Riot Games Unveils 2026 LCS Season Format
Riot Games has announced the format for the 2026 League Championship Series (LCS) season, marking the return of the LCS branding to North American League of Legends after a year under the LTA branding.
Season Kickoff and Structure
The 2026 season will begin on January 24th with the LCS Lock-In event. The first split will feature a best-of-three Swiss stage, where the top five teams automatically advance to the playoffs.
- Teams finishing sixth and seventh will face off in a tie-breaker for the final playoff spot.
- The top four teams will advance to the upper playoff bracket, with the first seed choosing their initial opponents from seeds two through four.
- The remaining two teams will enter the lower bracket.
LCS Commissioner Mark Zimmerman stated the first split "will have 50% more games than 2025."
International Qualification and Spring Split
The winning team from the first split will secure a spot in First Stand, the year's initial international tournament.
LCS Spring 2026 will open with a best-of-three round robin group stage, deciding the six teams advancing to the playoffs. The Spring playoffs will mirror the Lock-In format with four teams in the upper bracket and two in the lower bracket.
Summary
This revamped 2026 format increases matches and competition intensity, emphasizing strategic seeding and playoff positioning to enhance the LCS experience.