The knockout stages of the 2024 League of Legends World Championship are here, setting the stage for intense battles as eight teams battle it out for a shot at the trophy. With the finals in London just around the corner, fans are eager to see who will emerge victorious.

This year’s tournament was full of surprises from the start, from a CBLOL team qualifying for the main stage to no EMEA teams qualifying for the knockout stage after G2 Esports were also eliminated. Other smaller regions also disappointed despite impressive performances throughout the tournament, such as GAM Esports eliminating MAD Lions KOI in the Swiss stage. And the icing on the cake has to be that FlyQuest keeps the western hopes alive.

The four LPL teams showed their dominance during the tournament, as they all qualified for the final stage of the competition. Unsurprisingly, Gen.G, who are heavily favored to win Worlds this year, are still in contention for the Summoner’s Cup. But it seems that all roads once again lead to T1, the reigning champions, as they look to defend their title and secure a fifth championship.

The knockout stage follows a single elimination best-of-five format, where teams must win three games to advance or be eliminated from the tournament. The top eight teams qualify after the Swiss stage, which saw intense competition, with some matches being closer than most expected, resulting in some surprising qualifying teams, such as LNG Esports.