LEC 2026 (League of Legends EMEA Championship) has transformed the EMEA season with a bold new structure. The Winter Split is replaced by the LEC Versus invitational, while Spring and Summer lock into Bo3 round-robins and Bo5 Playoffs, bringing stability, new ERL storylines, and the return of LEC Roadtrips.

In this guide, you’ll get a clear breakdown of the LEC Versus opener, ERL invite rules, and how Spring and Summer work, along with timelines and qualification paths to MSI and Worlds. We’ll also explain what changes, why they matter, and how the new structure affects EMEA teams.

What Is LEC 2026?

LEC 2026 retools the calendar by turning the Winter Split into an invitational. LEC Versus unites 10 partnered teams and two elite ERL (EMEA Regional League) squads for a fast, decisive start to the year. That means no lengthy qualifiers or complex point systems, just a direct contest for a First Stand slot.

From there, the year settles into familiar formats with Spring and Summer following the same Bo3 round-robin cadence into Bo5 Playoffs, while teams refine their best-of-series habits that can translate to the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) and the World Championship (Worlds).

What’s New In LEC 2026 (LEC Versus Format Explained)

LEC Versus is a 12-team invitational staged at the Riot Games Arena in Berlin, and it completely replaces last year’s Winter Split. You’ll see a single round-robin of Bo1s where every team meets everyone once, followed by a double-elimination Playoffs with Bo3 in rounds 1-2 and Bo5 in subsequent rounds.

The lineup for LEC Versus is relatively straightforward: 10 LEC partner teams plus two ERL invites. The invites go to EMEA Masters Summer champions and one team chosen for season-long consistency.

While fans pushed for a Bo3 single round-robin for the first phase, the shorter schedule likely led to a Bo1 format. As a result, League of Legends Fearless Draft won’t affect this part of the tournament. With the top eight advancing to the Playoffs, ERL teams also have a better shot at making the bracket.

How ERL Teams Qualify for LEC Versus

For LEC Versus 2026, Riot explicitly confirmed Los Ratones as the consistency invite, recognition for back-to-back EMEA Masters titles, three straight NLC trophies, and a top-four Summer finish across 2025. The EMEA Masters Summer champion will also join as the second invite.

Why the New Format Matters

By funneling LEC Versus directly into First Stand, Riot gives you an opener with immediate international stakes and provides ERL fans a genuine chance to test their favorites against the best of the LEC. It’s also a stress test for LEC rosters in live Bo1 pressure, which drastically increases the chance of upsets.

LEC 2026 Spring And Summer Splits

LEC Spring 2026 and LEC Summer 2026 will both mirror last year’s popular format: a single round-robin of Bo3s followed by Bo5 Playoffs. No Bo1s or Bo2s are planned, favoring stage-ready macro and in-series adaptation. Riot calls this a community-driven adjustment that mirrors Spring 2025.

This format symmetry also makes the calendar much easier to follow since LEC Spring and LEC Summer will have the same structure. You’ll know when the series matters, why certain matchups create tiebreak potential, and how seeding shapes deep postseason runs that end in Bo5 spectacles.

MSI and Worlds Qualification Path

LEC 2026 qualification is split across the three key international breaks most players care about: First Stand, MSI, and Worlds. The winner of LEC Versus advances to First Stand, the Spring Split champion and runner-up qualify for MSI, and the top three teams from Summer lock in their spots at Worlds.

LEC 2026 Teams

The LEC remains a 10-team partnered league. While rosters change, the partner list is the same as in 2025:

• G2 Esports
• Fnatic
• GIANTX
• Karmine Corp
• Movistar KOI
• NAVI
• SK Gaming
• Team BDS
• Team Heretics
• Team Vitality

You’ll see these ten squads in LEC Versus, Spring 2026, and Summer 2026, barring any official team updates from Riot. Together, these organizations form the core of the LEC 2026 narrative, blending returning rosters, academy talent, and veteran imports as they adjust to the new and improved format.

LEC Roadtrips Return In 2026

If you enjoyed LEC’s on-the-road events in 2025, you’re in luck—more LEC Roadtrips are confirmed for 2026. Riot plans additional stops with larger events across EMEA, building on the momentum of KOI and Karmine’s partner-hosted spectacles.

This matters because Roadtrips let you experience the broadcast and its rivalries in a local context. For context, Spain’s KOI-driven events drew massive crowds in 2025, and the plan is to scale that live energy for this season.

LEC 2026 Schedule & How To Watch

Riot’s public calendar blocks lay out the core international windows that the LEC 2026 season will operate around:

• Regional Split 1 (January 13 – March 2, 2026)
• First Stand (March 10 – 16, 2026)
• Regional Split 2 (March 24 – June 15, 2026)
• MSI (June 27 – July 12, 2026)
• Regional Split 3 (July – October)
• Worlds (October 14 – November 9, 2026)

If you’re planning to host watch parties, the LEC schedule details should help you map split timelines, international breaks, and the run-up to Worlds 2026 in North America. Expect ticket sales and city announcements to appear on the calendar page as the season approaches.

Broadcast Platforms

You can watch LEC 2026 live on the official LoL Esports channels, with streams distributed across Twitch, YouTube, plus language partners and sanctioned co-streams. When LEC Roadtrips are active, broadcast pages will list venue info and local language coverage.

List Of LEC Champions

Below is a concise table of LEC champions in the LEC era, including final scores.

LEC Format Evolution

The LEC format has continually evolved since 2019, shifting from classic Bo1 league play to a three-split era with Season Finals, before pivoting in 2025 to Bo3 regular seasons. Here’s an overview of the changes:

• 2019: LEC rebrand: two Splits (Spring and Summer). Bo1 regular season into Bo5 Playoffs
• 2020—2022: Stable two-split cadence: Bo1 league play and Playoffs are decided in Bo5.
• 2023: Introduced a three-split calendar (Winter, Spring, Summer), plus Season Finals as the year-end championship.
• 2024: Iterations on the same three-split + Season Final model.
• 2025: Both LEC splits used Bo3 round-robins into Bo5 Playoffs. Spring featured a single 10-team table, while Summer consisted of two groups of five.
• 2026: Winter replaced by LEC Versus. Spring and Summer retain the Bo3 regular season into a Bo5 Playoffs format.

FAQs

What is LEC Versus?

LEC Versus is a 12-team invitational replacing Winter, featuring 10 LEC partners plus 2 ERL invites (EMEA Masters Summer champions + 1 consistency invite).

What are the key LEC 2026 changes vs Winter 2025?

The LEC 2026 changes replace Winter with Versus, simplify the season arc, and form the route for ERL teams.

What is the LEC 2026 Spring and Summer Format?

Both LEC Spring 2026 and LEC Summer 2026 run a single round-robin of Bo3s into Bo5 Playoffs for the top six teams.

Are Roadtrips back for LEC 2026?

Yes. LEC Roadtrips return with more cities and larger activations across EMEA. You can expect details and tickets posted closer to the dates.

Where can I watch LEC 2026?

Official broadcasts are centralized on LoL Esports, with stream distribution to Twitch and YouTube in multiple languages and sanctioned co-streams during LEC 2026 and Roadtrips.