The 2021 World Championship group stage concluded on Oct. 18, and all four LCK representatives advanced to the playoffs—three of them in first place. Alongside them, the LPL claimed two spots, and the LEC and LCS claimed one spot each.
Heading into the quarterfinals, the bracket and schedule are as follows:
Match #1: Oct. 22 at 14:00 CET / 5:00 PST / 8:00 EST / 20:00 CST / 21:00 KST
| T1 | 3 |
| Hanwha Life Esports | 0 |
T1 and Hanwha Life Esports meet again: in the 2021 regional qualifiers, T1 won the third-place decider match 3-2. Thus, HLE took fourth place as a consolation prize and climbed from the play-ins to the quarterfinals.
Although the matchup forces an LCK team to eliminate another, it also guarantees the region's presence in the semifinals.
Match #2: Oct. 23 at 14:00 CET / 5:00 PST / 8:00 EST / 20:00 CST / 21:00 KST
| Royal Never Give Up | 2 |
| EDward Gaming | 3 |
The matchup pits two LPL powerhouses—the only two LPL teams to make it to the playoffs. Although the matchup leads to an LPL team eliminating another, it also ensures that an LPL squad will reach the semifinals.
The contest pits the 2021 LPL spring champions and MSI champions, RNG, against LPL summer champions EDG. Thus, both teams will determine which squad is China's best team in 2021.
Match #3: Oct. 24 at 14:00 CET / 5:00 PST / 8:00 EST / 20:00 CST / 21:00 KST
| DWG KIA | 3 |
| MAD Lions | 0 |
The contest will be the second and last time that the two teams face one another in a BO5 setting. The first time around, the LCK champions and the LEC champions fought a five-game series, with DWG KIA reverse-sweeping MAD Lions.
In a different patch cycle, and in different circumstances, MAD Lions have a chance to stop DWG KIA's campaign dead in its tracks.
Match #4: Oct. 25 at 14:00 CET / 5:00 PST / 8:00 EST / 20:00 CST / 21:00 KST
| Gen.G | 0 |
| Cloud9 | 0 |
Gen.G will finally have its revenge from 2018, but it will take at least three games to settle the score against surprise quarterfinalists Cloud9.
In 2018, Cloud9 eliminated Gen.G during the group stage. Only two players remain from that clash: Cloud9's jungler, Blaber; and Gen.G's AD carry, Ruler.
Semifinals format:
T1 will face DWG KIA in the semifinals in a remake of the 2021 LCK summer finals. The last time the two teams faced each other, DWG KIA won a contested 3-1 affair.
Meanwhile, EDward Gaming will face Match #4's. winner. The format ensures that teams that have faced one another in the group stage will not face each other until the finals.
When will the games take place?
The quarterfinals will take place between Oct. 22 and Oct. 25 at 14:00 CET / 5:00 PST / 8:00 EST / 20:00 CST / 21:00 KST.
Where to watch?
You can catch each game of the 2021 World Championship Playoffs live on the following links:
