Introduction to the New Format of the EMEA League of Legends League

The forthcoming year is set to welcome a fresh format in the EMEA League of Legends league. This change will be introduced in LEC Versus 2026, commencing on January 17th. A total of 12 teams will be vying for the first LEC championship of the year, complete with the added reward of a place at First Stand 2026 happening in Brazil.

This updated format brings key scheduling and ticketing details, underpinning Riot Games’ revitalised emphasis on enhancing regional focus for significant leagues, such as LEC, LCS, and others. These changes are introduced as we head towards the 2026 Worlds season. For the latest news about LEC-specific details, including scheduling and tickets for the 2026 Versus event, fans can refer to the official Riot announcements on lolesports.com.

Insight into the LCS 2026 Format

The LCS, a significant partner of the LEC, is also set to return to time-honoured formats emphasising regional matches, with no best-of-one matches. The event will be divided into three sections.

• The Split 1 (Lock-In Tournament) is slated to begin on January 24th, taking place over three weeks. It will encompass a Swiss stage that is based on a best-of-three format, which subsequently seeds a top-6 double-elimination bracket.
• The Spring (Split 2) and Summer (Split 3) phases will follow, each constituting a round-robin best-of-three regular season. The Spring tournament will mimic the Lock-In format, with the top two contenders moving onto MSI.
• The Summer tournament will incorporate the loser’s bracket gauntlet, reminiscent of the 2024 tournament. Full schedules and updates for LCS, as they become available, can be accessed via lolesports.com.

Understanding the 2026 Worlds Context

The League of Legends championship of 2026, known as the Worlds, is set to return to the United States. Initially intended to happen across three cities, the championship will now occur in two – Allen, Texas and New York City. The MSI winner alongside the next-best region will secure two additional slots for participation.

Updates from Other Regions

The ERL, or European Regional Leagues, which serves as a feeding ground to LEC, will resume with a three-split format, providing tournament planners relatively high flexibility due to the lack of uniform LTR rules.

The unrelated 2026 Primer of VCT Pacific features three stages: the Kickoff, Stage 1, and Stage 2, each of which has its unique structure and benefits for the Masters and Champions.