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Worlds 2026 Pick'Ems Guide: Knockout Stage
2 Nov, 2026, 02:47
|Last updated: 2 Nov, 2026, 02:47
The Swiss Stage has come and gone at Worlds 2026, and only the eight strongest League of Legends teams remain as we head for the Knockout Stage. With the arrival of the playoffs starts the final stage of the Pick'Ems challenge, letting you pick who you think will win the tournament and earn exclusive rewards in the process.
Don't take too long to make your picks, though, as the Knockout Stage Pick'Ems window closes on November 3, at 2 pm PT!
How to Do Your Worlds 2026 Pick'Ems
To access the Pick'Ems challenge, you can visit the official LoL Esports link for the event. Once there, you will need to log in with your Riot ID before you can make your Pick'Ems selections.
Now that the Swiss Stage is officially over, only the Knockout Stage part of the challenge remain.
Each stage has its own opening and closing dates, so be sure to mark your calendars!
Knockout Stage Pick'Ems window:
- Opens: October 31
- Closes: November 3, before the first playoffs match begins at 2 pm PT
Note that the 2026 League of Legends World Championship will be played on Patch 26.20.
Strafe's Picks: Worlds 2026 Knockout Stage Pick'Ems Guide
Quarterfinals
To kick things off, we have two very one-sided quarterfinals matchups, and two far more complicated contests. Both T1 and Gen.G should have no issues getting past their Western rivals — Karmine Corp and LYON — in their respective matches.
As for the all-LPL clash, there's really no clear favorite between Invictus Gaming and Top Esports. Both squads have shown great highs so far this tournament, but question marks still hang around their ability to remain consistent against tougher opposition. Given what they have shown so far in the Swiss Stage, though, we're picking Invictus Gaming to take the win.
Dplus KIA breezed through the Swiss Stage, and will no doubt look like favorites to many coming into their match against Bilibili Gaming. For all their inconsistencies, though, BLG sweeping Hanwha Life on the final day of the Swiss Stage showed just how good this team can be when things start falling into place. For that reason, we're choosing BLG to make it into the semifinals.
Semifinals
Given their track record against the LPL at Worlds, it's hard to bet against T1 in a potential semifinal bout against BLG. Though the LPL squad should put up a good fight, we expect Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok to make it into yet another Worlds finals when all is said and done.
As for Gen.G, the team looks too clean and too in-form to be particularly threatened by Invictus Gaming (or even Top Esports, for that matter) in a semifinal match. Once more, we're betting on an all-LCK Grand Finals.
Grand Finals
Is this finally the year Jeong "Chovy" Ji-hoon gets his hands on the Summoner's Cup? We think so.
There's no denying T1's ability to make magic happen on the world stage, but Gen.G have looked a step (or two) above their LCK rivals for months now. As long as they get their nerves under control, Gen.G should be your Worlds 2026 champions.
What Are the Worlds 2026 Pick'Ems Rewards?
The Worlds 2026 Pick'Ems rewards have something in store for anyone who participates in the challenge! The rewards range from emotes to skins, with better rewards waiting for you the more accurate your predictions turn out to be.
Here's a look at the complete list of Worlds 2026 Pick'Ems rewards:
- Participation: True Damage Ekko emote
- Top 50%: Groovy Pup icon
- Top 25%: Spicy Dog emote
- Top 5,000: True Damage Yasuo skin and champion
- Perfect picks: DJ Sona, Elementalist Lux, Gun Goddess Miss Fortune, K/DA ALL OUT Seraphine, Pulsefire Ezreal, Soul Fighter Samira and Spirit Guard Udyr skins (with champions included) + all of the above
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Featured image credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
Read more:
Worlds 2026 Playoffs: Bracket, Schedule, Start Times and Format
LYON Edge Out LOS in Thrilling 2-1 Series to Reach Worlds 2026 Playoffs
Viper Says BLG's Communication Is "Worse Than Having None at All" at Worlds 2026
