM |
| Shopify Rebellion vs KT Rolster | 5 PM | 6 PM | 7 PM |
| Team Vitality vs BNK FEARX | 6 PM | 7 PM | 8 PM |
| GAM Esports vs Team WE | 7 PM | 8 PM | 9 PM |
| HANJIN BRION vs JD Gaming | 8 PM | 9 PM | 10 PM |
These are scheduled match start times, so individual games may begin a few minutes later depending on the previous series.
How Does the Demacia Cup 2026 Format Work?
The Demacia Cup 2026 begins with 12 teams in an online Swiss stage. The opening round is played as best-of-one matches, while the following rounds switch to best-of-three series using Fearless Draft. Eight teams advance from the Swiss stage to the playoffs.
The playoffs use a single-elimination bracket, with the quarterfinals, semifinals and final all played as best-of-five series. Unlike the online Swiss stage, the knockout portion of the tournament will be played on LAN in China.
When and Where Is the Demacia Cup 2026?
The Demacia Cup 2026 runs from Oct. 3 to Oct. 17. The opening stage will be played online, while the playoffs will take place in Beijing, China, at the Beijing Smart Esports Center.
The event brings together teams from the LPL, LCK, LEC, LCS, CBLOL and LCP, turning the traditionally Chinese Demacia Cup into an international invitational for its 2026 edition.
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Featured image credit: Demacia Cup
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