The organizers of the Chinese LPL, TJ Esports, in partnership with the HUYA platform, have announced the Demacia Cup Global Invitational. The international tournament will take place in China from October 3 to 17 and will bring together 12 mid-table teams from major global leagues, competing in the same format as the World Championship (Worlds). The event is a logical continuation of last year's Asia Invitational—this time, Western teams will join the mix, and an offline stage will be introduced. Organizers emphasize that this is not the traditional Demacia Cup, which is usually held at the beginning of the year exclusively for LPL teams.
The number of slots for each league was determined based on the results of MSI 2026: regions that placed first and second received three slots each; third and fourth places received two; and all remaining regions received one each. The participant list is formed as follows:
- LCK and LPL: 5th, 6th, and 7th seeds
- LEC and LCS: 4th and 5th seeds
- LCP and CBLOL: 4th seed
A notable situation has arisen in the Brazilian CBLOL league: due to the tight regional schedule, the top two teams will head to Worlds, the fourth-placed team will qualify for the Demacia Cup, while the season will prematurely end for the third-placed team.
The group stage will be held online from October 3 to 8. The tournament's opening phase will begin with a best-of-one Swiss stage, after which all subsequent matches of this stage will be played as best-of-three series.
The playoff stage will take place offline from October 12 to 17 at JDG's home arena in Beijing. The quarterfinals, semifinals, and grand final will all be played in a best-of-five format.
During the offline stage, a new rule regarding coach communications will be activated. Coaches will be able to give instructions to players directly during matches—three times per BO5 series. Each communication "window" will last 45 seconds and will occur in real time, without the need to pause the game.
Teams will compete for cash prizes, which are distributed as follows:
- 1st place: $90,000
- 2nd place: $60,000
- Semifinalists: approximately $26,000
- 5th-8th places: less than $5,600
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