Asia Invitational: New League of Legends tournament announced

Riot Games have unveiled the League of Legends Asia Invitational 2025, an all-new international competition bringing together top Eastern teams that narrowly missed out on the LoL World Championship.

Scheduled for October 6–12, 2025, the event promises high-stakes action just days before Worlds kicks off.

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Tournament overview

The Asia Invitational will feature eight teams drawn from the strongest leagues in the region:

• League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK): Fifth to seventh seeds (BNK FEARX, Nongshim RedForce, plus either T1 or Dplus KIA depending on playoff results).
• League of Legends Pro League (LPL): Fifth to seventh seeds (teams depend on Stage 3 results).
• League of Legends Championship Pacific (LCP): Fourth and fifth seeds, with GAM Esports and Vikings Esports confirmed.

All matches will be held online and broadcast on Huya, Douyu, and Bilibili.

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Format & schedule

Group Stage (October 6–9)

• Two groups of four (2 LCK, 1 LPL, 1 LCP in Group A; 2 LPL, 1 LCK, 1 LCP in Group B)
• Best-of-three, single round-robin
• The top two teams from each group advance

Playoffs (October 10–12)

• Double-elimination bracket
• Best-of-three series, with a best-of-five grand final

The tournament offers a US$210,000 prize pool, giving these squads a lucrative opportunity before their off-season.

Why it matters

The Asia Invitational fills a rare gap on the competitive calendar, offering elite teams that fell just short of LoL Worlds a chance to keep competing on an international stage.

For fans, it’s an ideal warm-up before the Play-In phase of Worlds 2025, which begins October 14.

With household names like EDward Gaming, GAM Esports, and Nongshim RedForce expected to battle it out, the inaugural event sets the stage for an exciting new tradition in League of Legends esports.