League of Legends Worlds 2023: Play-in stage draw results

2023's League of Legends Worlds event is nearing, set to start on October 10. The play-in stage of this tournament will be its first phase and will feature various teams from regions such as Brazil, Japan, and the Pacific, among others. The initial stage is often known for producing great gameplay moments, as lesser-known teams and players get a chance to perform in front of a wider audience.

Ahead of this tournament, the draw for the play-in brackets was conducted after G2 Esports' triumph in the LEC 2023 Season Finals. This article will cover everything you need to know for the League of Legends Worlds 2023 Play-in stage.

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League of Legends Worlds 2023: Play-in brackets revealed

The draw results for the play-in stage at League of Legends Worlds 2023 are as follows:

Bracket A

• GAM Esports
• PSG Talon
• LOUD
• Movistar R7

Bracket B

• Golden Guardians/Team BDS
• CTBC Flying Oyster
• Team Whales
• DetonatioN FocusMe

Bracket A looks to provide fierce competition given the rematches that are set to be carried over from MSI 2023 to this event. Bracket B, on the other hand, will feature some new faces on the international stage in Team Whales and potentially Team BDS.

Going into this tournament, a lot of expectations surrounding the Vietnamese squads have lowered after GAM's poor performance at MSI 2023, with the regional level of competition being extremely lackluster and underwhelming. Fans should definitely keep an eye out for the PCS teams of PSG Talon and CTBC Flying Oyster alongside Brazilian giants, LOUD. That is because these teams can pull off upsets.

Overall, PSG Talon and LOUD can be expected as the favorites to make it out of Bracket A. On the other hand, the winner of Team BDS versus Golden Guardians and CTBC Flying Oyster should come out of Bracket B quite comfortably.

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League of Legends Worlds 2023: Play-in brackets schedule and format

The play-in stage of League of Legends Worlds 2023 will function quite differently compared to previous years. The eight teams in this stage will be divided into two brackets. The winner of each will face the second-placed squad of the opposite bracket in the qualifying series for the Swiss Stage of Worlds 2023. The phase will feature best-of-five matches.

The initial games for both brackets in the play-ins are as follows:

Bracket A

• GAM Esports vs LOUD
• PSG Talon vs Movistar R7

Bracket B

• Golden Guardians/Team BDS vs Team Whales
• CTBC Flying Oyster vs DetonatioN FocusMe

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2023's edition of the Worlds play-in stage will be quite exciting as champions from minor regions — along with some strong teams from regions such as the Asia-Pacific — have the opportunity to showcase their talent on a global stage.

An exciting battle between the fourth seed of North America and EMEA to determine the eighth team in this event's play-in stage is also expected to be a highlight.