The League picture
September set the board for the rest of the competitive year. The formats and prize pools below are as scheduled and reported. We do not report winners we have not confirmed, and we will update results as events conclude.
In League of Legends, the LEC 2026 Summer Playoffs began on 5 September, a six-team double-elimination bracket sending its top three finishers to Worlds 2026. The same day, the CBLOL 2026 Split 2 Playoffs opened in Sao Paulo, and on 17 September the LPL 2026 Regional Finals settled China’s remaining Worlds slots.
The bigger autumn circuit
Outside League, the calendar ran heavy. Dota 2’s flagship autumn event returned to Bucharest with 16 teams, a two-stage group-to-playoff format and a $1,000,000 prize pool, which PandaScore calls one of the most competitive stops outside The International. Counter-Strike 2’s biggest September stop outside the Bucharest qualifier circuit put 16 teams in Shenzhen, China, for $450,000.
Valorant kept its developmental and open circuits busy, including the Game Changers 2026 EMEA Cash Cup from 22 to 27 September.
What to watch
With regional qualification closing out, the story now moves to Worlds 2026 itself and to which of the autumn majors builds momentum going into the winter. We will publish result recaps as each bracket finishes, with a source for every score.
Frequently asked
How do teams qualify for Worlds 2026?
Through their regional playoffs. In Europe, the LEC 2026 Summer Playoffs sent its top three to Worlds; China’s remaining slots were settled at the LPL Regional Finals on 17 September.
What was the biggest autumn prize pool?
Dota 2's Bucharest event carried a $1,000,000 prize pool across 16 teams, per PandaScore's September 2026 calendar.