Four teams have been eliminated, and 16 remain on the road to glory.

Even in the play-in stage, one major region has already fallen short of expectations.

100 Thieves, from North America, suffered a disappointing defeat to PSG Talon in the lower bracket final, marking an early exit from LoL Worlds 2024.

With the Swiss Stage now set, exciting first-round matchups are on the horizon.

#Words2024 Swiss Stage round 1 match order:@BilibiliGaming @MADLionsKOI @TOP_Esports_ @T1LoL@GenG @WeiboGamingLoL @FNATIC @DplusKIA @TeamLiquidLoL @LNG_Esports @HLEofficial @psgtalonlol @FlyQuest @GAMesportsVN @G2League @paiNGamingBR https://t.co/i0oHBJbfpe

— LoL Esports (@lolesports) September 29, 2024

T1 will start their title defence against Top Esports, while European fans have reason for cautious optimism: G2 Esports faces paiN Gaming, and Fnatic goes head-to-head with Dplus KIA.

On the other hand, MAD Lions fans may feel a pang of anxiety as their team has drawn LPL Summer champions, Bilibili Gaming, in the first round.

In an interview, Supa from MAD Lions expressed a desire to face a North American team for revenge, but it seems that match will have to wait.

GAM Esports, fresh off a strong play-in stage performance, will now face FlyQuest, while PSG Talon must take on the LCK Summer winners, Hanwha Life Esports.

Meanwhile, Team Liquid is set to face LNG Esports, and Weibo Gaming is lined up against Gen.G, the dominant second seed from the LCK.

This year��s World Championship will take place across Berlin, Paris, and London, with the Swiss Stage held in two parts: October 3-7 and October 10-13.

The opening day will feature best-of-one round one matchups, followed by 1-0 and 0-1 matchups on October 4.

From then on, the decisive best-of-three matches will determine who moves on to the knockout stage and who goes home.

The play-in stage has already concluded, with eight teams competing for four qualification spots.

These four teams will now join the twelve already qualified teams in the Swiss Stage, where many consider the ��real�� Worlds to begin.

The 16 teams are divided into four pools, with Pool 1 teams facing Pool 4, and Pool 2 taking on Pool 3.

Importantly, no teams will face opponents from their own region in the first round.

After that, matchups will pair teams with the same record regardless of region, and rematches will be prohibited.

To qualify for the knockout stage, a team must win three matches, while three losses mean elimination from Worlds 2024.

The Swiss Stage format will feature best-of-one matches until the qualification and elimination series, which will be best of three.

Fans can catch all the Swiss Stage action on the official LoL Esports channels on Twitch and YouTube.

The final eight teams that survive this gruelling stage will advance to the knockout stage, bringing them one step closer to the Summoner��s Cup.

Thursday’s Swiss Stage matches

• Hanwha Life Esports ($1.06) vs PSG Talon ($8.00) @ 2pm CET
• FlyQuest ($1.36) vs GAM Esports ($3.00) @ 3pm CET
• G2 Esports ($1.16) vs paiN Gaming ($4.50) @ 4pm CET
• Bilibili Gaming ($1.08) vs MAD Lions KOI ($7.00) @ 5pm CET
• Top Esports ($2.00) vs T1 ($1.72) @ 6pm CET
• Team Liquid ($3.00) vs LNG Esports ($1.36) @ 7pm CET
• Fnatic ($3.75) vs Dplus KIA ($1.25) @ 8pm CET
• Gen.G ($1.20) vs Weibo Gaming ($4.33) @ 9pm CET

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MAD Lions KOI head to their fifth straight World Championship having run third in the LEC Season Finals, where they fell to G2 Esports in the lower-bracket final. MAD started the 2024 season well with a runner-up finish in the winter split before running sixth and eighth in the spring and summer splits, respectively.

Vikings Esports have exploded onto the Vietnamese League of Legends scene, recording back-to-back second-place finishes in the spring and summer splits this season. Vikings ended the regular season of the summer split with only one loss to their name and entered the playoffs as the top seed, ahead of GAM Esports.

Both of these squads enjoyed playing high-kill series throughout their regional splits, so with $1.83 on offer with top esports betting sites for 59.5 total kills, it looks like a great play.

PSG Talon will once again seek to run through the play-in stage at LoL Worlds as they return for their fourth appearance in the last five years. PSG have dominated the PCS in 2024, winning each of the summer and spring playoffs throughout the year, only losing two maps across those runs.

PaiN Gaming will attend their second LoL World Championship and their first since 2015, following a dominant campaign in the CBLOL Split 2. Considering that South American teams have struggled at Worlds in recent years, it appears as though paiN will be up against it from their opening series.

