Riot Games and TJ Sports announced the World Star Challengers Invitational (WSCI) 2026, an international League of Legends event designed for Tier 2 teams.

WSCI is the first official Tier 2 LoL international tournament, slated to run from late September to early October as a prelude to Worlds.

Teams are seeded into three pools with safeguards to prevent regional clustering, ensuring no more than two teams from the same region compete in a single group.

The event features 16 teams from five regions plus Asia Masters champions Dplus KIA Challengers, expanding the Asia Masters framework.

The tournament runs from September 20 to October 2, 2026, with participants drawn from Asia, Europe, and the Americas alongside the Asia Masters Champion.

Five regions—China, Korea, APAC, Americas, and EMEA—will each send three teams through regional qualifiers, totaling 15, plus one additional spot for the Asia Masters Champion.

WSCI aims to give Tier 2 players exposure to foreign playstyles and accelerate their development, serving as a bridge between regional scenes and top-tier competition.

Riot emphasizes the tournament’s focus on development and exposure for rising players, potentially speeding talent growth by exposing teams to unfamiliar styles and pressure.

Fans will see WSCI as a preview of the sport’s near future, offering early looks at rising talent before they contend for major Tier 1 contracts.

Viewers can watch via regional Tier 2 channels with co-streams for global coverage, leveraging the Asia Masters framework in partnership with TJ Sports.

The group stage runs Sept 20–25 with four groups of four in double round-robin, best-of-one, totaling 48 matches, advancing two teams per group to a knockout bracket.

The knockout stage runs Sept 27–Oct 2 in a single-elimination, best-of-five format, with draws designed to minimize early clashes between top teams.