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LCS Lock-In 2026: Schedule, Format, Opening Matchups, Tickets, and More
After a one-year absence, the LCS is back for 2026 with loads of changes. To kick things off, the 2026 LCS Lock-In Tournament will bring back the action as teams battle for the first trophy of the year and the chance to represent the region at the first international stop of the season: First Stand.
With the LCS draw show officially over, it's time to take a look at everything there is to know about the LCS Lock-In 2026, set to kick off on Saturday, January 24.
Teams and Format
With Disguised coming back to occupy the Guest Slot and the addition of Sentinels to the league, the eight LCS teams in 2026 are:
| Team | Roster | Head Coach |
| Cloud9 | Thanatos, Blaber, APA, Zven, Vulcan | Inero |
| Dignitas | Photon, eXyu, Palafox, FBI, IgNar | Swiffer |
| Disguised | Castle, KryRa, Callme, sajed, Lyonz | ido |
| FlyQuest | Gakgos, Gryffinn, Quad, Massu, Cryogen | Thinkcard |
| LYON | Zamudo (Sub: Dhokla), Inspired, Saint, Berserker, Isles | Reignover |
| Sentinels | Impact, HamBak, DARKWINGS, Rahel, Huhi | Goldenglue |
| Shopify Rebellion | Fudge, Contractz, Zinie, Bvoy, Ceos | Reven |
| Team Liquid | Morgan, Josedeodo, Quid, Yeon, CoreJJ | Spawn |
As for the LCS Lock-In format, the tournament will take place across two stages: the Swiss Stage and the Playoffs. Here's how these will work:
- Swiss Stage:
- Three rounds of matches
- All matches are Bo3
- Top 6 teams qualify for playoffs
- Playoffs:
- Double-elimination bracket
- Top four Swiss Stage teams start in the Upper Bracket
- All matches are Bo5
- Winner qualifies to First Stand 2026 in Brazil
LCS Lock-In Schedule and Opening Matchups
The 2026 LCS Lock-In tournament will run from January 24 till March 1. Swiss Stages matches will take place every Saturday and Sunday for three consecutive weeks, with matchdays starting at 1 pm PT/10 pm CET.
One representative from every LCS team participated in the draw show to decide how the first round of the Swiss Stage would shape up. With the draw show over, the 2026 LCS Lock-In opening matchups are:
- Cloud9 vs Team Liquid [Saturday, January 24 - 1 pm PT/10 pm CET]
- Sentinels vs Disguised [Saturday, January 24 - 4 pm PT/1 am CET (next day)]
- Flyquest vs Shopify Rebellion [Sunday, January 25 - 1 pm PT/10 pm CET]
- LYON vs Dignitas [Sunday, January 25 - 4 pm PT/1 am CET (next day)]
LCS Lock-In 2026 Tickets
If you'd like to catch the return of the LCS live from the Riot Games Arena in Los Angeles, California, then you better hurry up. Tickets for the 2026 LCS Lock-In tournament are already on sale and can be found at the official LCS ticket shop for as low as $23.
Where to Watch
Whether you're inside the arena or watching from home, you won't want to miss the start of the 2026 LCS Lock-In Tournament. Following the action by tuning in to the official LCS channels on Twitch or YouTube, starting Saturday, January 24!
Remember that you can also catch the games live along with your favorite streamers by joining any of the official channels of co-streamers for the LCS.
Follow Strafe Esports for the latest League of Legends news and our X account for the latest content and coverage. Also, stay tuned to Strafe's channel on YouTube for exclusive interviews, press conferences, and more.
Featured image credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
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