**LCK and LPL squads dominate early trader positioning for Worlds 2026 knockout qualification.** The 16-team Swiss Stage, running October 23–31 in Allen, Texas, requires three wins for advancement and eliminates teams after three losses, with best-of-three series deciding key matches. Gen.G, Hanwha Life Esports, T1, and Dplus Kia from the LCK plus Anyone’s Legend, Bilibili Gaming, TOP Esports, and Invictus Gaming from the LPL enter with the strongest implied probabilities based on regional form and historical dominance. Recent Play-In results—Karmine Corp’s 3-2 comeback over Cloud9 and MVK Esports’ 3-0 sweep of FURIA—highlight the single advancing Play-In team’s difficult path against these favorites. Schedule draws avoiding intra-region matchups in Round 1 and the defending champion T1’s experience add further context, though upsets remain possible in the high-variance best-of-one format.