Here’s everything you need to know about the rebranded LJL following its merger with other minor regions for 2025.
Image Credit: PLAYBRAIN
LJL 2025 – a new ecosystem
Hosted and managed by PLAYBRAIN, the new LJL will become a Tier 2 national league in the Asia-Pacific region under the League of Legends Championship Pacific (LCP).
With that in mind, the Japanese League will have a new format, transitioning from a closed league to an open one, allowing new talents and teams to be part of the competition. A new identity will also debut to align it with the new ecosystem, with ‘REFORGE AS ONE’ as the slogan.
The New Format
The LJL will now consist of three regular tournaments: LJL FORGE, LJL STORM, and LJL IGNITE, with the LJL Finals being the last competition to determine the champions.
Each tournament will consist of an Open Qualifier, a Main Stage, and a Knockout Stage. Teams will earn championship points based on their ranking in each regular tournament, with the top six heading to the LJL FINALS in July and August. The LJL 2025 champions will then qualify for the League of Legends Championship Pacific promotion/relegation tournament, giving the winning team a chance to enter the Tier 1 competitions and gain access to international tournaments such as MSI and Worlds.
How Open Qualifiers will work
The new system will give up to 64 teams the chance to compete in the LJL tournament as the top teams from get access to the main stage.
Schedule
- LJL Forge – mid-January to early March
- LJL Storm – mid-March to early May
- LJL Ignite – mid-May to mid-June
- LJL Finals – late July to late August
Further information on the structure of each tournament will be made available at a later date. The conditions for teams to participate and how to apply will be announced around the end of November 2024.