Riot Games Reveals 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 brand.
Season Start and Overview
The 2026 season will kick off on January 24th with the LCS Lock-In event. Changes and continuations to formats were introduced in a video by LCS Commissioner Mark Zimmerman.
Split One Structure
- Features a best-of-three Swiss stage.
- The top five teams directly qualify for the playoffs.
- Teams placing sixth and seventh play a tie-breaker for the final playoff spot.
- Playoffs begin with four teams in the upper bracket.
- The top seed selects their first opponent from seeds two to four.
- Two remaining teams compete from the lower bracket.
Zimmerman noted that the first split will “have 50% more games than 2025.”
The winning team of split one will qualify for First Stand, the year's first international tournament.
Spring Split Format
- Begins with a best-of-three round robin group stage.
- The top six teams advance to the playoffs.
- Spring playoffs use the same format as the Lock-In, with four teams starting in the upper bracket and two in the lower bracket.
Summary
The 2026 LCS season brings expanded game formats with revamped Swiss stages and playoff structures, enhancing competition and viewership experience.