LEC Versus replaces Winter Split

As confirmed in October, the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) Winter Split will make room for LEC Versus, a new experimental tournament that kicks off the 2026 season.

Set to begin on January 17, LEC Versus replaces LEC Winter but will serve the same purpose as the opening split of the year. The tournament will run until March 1 and introduce an exciting spin on the format, featuring two ERL teams competing alongside the 10 franchised squads for a spot at First Stand.

The two invited ERL teams are Karmine Corp Blue and Los Ratones. They’ll be joined by returning names in G2 Esports, Fnatic, Karmine Corp, Movistar KOI, GIANTX, SK Gaming, Team Vitality, Natus Vincere, Team Heretics, and Shifters (formerly Team BDS).

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While billed as an experiment, LEC Versus is also a trial run for a potential new long-term structure for the European League of Legends system, creating opportunities for ERL teams to compete at the highest level.

Despite the big changes, LEC Versus will retain some similarities to LEC Winter. The competition will be split into two parts: the regular season and the playoffs, with all matches played at the Riot Games Arena in Berlin, Germany.

The regular season will see all 12 teams placed into a single round-robin group, playing best-of-one matches. Each team will play 11 games, with the top eight squads qualifying for the playoffs.

LEC Versus playoffs will use a double-elimination format, with all matches played as best-of-three, except for the semifinals and grand final, which are best-of-five. The Fearless Draft rule will be applied to all playoff series.

The winner of LEC Versus will secure the lone LEC invite for the second iteration of First Stand, which will feature an expanded field. First Stand 2026 will see LoL Pro League (LPL) and LoL Champions Korea (LCK) send two representatives each, while LEC, LoL Championship Pacific (LCP), Campeonato Brasileiro de League of Legends (CBLOL), and LoL Championship Series (LCS) will each send one.

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LEC will be the fourth major region to start its 2026 season, kicking off alongside CBLOL Cup on January 17. Meanwhile, LoL Pro League will be the first to open its doors on January 12.