The League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) is undergoing significant format changes for its 2026 season, headlined by the replacement of the Winter Split with a new tournament, LEC Versus: The EMEA Invitational. The changes, announced by Riot Games, aim to create a more dynamic ecosystem and strengthen connections between the LEC and the broader EMEA Regional Leagues (ERLs). The revamp also includes a standardised format for the Spring and Summer Splits and an expansion of the popular LEC Roadtrips initiative.
The introduction of LEC Versus is a strategic move to ignite regional rivalries and provide a high-profile platform for top ERL teams to compete against the established LEC partners. This new tournament will kick off the 2026 competitive season and will feature 12 teams: the 10 permanent LEC partner teams, plus two invited teams from the ERL circuit. The winner will secure the sole EMEA qualification spot for the international First Stand event.
Also read: Riot Games unveils LEC Roadtrip events for 2025
The two invited ERL teams will be the champions of the 2025 EMEA Masters Summer tournament and the most consistently high-performing team across the entire 2025 EMEA Masters season. For the 2026 edition, this invited team has been confirmed as Los Ratones, founded by content creator Marc “Caedrel” Lamont. It is crucial to note that this is an invitation to a single tournament and does not constitute a permanent LEC slot; invited ERL teams will receive a stipend for participation and not a share of LEC revenue.
“We’re always looking for ways to keep our ecosystem dynamic and exciting, continuing to celebrate what fans love about the LEC, while creating new paths for competition and stories to thrive across our entire ecosystem,” the announcement stated.
Following LEC Versus, the Spring and Summer Splits for 2026 will see a return to a consistent format held in at Riot Games Arena in Berlin, Germany. Both splits will now feature a Single Round Robin of best-of-three matches, leading into best-of-five Playoffs, replicating the structure of the 2025 Spring Split that, according to Riot, was well-received by the community.
This consistency is intended to provide a predictable schedule for fans and teams, and to facilitate more LEC Roadtrips. The top two teams from the Spring Split will qualify for the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), while the top three from the Summer Split will secure a place at the World Championship.
Finally, Riot Games confirmed that the LEC Roadtrips programme, which saw select regular-season matches hosted by Karmine Corp and Movistar KOI in external venues in cities like Madrid and Paris, will be expanded in 2026. The announcement promised “more cities, more fans, and even more excitement,” though specific locations and dates are yet to be revealed. Further details on the 2026 season are expected to be discussed by LEC Commissioner Artem Bykov in a forthcoming stream on October 24 at 15:00 UK time.