PSG Talon have a wealth of experience on the biggest stage, and they shouldn’t have too much trouble winning this series with a 2-0 scoreline.

Esports betting tips

MAD LIONS KOI vs G2 ESPORTS LoL BETTING & MATCH DETAIL

League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) 2024 Season Finals lower bracket final, on Saturday, August 31, will see a rematch between G2 Esports and MAD Lions KOI, who will clash for a spot on the big stage. The Spanish squad upset G2 Esports in the first round, yet despite that success, they are not expected to do as well this weekend.

G2 Esports looked unconvincing throughout the regular season, but that was hardly a reason for concern, knowing G2 like to play around until things actually matter. Yet, even their run through LEC 2024 Season Finals has been anything but great.

They lost to MAD Lions KOI in the first round, stomped the shaky GIANTX 3-0, but needed to reverse-sweep Team BDS to secure a spot in the lower bracket finals. Winning after being 0-2 down is impressive; overall, G2 Esports seem to not be in the best shape.

MAD Lions KOI have recently lost a barnburner of a series against Fnatic. Thanks to their explosive early game and solid teamfighting, MAD Lions KOI looked more than competitive and had they not thrown two big leads, things could��ve won the series 3-1.

G2 Esports are still getting a lot of respect, which makes sense, as this is the best Western LoL esports team when they are performing to the best of their ability. Yet we have not seen this side of G2 Esports in a long time, which begs the question of why they are $1.24 favourites here.

MAD Lions KOI��s summer split record is terrible, yet they have started peaking at the right time, and if they can perform as well as they did against Fnatic, G2 Esports can find themselves in a tricky spot.

There is a world where G2 Esports turn on the jets and hoist the LEC trophy on September 1. But the way they are playing now, siding with MAD Lions KOI at these LoL betting odds to keep this fixture close makes more sense.

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Rogue are 1-4 after two weeks of action. They have not produced a single good game and their only victory came against MAD Lions KOI, who seem to be in an even worse spot than them.

Team BDS kicked off the split with three victories against Team Vitality, Team Heretics, and G2 Esports, then fell against the surging SK Gaming and beat Karmine Corp. The loss against SK pushed BDS down the power rankings but hasn’t eliminated them from contention for a top-four finish.

Team BDS should crush Rogue, but the kill line is set a bit too high — not necessarily because BDS can’t cover 10 kills, but because this will likely be a very quick match.

Team Heretics have done relatively well in this LoL EMEA Championship split, beating GIANTX in the first week and taking down Karmine Corp last Sunday. This doesn’t prove much, however, as neither of those opponents are much good.

SK Gaming, meanwhile, have looked incredible so far. They’ve picked up four wins and lost just once — against Fnatic on Sunday. Yet even that game was much closer than what the final score would suggest.

SK Gaming are arguably the second-best-performing team in the LEC. While their ceiling is somewhat limited, their fast-paced style should counter everything Heretics want to accomplish in their games.

Team Vitality didn’t start this split well. But after three tough losses, Vitality found momentum and won both games in LEC 2024 Summer Week 2 against MAD Lions KOI and Team Heretics.

GIANTX are 1-4, with their only victory coming against the struggling MAD Lions KOI. There’s a world where GIANTX improve, but their ceiling is very limited and they looked terrible in their four defeats.

While Team Vitality are volatile, they have the potential to be one of the league’s top three teams. As long as they can stay on track and show the same level of performance as they did last week, Vitality should come out ahead with a few kills to spare.

MAD Lions KOI looked great in LEC 2024 Winter, but despite fielding the same players, they haven’t looked the same over the first two weeks of this split. Their once-strong teamwork has deteriorated significantly and they’re struggling to get ADC David “Supa” Mart��nez Garc��a into the game.

Fnatic, on the other hand, are already guaranteed a top-eight finish in LEC 2024 Summer. They have been improving since last split and now look like a serious threat for the European trophy, although they first have to prove they’re better than G2 Esports.

Even though Fnatic will occasionally be overly confident and shoot themselves in the foot, their form so far has been phenomenal. This should end in a dominant victory for the Black & Orange.

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Team BDS started the LoL EMEA Championship 2024 Summer campaign with a perfect record. They beat Team Vitality and Team Heretics and closed out the first week of the summer split with a massive victory against G2 Esports.

Team BDS�� victory against G2 looks excellent on paper, but they had some very questionable moments in that game. So, while they deserve some praise, the final result was primarily thanks to G2 not playing as well as expected.

SK Gaming also had a solid start to the summer season, beating Rogue, G2 Esports, and GIANTX. But while their results look similar to Team BDS��, SK Gaming showed better coordination and far more stability.

