Riot Unveils Plans for LEC Through 2026

Riot Games has unveiled exciting details about LEC Versus, the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) EMEA Invitational, set to kick off the 2026 season.

Launching on January 17, 2026, LEC Versus will showcase a new 12-team tournament featuring all 10 LEC teams, including Shifters (formerly Team BDS), FNATIC, G2 Esports, Team Heretics, GIANTX, SK Gaming, Karmine Corp, Team Vitality, Natus Vincere, and Movistar KOI, along with ERL guest teams Los Ratones and Karmine Corp Blue.

In this format, each of the 12 teams will compete against every other team in a single round robin of best-of-ones. The top eight teams will then advance to a double-elimination playoff bracket, with early rounds played as best-of-threes and later rounds as best-of-fives.

The champion will secure the EMEA slot at First Stand.

All matches will start at 17:00 CET and will be held live at the Riot Games Arena in Berlin. Match schedules will be available on the official esports site.

Tickets for the first four weeks will go on sale on December 17. Playoff tickets will be released in batches throughout January, beginning with Upper Bracket Round 1 tickets available on January 5, followed by additional releases on January 12. More ticket information can be found on the official ticketing site.