After an incredible 2024 season which saw T1 become back-to-back champions, it’s time for us to look ahead to 2025. A big overhaul is coming to LoL esports and it will completely reshape the competitive scene for the years to come. Here’s what you need to know before the year ends.
Image Credit: Riot Games
LoL Ecosystem in 2025 – Core Changes
The entire LoL ecosystem will undergo big changes to enhance competitiveness while also guaranteeing better sustainability and fan engagement. Aside from merging several regional leagues into bigger and more competitive tournaments, each one will use a three-split structure, with one international tournament at the end of each split.
The new international regional tournament will be featured following the end of the first split, further increasing cross regional competitions. Additionally, we will finally see the implementation of Fearless Draft, as Riot has finally decided to take a twist with its champion select format and adding one additional layer of strategy for teams.
New International Tournament – First Stand
Taking place in March 2025 in South Korea, First Stand will see the regional champions from the first split square off using the newly-introduced Fearless Draft system.
International tournaments Location and Schedule:
- First Stand – South Korea, March 2025
- MSI – Canada, July 2025
- Worlds – China, October 2025
Unified Three-Split Structure across all regional leagues
Starting next year, the five leagues will each have three splits, with playoffs to qualify for each international tournament (First Stand, MSI, and Worlds). With the consolidation of several regional leagues, the number of teams in tier-one has gone from 80 to 61.
Image Credit: Riot Games
Regional League Updates & Mergers
LCK – League of Legends Champions Korea
- The new LCK Cup— a kickoff tournament that will see the winner take part in the First Stand. It will use the “Hard Fearless Draft”, where champions can only be picked once by either team during the series. The LCK 2025 season will no longer have Spring and Summer split but instead it will become one big season, with mid-season playoffs before MSI and end-of-season playoffs before Worlds
LPL – League of Legends Professional League
- Winter, Spring, Summer are introduced with a reduction of participating teams from 17 to 16. New Fearless Draft system to be tried in winter, with format still to be confirmed.
League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC)
- Maintains 3-split system with revamped playoff structures. Winter Split to feature new Fearless draft mode with more Bo3 series compared to 2024.
LTA – League of Legends Championship of The Americas
- LCS (North America), CBLOL (Brazil), and LLA (Latin America) have merged into a single super-league, divided into two conferences: North & South, each hosting 8 teams (6 partners + 2 qualifiers/guest teams).
LCP – League of Legends Championship Pacific
- Unifying PCS, VCS, and LJL into one single region league. New hybrid model featuring 4 partner teams and 4 relegation slots. Based on season results, the weakest guest teams will have to compete in the relegation tournament, facing the leaders of regional leagues (VCS, LJL, PCS, and OCE).
Image Credit: Riot Games
Minor and Tier 2 Leagues get new formats as well
ERLs – European Regional Leagues
- The 3-split structure to match LEC is introduced, with Fearless Draft implemented. Tournament organizers (TOs) will get to choose tournament formats and structure with more freedom.
Americas League – Tier 2 Scene
- North Conference & South Conference introduced: North America Challengers League (NACL) and the Liga Regional Norte (LRN) & Circuito Desafiante (CD) and the Liga Regional Sur (LRS). The best teams from Split 2 Playoffs will qualify for the Tier 1 Promotion Tournament, facing Tier 1 teams that have the guest slot for a chance to enter the LTA.
Asia-Pacific (LCP) Tier 2 Scene
- Based on season results, the top teams will compete against guest teams from the LCP for a chance to enter the major league. Chance of adding teams from other SEA countries (Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia)
How do these changes impact LoL Esports betting?
One of biggest benefactors of the format and calendar changes will be those seeking to play around with LoL betting, Fantasy Leagues, and/or Pick’Ems.
First up, a consolidated ecosystem will minimize the unpredictability in LoL odds making and match outcomes we had in some of the lower quality leagues. Additionally, an added extra international event will give us access to more opportunities both for betting and fantasy play and a longer competitive calendar for League esports as a whole. Furthermore, you can expect to have LoL betting markets from January until late November with very little downtime during the summer holidays.
Overall, we are looking at a mature and well regulated esport ecosystem that should become a nice addition for parlays and combo bets during 2025.