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Earlier this week, Riot announced that it is piloting new ways to bring the League of Legends LEC to fans locally, but could we see an LEC 2025 event in the UK?
Riot said in the initial announcement: “By working closely with LEC teams, we’re taking the LEC on the road, and hosting a very limited number of Spring Split matches [outside of the usual Berlin studio] in local countries at a venue of the participating teams’ choice.
“The pilot project will see 1-2 local LEC events held next season, with further details set to be revealed in 2025. We’re also committed to evaluating the concept throughout the year, to assess expanding this further in the future.”
Summer will also play host to the separate LEC roadshow, which will now take place at the end of the Summer Split, with the location and venue set to be revealed early next year.
As Riot mentions working closely with LEC teams, what about the two UK-based LEC teams – Fnatic and GiantX – whose headquarters are in London.
We reached out to GiantX and Fnatic to discuss with them, and while we haven’t yet received official on-record comment, there is clearly the appetite there from both teams to get involved in some way. The LEC 2025 format shift (more on that in the section below) gives more planning time to teams to allow for a potential event.
However, budget will also present challenges, and unlocking that budget, whether it’s from Riot Games or wherever, may present a hurdle.
There’s of course also Karmine Corp, who have their own arena and have held several events in France already. Plus, Mad Lions Koi (to be known as Koi in 2025) and GiantX have fanbases in Spain that may also make sense to Riot.
Regardless, we asked Riot at the Worlds 2024 media day ahead of the grand final about the potential for an LEC 2025 UK event, saying that we’ve had MSI and Worlds, but that we’re greedy and want more!
Chris Greeley, Global Head of League of Legends Esports at Riot Games, told Esports News UK: “I want to be careful how I answer this because the entire LEC team are sitting up in the balcony here, and I don’t want anything to come flying over the side at me (laughs).
“Generally all of our regional teams and the LEC team specifically are constantly looking at what markets make the most sense in any given year to give a roadshow to. And that’s based on fanbase, the last time we were there and a number of other business pieces that fit together.
“I know the team has been actively looking across Europe including London and the UK in general to bring events to.”
Chris Greeley, Riot Games
“I don’t think there are any specific plans they’re ready to announce, or ready for me to announce, in their stead. But they’re constantly looking at those possibilities.
“It’s a very non-answer answer, but it’s a really solid maybe!”
LEC 2025 season changes include limited number of Spring Split matches in different countries
As we’ve mentioned, some Spring Split matches will take place outside of the usual Berlin studio.
But what about the other changes for the LEC next year?
The LEC will have three splits in 2025, with a fearless draft in winter, more best-of-threes in the spring and summer.
Each split will crown an LEC champion and offer qualification for the new international LoL tournament: First Stand, which will run from March 10th to 16th at LoL Park in South Korea.
The LEC roadshow will take place during the Summer Split, and almost all matches will be played on the latest patch.
Championship Points and Season Finals have also been removed.
That’s the TLDR – there’s more in Riot’s full article below:
G2 won the LEC Season Finals earlier this year, and exited Worlds 2024 with fellow EU teams Fnatic and Mad Lions Koi in the swiss stage.
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Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