This is a clash between two European LoL teams that are serious candidates to finish the season in third place. But in the first week of play, SK Gaming showed more overall, making them an obvious pick at outsider odds.

Fnatic did what was expected of them in the first week of LEC 2024 Summer, with comfortable wins against Karmine Corp, GIANTX, and Team Vitality. In some of the fixtures, Fnatic looked a bit rough early but blew things wide open in the mid-late game.

Rogue didn��t look great last week, but they still managed to pick up one win against the unconvincing Team Vitality. Yet they don��t deserve much praise for that, as Rogue would��ve lost had Vitality not thrown away multiple winning positions.

Rogue are the same team we saw in the LEC 2024 Spring; they��ve shown no notable improvement so far. Now they��re set to face a team that is more than capable of punishing mistakes, which should lead to a very one-sided game.

MAD Lions KOI had an atrocious showing in the first week of the split. They lost to G2 Esports, which isn��t too worrying, but it��s hard to ignore their loss to Karmine Corp.

MAD were over 3k gold up at 20 minutes and extended that lead to over 10k gold at 30 minutes, yet they threw it away by forcing unnecessary fights. The main theme of the week was poor macro and questionable team compositions.

Team Vitality don��t deserve much praise for their LEC 2024 Summer Week 1 displays either. After showing a high degree of consistency last split, Vitality seemingly returned to their old ways, doing random things on the Summoner��s Rift without any plans.

Both Vitality and MAD Lions KOI have a lot to prove this week, and as the offered betting odd suggest, there��s no telling which side is worse. But both teams like to fight and make errors, which should result in a scrappy and bloody affair.

Despite picking up just one win last week, Team Heretics are priced as favourites to defeat Karmine Corp with the best LoL betting sites. This doesn��t have as much to do with Heretics�� quality as it has with Karmine Corp��s lacklustre showings.

Karmine Corp entered LEC 2024 Summer with much to prove after their abysmal run through LEC 2024 Spring, yet they��ve proved just one thing: their macro understanding is one of the worst in the league. At least Karmine Corp have capable players, which helped them overcome Rogue and MAD Lions KOI — but even in those games, KC��s success was largely due to their opponents playing worse.

Team Heretics are not as good as Fnatic, G2 Esports, or even Team BDS and SK Gaming. But they��re much stabler than Karmine Corp, who are incredibly sloppy and not a team we��d trust our money with.

Esports betting tips

GIANTX enter the final split of the League of Legends season with a new top laner, Antonio “Th3Antonio” Espinosa Bejarano and jungler Lee “Juhan” Ju-han, who are exciting additions. But the main thing that will dictate how well GIANTX will do this split is whether they’ll find a way to improve their early game.

In the spring split, GIANTX were very effective in closing out games where they got ahead early �C but that happened very rarely. Perhaps their new additions will fix that, giving us a reason to be cautiously optimistic about this squad.

Team Heretics didn’t make any roster changes this offseason but instead freshened up the coaching staff �C which was a smart move considering, talent-wise, Heretics are in a good spot. Drafting and overall approach to games needs some work.

GIANTX and Team Heretics were flawed teams in the LEC 2024 Spring, but they’ve made changes that might help with their issues. There’s a big “what if” on both ends, making GIANTX an excellent underdog bet at the offered price.

Last month, SK Gaming announced the signing of a new bottom lane duo, Cho “Rahel” Min-seong and support Lee “Luon” Hyun-ho, who could prove to be massive additions. SK were extremely inconsistent last split and completely fell apart following a strong start. so assuming Rahel and Luon can introduce some stability, SK Gaming could fly very high.

Rogue decided to run it back for LEC 2024 Summer, which is a bizarre decision for a team that was clearly the worst in the league since the winter split. Oddly, Rogue have the talent to do well, but we could’ve made the same excuse in January, yet nothing has changed.

Rogue have to find traction, and while they may bounce back, Emil “Larssen” Larsson and his crew have to first show something.

No changes for Team Vitality ahead of LEC 2024 Summer �C and that’s completely fine. Team Vitality were a strong mid-table team in the LEC 2024 Spring, showing a surprisingly high level of consistency. It was uncharacteristic for this roster, but if Vitality can keep playing like that, they might be in the race for a top-three finish.

Team BDS are another interesting team. In spring, Team BDS proved they could do well without relying too much on top laner Adam “Adam” Maanane, and yet he still played a significant role in many of BDS’ victories. Like Vitality, Team BDS just need to continue what they started, and we could be looking at another potential threat for Fnatic and G2.

