Riot has published the important Worlds 2026 Pick’Ems and Crystal Ball windows for League of Legends fans. This is not merely the tournament match calendar: predictions open in stages, and each stage locks before its first game. Here is an original practical guide to when you can choose, what changes after Play-Ins and Swiss, and which reward claims Riot actually supports—without pretending to know the winners.
October 10 is an opening date, not match day
Riot says Crystal Ball and Play-In predictions open October 10 at 4 PM Pacific Daylight Time. Worlds matches themselves begin October 15. Keep these two dates distinct: setting a reminder for the game broadcast does not protect an earlier prediction window. Check the live stage timer, especially if your device uses a different region or daylight-saving calendar.
Where to enter your predictions
Use lolesports.com/pickems or the feature inside the League of Legends client. Riot requires an eligible Riot Account and Summoner Name to receive rewards. Sign in before the deadline, confirm the correct account, and check the page labels: a prediction section not yet open is not necessarily broken, and completed picks for one section do not submit the others.
Crystal Ball versus stage Pick’Ems
Crystal Ball is the long-horizon predictions category scored at the end of Worlds, while stage Pick’Ems ask for choices during Play-Ins, Swiss, and Knockouts. Treat these as separate tasks with separate windows. Riot has announced new rewards for 2026, but a prediction is not a guaranteed item; results, eligibility and rules decide what you actually receive.
Play-Ins lock before the first October 15 match
The Play-In Stage runs October 15–18 in Los Angeles. Riot locks Play-In picks before the first match on October 15, not at local midnight and not after the first series. The bracket has four teams, double elimination, best-of-five series, and one qualifier for Swiss. Recheck the official draw rather than naming an opponent Riot has not yet placed.
Swiss predictions: open October 18, lock October 23
Swiss picks open October 18, after Play-Ins; they lock before the first Swiss match on October 23. The Swiss matches run through October 31 in Allen, Texas. This window lets you factor in the Play-In qualifier, but it does not mean every future Swiss-round opponent is known. Make your selection only from the options actually shown on Riot's live page.
What Swiss format really tells you
Sixteen teams play a five-round Swiss. Three match wins advance, and three losses eliminate. After the initial draw, teams meet opponents with matching records, and repeat meetings are prohibited. Teams from the same region cannot meet in Round 1, but may meet from Round 2. That gives some useful structure, not a crystal-clear path for any specific team.
Knockout picks: October 31 to November 3
Knockout predictions open October 31 and lock before the first Knockout match November 3. Quarterfinals are November 3–6, semifinals November 7–8, all best-of-five. Wait for the official quarterfinal draw: Riot pairs the two 3–0 Swiss teams against two 3–2 teams, then draws the remaining matches. Avoid treating fan-made bracket images as finalized.
Do not confuse draws with locks
Riot schedules the Play-In draw after the October 10 CBLOL Finals, initial Swiss draw on October 18, and quarterfinal draw on October 31. Draws reveal matchups; they do not automatically close every Pick’Ems category. The controlling deadline remains the timer or ‘before the first match’ rule printed for your current prediction section.
Finals and when rewards are processed
Worlds Finals take place November 14 in Brooklyn. Crystal Ball is scored when Worlds ends, and Riot aims to distribute earned rewards within 48 hours after the final. That is a target, not a universal guaranteed-delivery promise. Riot advises eligible users still missing their reward by November 21 to contact Player Support.
Regional eligibility matters
Riot says participation or prizes may be limited by law and local publisher. Its list excludes several territories, including Cuba, North Korea, Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk and Myanmar, and other locally published regions may have different access. An eligible account and a Summoner Name are required for rewards. Check the current rules for your region rather than assuming every valid prediction pays out.
A deadline checklist for busy fans
Open the correct Riot account and record the October 10 launch in your time zone. Save Crystal Ball and Play-In picks, confirm they are submitted before October 15, return for Swiss from October 18 through its October 23 lock, and revisit Knockouts between October 31 and November 3. Check the official match page rather than a screenshot if dates or first-match times change.
- Oct 10, 4 PM PDT: Crystal Ball and Play-Ins open.
- Oct 15: Play-Ins picks lock before first match.
- Oct 18: Swiss picks open; Oct 23: Swiss lock.
- Oct 31: Knockout picks open; Nov 3: Knockout lock.
- Nov 14: Finals and scoring; regional rewards rules apply.
Official Riot materials checked on October 8, 2026: https://lolesports.com/en-US/news/worlds-2026-primer ; https://lolesports.com/en-US/news/worlds-2026-format-explainer ; https://www.leagueoflegends.com/ar-ae/news/esports/worlds-2026-primer/ . If Riot changes schedules, pick locks or local reward eligibility, always follow the current official Pick’Ems page.