Riot Games has announced League of Legends Game Changers (LGC) Rising, the inaugural women’s League of Legends tournament for the EMEA region. The new competition aims to establish a dedicated competitive ecosystem for women, drawing inspiration from the success of VALORANT Game Changers.
Set to begin in August 2025, LGC Rising represents what Riot describes as a first step in building a meaningful and sustainable competitive structure for women in League of Legends across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The initiative seeks to complement and support existing community efforts rather than replace them, with Riot highlighting previous contributions from teams and organisers such as G2 Hel, the Equal Esports Cup in Germany, and France’s Coupe des Étoiles.
The tournament will begin with an online Open Qualifier in August, providing opportunities for emerging teams to join the main event. Alongside these qualifiers, three teams linked to LEC organisations and the top three from the Equal Esports Cup will receive direct invitations.
The group stage will take place over three weekends in September, featuring eight teams divided into two groups. The playoffs, scheduled for October, will culminate in the LGC Rising Grand Final, set for 30 October to be held live on stage at the Paris Games Week.
Riot emphasised that this will mark a significant moment for women’s competitive League of Legends, with plans to gradually increase the presence of live events as the ecosystem develops.
The tournament is backed by support from LEC (League of Legends EMEA Championship) teams and licensing partner Webedia, a French media company. LGC Rising is open to players who identify as women, with Riot stating its objective of fostering a respectful and welcoming environment for all participants.