At the offered moneyline odds, no side of this matchup is interesting, but the esports betting sites have overexaggerated with the total kills line.

Unsurprisingly, G2 Esports kept their entire lineup intact �C as they should. G2 Esports are unquestionably the best European LoL esports team and, as proven at the Mid-Season Invitational 2024, one of the world’s strongest teams.

The only two reasons to doubt G2 Esports are questionable motivation to perform and fatigue. This might not seem too relevant, but it can play a big factor, especially with G2 Esports, who are known to mess around when nothing is on the line.

MAD Lions KOI looked great last split when they built on the early success from the LEC 2024 Winter and proved themselves as a resilient and well-coached team. While they’re still not at the same level as G2 Esports, the kill handicap line for this match is a bit too high, knowing that G2 Esports might not be ready or willing to perform at 100%.

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The finals showdown against MAD Lions KOI proved to be an exhilarating rollercoaster ride of emotions and strategic brilliance, ultimately culminating in G2 Esports clinching yet another championship title.

The series kicked off with MAD Lions KOI taking the initial advantage, showcasing their strategic prowess and formidable team-fighting skills to secure the first map.

However, G2 Esports, renowned for their adaptability and deep understanding of the game, swiftly adjusted their approach, revealing the depth of their champion pool and tactical flexibility.

Games 2 and 3 witnessed a resurgence from G2 Esports, as they demonstrated championship-calibre gameplay characterized by meticulous objective control, aggressive map presence, and flawless team coordination.

Standout performances from every member of the team, particularly Martin “Yike” Sundelin and Rasmus “Caps” Winther, were instrumental in shifting the momentum decisively in their favour.

The final map of the series showcased G2 Esports at the peak of their performance, with strategic draft picks and impeccable execution allowing them to dictate the pace of the game from the outset.

With key objectives secured and well-coordinated team fights executed to perfection, G2 Esports emerged victorious in a masterclass display, clinching the LEC Winter title in emphatic fashion (3-1).

THE #LEC WINTER CHAMPIONS:

Congratulations to @G2League on being the first team to qualify for #MSI2024! pic.twitter.com/K67lnuRVyd

— LoL Esports (@lolesports) February 18, 2024

This triumph is not just another addition to G2 Esports’ illustrious legacy but a testament to their unwavering commitment to excellence and their unrivalled skill in competitive League of Legends.

The team’s ability to overcome adversity, adapt to evolving challenges, and consistently deliver exceptional performances further solidifies their status as a dominant force in the European esports landscape.

As G2 Esports celebrates their latest triumph, anticipation builds for their future endeavours, with the LEC Winter triumph automatically qualifying them for the League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational.

However, the LEC Winter champion only qualifies for a play-in place, meaning G2 will have to win the LEC Spring split to qualify for a bracket stage spot.

The LEC Spring 2024 split will begin on March 9 and run through April 14, where G2 Esports and MAD Lions KOI will be favourites with most esports betting sites.

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Notably, Karmine Corp, co-owned by French streamers Kamel ��Kameto�� Kebir and Zouhair ��Kotei�� Darjimassive, and MAD Lions KOI, co-owned by Spanish streamer Ibai Llanos, are among these teams.

Their first-ever matchup in the LEC on January 15 became a historic moment, breaking viewership records for the league.

The clash between these teams garnered immense attention, largely fuelled by the massive followings of their owners and their passionate nationalistic fanbases.

Social media squabbles between the French and Spanish fanbases had already begun before the highly anticipated match.

The viewership numbers for the match were staggering, reaching a peak of 741,450 viewers, setting a new record for the LEC regular season and surpassing the previous winter season record of 467,042.

Most Popular Matches from #LEC Winter 2024 Week 1:

1⃣ @MADLionsKOI vs @KarmineCorp
2⃣ @KarmineCorp vs @G2League
3⃣ @SKGamingLeague vs @MADLionsKOI

More impressive stats from @LEC Winter 2024:
https://t.co/FKhObc6QNc pic.twitter.com/7cWc1VaA3M

— Esports Charts (@EsportsCharts) January 16, 2024

Karmine Corp and MAD Lions KOI not only delivered intense competition on the rift, but their owners’ influence also significantly impacted the broadcast’s success.

The French broadcast, driven by KC, achieved approximately 255,000 peak viewers, while the Spanish broadcast saw a peak viewership of 242,800.

Despite KC’s defeat, the match proved to be a win for the league in terms of viewership and engagement.

The journey of these two teams joining the LEC had been long-awaited, with both Ibai and KC expressing interest for years.

Ibai entered first with KOI, forming a partnership with Rogue��s parent company, while Karmine Corp secured their spot by purchasing a slot from Astralis.

