LEC 2026 Plans Teased Amidst Winter Split Drama

Significant structural revisions are being considered by Riot Games for LEC 2026, potentially leading to the cancellation of the Winter Split. Instead, a new Kickoff Tournament featuring 12 teams might be introduced, where two ERL teams could have the opportunity to compete directly against LEC teams, according to information from Sheep Esports.

Sources from the outlet suggest that the proposed tournament would encompass all ten LEC teams and two ERL teams as guests.

The best-performing EMEA Masters team of the year and the upcoming EMEA Masters Summer champions could become the regional league representatives. Los Ratones have already secured an ERL spot due to their performance this year.

The champion of this Kickoff tournament could then move on to The First Stand 2026, which is expected to be the first international event of the year held by Riot. This could theoretically allow an ERL team to make their first appearance on a global stage.

There has been no official announcement, and details regarding the league’s competitive format remain unclear. Currently, the only confirmed details appear to be the return of the Spring and Summer Splits featuring the ten franchise teams.

According to Sheep Esports, teams participating in the EMEA Masters have not yet been formally informed of these potential changes. It also remains uncertain how Riot intends to address situations involving academy teams of LEC organizations, such as Karmine Corp Blue, Vitality.Bee, GIANTX Pride, or Los Heretics.

To secure their participation in the LEC, each of the ten franchised teams has reportedly invested more than €30 million. Newcomers like KC and NAVI are also included in this figure, while ERL teams would neither be required to nor desire to make such an investment.

However, they could be afforded the same opportunities as franchised teams, including regional audience and international spots. Some individuals within the community believe this dynamic could potentially compromise the investments made by established organizations to participate in the LEC.

For the moment, Riot is not speaking publicly on the matter, leaving the matter open to speculation.

Although the Sheep Esports report has generated much discussion, public statements from Riot’s leadership have been more optimistic. In an interview with Esports Insider at the 2025 LEC Finals in Madrid—almost a week before the Sheep Esports report—Commissioner Artem Bykov addressed both Fearless Draft and the general direction of the league in 2026.

Bykov said early responses to Fearless Draft had been “pretty good,” noting that both fans and players “appreciate the depth that the draft provides.” He mentioned that any final decision regarding its return the following year would require close coordination with other regional leagues and Riot’s global esports team.

Bykov suggested that there might be structural changes to the LEC competitive format, but he did not provide specifics. “We are looking to increase the number of matches. We listened very closely to the feedback from the fans and the teams, and I think we have something very exciting planned for next year,” he stated.

The LEC Commissioner recognised the frustration that the repeated changes in 2025 had caused and implied that Riot intended to achieve greater stability moving forward. Bykov also emphasized the collaborative nature of the format decisions.

“Format is a very complex topic and it takes a village to work on this,” Bykov added. “We are consulting very closely with the team staff of the pro teams. I just don’t want to push anybody under the bus (by talking about the format), I want to keep this moment special for when we release the news and we can celebrate it together.”

The report has already elicited significant reactions throughout the industry and community.
Kamel “Kameto” Kebir, the Founder and CEO of Karmine Corp, said on his stream that all LEC organizations opposed the changes and that Riot’s initial plan was “much worse” than the current version.

Many community members have voiced similar concerns that granting ERL teams a direct path to the Kickoff Tournament could undermine the extensive investments made by franchised organizations, which have spent substantial sums to secure their positions, while ERL teams are only required to perform well to qualify.

Other people have made more cautious arguments, pointing out that the current format might lead to problems in subsequent seasons if ERL teams like Los Ratones were to dominate or if rules were altered to guarantee their continued participation.

Simultaneously, a large segment of the community has welcomed the possibility of ERL teams being able to compete with LEC organizations.

Former LEC champion Luka “Perkz” Perković also expressed his dissatisfaction, claiming that Riot is more interested in short-term income. “Riot does not care about esports nor its long-term profitability — they care about selling as many skins as possible that pro players and clubs advertise daily across the globe.”

Nevertheless, not everyone in the scene was critical. Some community personalities have emphasized the potential benefits of the format, considering it as a long-awaited chance to resolve “what if” situations where top ERL teams compete against LEC teams.

Georgia “Troubleinc” Paras, a content creator, stated that fans have desired this matchup for years, comparing it to the buzz surrounding KC Academy and, more recently, Los Ratones. Likewise, those who support the rumored change have suggested that providing ERL teams with an opportunity could encourage investment in regional teams.

As it currently stands, Riot has neither verified the changes reported by Sheep Esports nor responded to the community’s complaints. At stake is the current structure of the LEC Winter Split, as well as what could be the LEC’s most ambitious restructuring in many years.