Everything you need to know about ERLs in 2024

Ahead of the 2024 competitive season, and before the action begins, we’re going to summarize what the ERLs are and explain the changes that will take place.

What are ERLs?

ERLs are the regional layer of LoL Esports that sits below the LEC in the EMEA region. They play an important role in developing regional ecosystems as well as promoting new talent who want to compete at the top.

How many LECs are there?

In total there are 13 ERLs across the EMEA region. The leagues are divided between accredited ERLs and non-accredited ERLs. Accredited status is granted to any ERL that meets the required guidelines; for example, requiring competing teams to be registered legal entities. An advantage of being an accredited league is that players will be registered in the Global Contract Database (GCD).

ERL accreditation status is reviewed annually to ensure that Tournament Organizers (TOs) meet the criteria and are able to operate at the accredited level, on a sustainable basis. This may result in the granting or revocation of accreditation, depending on the region’s performance.

What the ERLs will be in 2024:

Accredited ERLs:

• Superliga (SL)
• French League (LFL)
• Prime League (PRM)
• Turkish Champions League (TCL)

LER not credited:

• Ultraliga (UL)
• Greek League of Legends (GLL)
• Elite Series (ESLOL)
• Hitpoint Masters (HM)
• League of Legends Northern League of Legends Championship (NLC)
• League of Legends Portuguese League (LPLOL)
• Italian League of Legends Tournament (LIT)
• Esports Balkan League (EBL)
• Arab League (AL)

Why are ERLs being played?

Regional pride is everything for ERLs and the basic principle of the competition is the desire to prove that you are the best in your region. Each OT offers prizes for the winners of their region. In addition, victory in the ERL national leagues also offers the opportunity to qualify for the EMEA Masters (EM), the pinnacle of competition and a chance for ERL players to compete on one of the biggest stages in EMEA.

When does the action start?

All action will begin at the end of January. Below you will find all the start dates for each ERL:

Changes in promotions and demotions.

To support team sustainability while ensuring a stable path to promotion from the 2nd Division, the number of teams at risk of relegation in all ERLs has been reduced from two to one.

For accredited leagues, the lowest ranked team from the 1st Division will compete against the top two teams from the 2nd Division in a double elimination tournament for the final spot. For non-accredited leagues, the bottom-ranked 1st Division team will face the top three teams from the 2nd Division in a similar double-elimination seeded tournament.

EMEA Masters

Currently, some details are still being finalized for EM 2024 and information is likely to be out as of the New Year.