The League of Legends pro scene is expanding once again in 2025.
One of the most popular e-sports in the world, League of Legends has had two major international tournaments for the past 10 years.
Riot Games, the company behind the multiplayer online battle arena, is expanding the pro scene to include a third tournament. The newest addition will be the first of three and hold the least importance compared to the Mid-Season Invitational and World Championship.
As a result of the new international event, each domestic league will adjust to a three-split season rather than the typical two-split. This will allow leagues to crown three champions per year, paving the way for simple qualification for the international tournaments.
While this is mostly an expansion, there are multiple domestic leagues combining in 2025. This will make for five total national leagues across the world.
The Sporting News explains why Riot Games is going forth with these changes and what to expect starting in 2025.
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Why is League of Legends adding a third international tournament?
League of Legends has its greatest successes during its international tournaments, most notably the World Championship. The best teams from each region travel to a host country to compete in a live, in-person tournament.
Fans have the opportunity to buy tickets to watch at the arena or stream the games online, sometimes watching at odd hours depending where the tournament takes place.
It seemed like a no-brainer for Riot Games to add a third international tournament considering how much fans enjoy the competitive atmosphere of MSI and the World Championship.
"Players, teams, and fans have been telling us they want more tournaments featuring competition between the best teams in the world, so we’re happy to find time in the calendar to add one," League of Legends e-sports said in a statement.
The new tournament does not have a name yet, but it will begin in 2025. It will consist of the top team from each of the five major domestic leagues after the first split. Each of the five teams will play in a round-robin before the top four advance to a bracket stage.
The event is expected to take place in March.
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What is the League of Legends split format?
League of Legends will switch to a three-split structure from the original two-split format. The LEC had previously used three splits, so it will not change.
Each split is considered a season in which a champion is crowned and a trophy is raised. The winner of the split moves on to the corresponding international tournament.
| Split | Tournament | Invitees |
| Split 1 | New international event | 5 (1 per region) |
| Split 2 | Mid-Season Invitational | 10 (2 per region) |
| Split 3 | World Championship | 17 (3 per region, 1 MSI winner, 1 MSI runner-up's region) |
While all splits count the same in terms of domestic championships, the third split has the most stakes with a ticket to the World Championship on the line.
The World Championship is held in the fall of each year and is the most coveted trophy in the League of Legends professional scene.
Why did Riot Games combine multiple leagues?
Riot Games consolidated League of Legends e-sports to just five major leagues. The LEC (Europe), LCK (Korea), and LPL (China) remain intact.
The LCS (North America), LLA (Latin America), and CBLOL (Brazil) are combined to form the Americas League. It will be divided into north and south conferences. The VCS (Vietnam), PCS (Southeast Asia), LJL (Japan), and LCO (Oceania) are forming the APAC league.
Riot Games opted for the change to create a greater opportunity for more competition for fans, teams, and players. These leagues were often seen as much weaker than the LEC, LCK, and LPL, so this gives more incentive to watch.