After parting ways with Rogue in 2023, KOI merged with MAD Lions, continuing to compete in the league under a unified brand.

The LEC Winter Split 2024 marked their face-off, resulting in a significant viewership milestone.

Notably, Karmine Corp has been a central attraction throughout the first weekend of the LEC Winter Split, achieving remarkable peak viewership numbers.

Their match against G2 also contributed to breaking records, peaking at 644,000 viewers.

Compared to the 2023 average viewership of 271,000, the 2024 average of 400,000 represents a substantial improvement, indicating a positive trajectory for EMEA’s premier League of Legends professional league.

While Karmine Corp’s peak viewership is not yet in the all-time top ranks, sitting at 295th according to Esports Charts, their recent promotion to the LEC through an open slot is proving beneficial for the league in terms of attracting new viewers.

As the LEC Winter Split progresses and other major regions’ leagues kick off, the promising start of the 2024 season suggests potential growth and continued support throughout the year.

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G2 Esports were the best team of the LEC 2023 season, and things are unlikely to change in 2024. Fielding some of the best players in the league in their respective roles, G2 Esports looks poised to claim another LEC trophy.

With all the map and gameplay changes, their quality might not translate to results. At least not very early.

Team BDS signed a new ADC in Yoon “Ice” Sang-hoon for the 2024 season, which seemed like a strange move considering BDS already had Ju? “Crownie” Maru?i?. Still, even with a new ADC, Team BDS looks good and might be one of the most underrated teams in the league.

Team BDS has a lot of potential and enough talent to do well. Beating G2 won’t be easy, but Team BDS is good enough to keep the game close.

Rogue has kept Emil “Larssen” Larsson and Markos “Comp” Stamkopoulos for this season, which was a good call, but besides the duo, Rogue doesn’t have as much star power. Even though Rogue has decent pieces, there’s minimal upside.

SK Gaming swapped out their mid-jungle and signed Yasin “Nisqy” Din?er, who is a huge upgrade for SK. So, like Rogue, SK have some strong pieces, yet they lack a couple of star players to reach?the top. But this issue is far more significant with SK.

Rogue are a good team that won’t surprise anyone, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be competitive. On the other side, SK Gaming has a lot to prove since we don’t know how good Isma?l “Isma” Boualem is.

This can be a close game, but Rogue looks stronger heading into the LEC 2024 Winter season.

Fnatic enters the 2024 season with just one new player, support Yoon “Jun” Se-jun, who replaced Adrian “Trymbi” Trybus. This change should benefit Fnatic, who are ranked as the second-best LEC team.

Fnatic might even overtake G2 Esports. We must consider that this core has been together for just one split and showed significant improvement in the latter stages of the 2023 season. If this trend continues and Jun is as good as promised, Fnatic can make it far.

The league’s newcomers, Karmine Corp, formed a terrifying lineup and a strong coaching staff. Still, while KC signed excellent players in the offseason, it’s hard to say how they’ll do on the Rift, and there’s enough volatility that’ll come with the new season.

Fnatic are a proven team that’s done well last season. So, while Karmine Corp might be very strong, they first have to show something.

GIANTX (former Excel Esports) signed a new mid laner, Adam “Jackies” Je?��bek, and former NRG support Lee “IgNar” Dong-geun in December, forming a solid roster. Purely quality-wise, GIANTX should do more than fine in the LEC 2024 Winter; however, there’s a big question mark above Jackies.

Team Vitality added three new players in December, including jungler Kacper “Daglas” Dagiel, mid laner Vincent “Vetheo” Berri��, and ADC Maty��? “Carzzy” Ors��g. Even with these changes, Team Vitality looks just as strong as they were in 2023, granted their issue last year wasn’t quality as much as it was a lack of synergy.

Esports betting sites have Vitality priced as favourites; even though Vitality has stronger players, so this match looks like a coin toss.

MAD Lions hit the reset button this offseason and formed a completely new lineup, keeping only their jungler Javier “Elyoya” Prades Batalla and surrounding him with young and unproven talent. With these changes, MAD Lions look more like a long-term project than a team capable of competing for the title.

But if the younger players can develop quickly, MAD Lions could be dangerous in the spring or summer.

Team Heretics united the former G2 Esports trio Martin “Wunder” Nordahl Hansen, Marcin “Jankos” Jankowski, and Luka “Perkz” Perkovi?, creating a Last Dance-type roster that could do better than expected. Even though Wunder, Perkz, and Jankos are past their prime, they’re all still capable of playing at the top level.

Team Heretics are priced as favourites, which is fair, but at $1.57, they are a great bet.

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