LoL MSI vs. Worlds: What’s the difference in League of Legends esports?

The first global highlight of the LoL esports calendar is First Stand in March, with the second and third key tournaments being LoL MSI and the Worlds, respectively. But if you’re not sure of the significance or differences between LoL MSI vs Worlds, read on. Here we’ll look at each and go through that key information, such as the MSI format, the LoL Worlds format, and an overview of the differences from significance to prize pool, and team qualification.

We’ll just say here that both events are hugely significant in the LoL esports calendar and not only for the teams involved. For those following their favorite regional teams and as overall fans of LoL esports, both MSI and Worlds are excellent opportunities to see the best League of Legends players in the world. 

As the venue and international location of each of these key events change each year, both LoL MSI and Worlds have become a real celebration of the support and adoption of the game, the most-followed MOBA in the world.

There are plenty of differences between the Mid-Season International (MSI) and the Worlds, and the importance of each competition is one major factor. Featuring as the third and final key tournament of the League of Legends competitive schedule, Worlds is the ultimate international LoL event. Only the best MSI performances end up being good enough to end up at Worlds, after all. 

This isn’t to say LoL MSI isn’t, but (as its name suggests) it’s considered more of a mid-season showcase of top teams from the five different regions. It’s almost an early look at the best teams, while the World Championship is the season-ending tournament that decides the LoL World Champions. The two are connected, though, as the winners of LoL MSI secure qualification for the Worlds, while the second-placed region is also given an extra fourth seed for its regional domestic league at Worlds.

Team selection or qualification is one of the key differences when comparing MSI vs Worlds. League of Legends teams compete in domestic and global competitions throughout the year, with selection for the latter determined as the international season progresses. 

For the Mid-Season International, the top two teams from each LoL region (five regions, so ten teams in total) qualify, with a split for ‘Play-In’ and ‘Bracket’ stages that we’ll cover below in the ‘Format’ section. 

For the Worlds, aside from those qualifying via MSI as we covered above, seventeen teams can qualify. This makes it a bigger spectacle in terms of competition and number of matches. These seventeen teams are: the top three teams from each of the five regional leagues (fifteen teams total), plus the fourth seed (fourth-best team) of the MSI champion’s region and the runner-up’s region (two extra teams total).

As the Mid-Season International is a different tournament from the season-ending Worlds, as discussed, the prize pool duly reflects that. In 2025, the prize pool for the LoL MSI event is $2,000,000. That’s lower than the Worlds’, but still a huge increase from 2024’s $250,000. Additionally, the number of MSI teams is down from 12 to 10.

In comparison, the MSI Worlds prize pool is $5,000,000. It’s more than double that of the LoL MSI, but the huge figure is also bigger than the Worlds 2024 prize pool. In that year, the prize pool for the tournament was set at $2.225m, making the 2025 figure more than double. Given the prize money on offer, it can be staggering to learn how much League of Legends esports players make. 

The MSI format and LoL Worlds format are very different, owing to the number of teams and significance, and competitive nature of each tournament. We’ll keep this a little brief, as we’ve covered the LoL MSI format in detail. So if you’re wondering, ‘how does MSI work in LoL’, head over there too. 

For LoL MSI, the format is:

For the LoL Worlds format overview is:

So there you have it: an overview of the key differences between MSI vs Worlds in League of Legends. Each tournament is a fine showcase of an amazing game and competitive scene, but there’s only one World Championship event. That sort of makes any LoL worlds vs MSI comparison unfair from the off. But given each is a key tournament, it’s good to know the differences, and we hope we’ve helped on that front. We’ve also made predictions as to which teams will make it to the MSI, too.