LEC confirms major format changes for 2026

The LECthe top-tier League of Legends league for the EMEA region, has unveiled a new competitive structure with changes for 2026. A new tournament will kick off the year, followed by aligned formats for the Spring and Summer 2026 LEC. The new first quarter event, LEC Versus, replaces the former Winter Split. and includes the 10 LEC partners plus two guest teams from the EMEA regional leagues.

Expect fan-favorite formats, high-impact competitions and new stories full of energy, passion and moments that will keep you glued to the edge of your seats.

Riot Games

LEC Versus takes ERL teams to Berlin

LEC Versus will replace the Winter Split and will feature 12 teams in a league with best-of-one matches. The top eight will advance to a double-elimination playoff phase. BO3 format will be used at the beginning of the playoffs and BO5 in the later rounds.

As for the two new teams, one invitation will be sent to the EMEA Masters Summer 2025 champion, while the second will go to a team selected for its “consistent and outstanding performance throughout the 2025 competitive season.” The exact evaluation criteria for this assessment have not yet been disclosed.

These are not LEC slots, but special invitations earned through competitive excellence within the ERL ecosystem.

Riot Games

Riot Games has not yet confirmed whether there are restrictions on which EMEA teams can be selected. This suggests that academy teams could be invited. It has also noted some off-season limitations that have been put in place for the two invited teams. In general, three of the five players from the original European Masters squad must remain in the LEC Versus. Exceptions may occur, but that is at the discretion of the LEC. The winner of LEC Versus will earn an EMEA berth to the international First Stand event. A spot in the LEC for the spring and summer will not be at stake.

LEC partner teams, such as G2, Fnatic and Karmine Corp, have permanent spots in the league and participate in Riot’s revenue sharing structure. This structure pools revenue from sponsorships, media rights and arena revenue to support long-term financial stability within the franchise system.

ERL teams invited to the LEC Versus will not be part of that agreement and therefore will not benefit from this structure. Instead, these teams will receive compensation for their participation, which is likely intended to offset operating expenses, such as travel, lodging and temporary support staff for the tournament.

Standardized spring and summer format for 2026.

After a year with three different formats for three splits, in 2026, both the spring and summer will follow the same structure, with best-of-three games in the single round and best-of-five playoffs for the top six. Both splits will feature only the 10 partner franchise organizations. The qualification pathways remain unchanged, with the spring qualifying two teams for the MSI and the summer qualifying three or more for the Worlds.

Providing a consistent format and predictable schedule for both the spring and summer phases will allow for more LEC touring and provide fans with more competition.

Riot Games

With the format reboot and the possible addition of new teams representing the LEC in international competitions, fans will now wait to see if the revamped schedule offers more competitive depth or if concerns around non-franchise team participation resurface as the season approaches.