League of Legends esports revamp to massively boost fan experience and financial sustainability

In 2025, Riot Games’ League of Legends esports competitive ecosystem is set to undergo several significant changes to enhance the competitive scene and improve the experience for fans and professional players while creating a more financially sustainable structure for participating organizations. The new proposed ecosystem for the next season (2025) will see fewer teams and a consolidation of leagues, going from eight to five.

One of the biggest changes being made will affect fans of the League of Legends Championship Series whose league will be renamed to the new Americas League. This league will see a North and South Conference with the North Conference featuring only six of the former LCS teams, meaning two will depart. Those teams have yet to be announced.

Some of the changes being made by Riot include,

• New International Event & Fearless Draft Mode.
• New Split Structure will see three splits.
• Multi-Regional Leagues in Americas and Asia-Pacific (APAC) with promotion and relegation.
• International Event Slots.

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New International Event & Fearless Draft Mode

A new third international event will be introduced, providing more opportunities for global competition. This event will jump-start the 2025 season, with regional tournaments deciding which teams will advance to the international round in March. During this new event, the winner from each region will compete in a round-robin format with each regional winner playing each other which will see the top four teams enter a knockout stage, culminating in the crowning of a champion.

League of Legends esports revamp introduces new international event alongside MSI and Worlds (Image via Riot Games)

A major change is the introduction of the "Fearless Draft" mode for best-of series in regional and international rounds. This mode bans champions picked in previous games of a series, creating more diverse and perhaps unpredictable matchups. This is a significant shift from the traditional draft format and means that players will have to be skillful in more than one champion.

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New Split Structure Will See Three Splits

New for the next season, the competitive year will be divided into three splits, one more than the previous years. The first split will coincide with the new international event. The second split will determine qualifications for the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), which will now be held in July. The third split will lead to regional championships, deciding the season-long champions in each region.

Riot told Sportskeeda that this structure's aim is to make the season more cohesive, raising the stakes for regular-season matches and building up excitement toward the World Championship (Worlds).

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Multi-Regional Leagues in Americas and Asia-Pacific (APAC) with promotion and relegation

In the Americas, a new pan-Americas league will take shape, combining the North American LCS and the Brazilian CBLOL into North and South conferences. Each conference will comprise eight teams, including one team from the Latin American LLA and one “Guest Team” slot for promotion and relegation.

This structure looks to stoke cross-regional competition and fresh talent infusion through a promotion/relegation system. The goal here is to capitalize on regional strengths, grow fan bases, and improve competitive play while enhancing the pathway to professional play.

League of Legends World 2023 venue (Photo by Liu YiCun || Riot Games)

In APAC, a new league will be formed, bringing together top teams from Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao, Japan, Oceania, and Southeast Asia. This league will showcase regular inter-regional competitions with diverse matchups while possibly creating new rivalries. The league will initially feature eight teams and a hybrid partnership where a promotion/relegation model will also be implemented.

The results of the 2024 PCS and VCS Summer Split Playoffs will determine the first lineup of guest teams. In future seasons, guest teams will have the opportunity to be promoted from their respective domestic leagues.

International Event Slots

With the shift to five total regions (Americas, LEC, LCK, LPL, and APAC), the distribution of berths at international events will be re-evaluated. Each region will have one slot at the new international event, two slots at MSI, and three slots at Worlds.

The MSI champion and the second best-performing region will earn additional Worlds slots, bringing the total number of teams at Worlds to 17. The Play-Ins at Worlds 2025 will be a single best-of-five match, with the winner advancing to the Swiss stage with the other 15 qualified teams.