It's time for the 2026 Season 1 Guide Contest! Create or update guides during the following 5 weeks to compete for the $3,750 prize pool. 🏆
It's time for the 2026 Season 1 Guide Contest! Create or update guides during the following 5 weeks to compete for the $3,750 prize pool. 🏆
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The 2026 season has arrived and represents a fresh beginning for League of Legends esports, shaped by new formats, financial changes and a stronger focus on long-term sustainability.
As the 2026 season gets underway, League of Legends Esports enters one of its most ambitious years to date. Following an eventful 2025 the upcoming competitive year carries a clear sense of renewal.
The regional leagues begin in January, with the LCK and LPL starting on January 14, followed shortly by the LEC and CBLOL on January 17. For the first time in quite a while, the season opens in an almost fully synchronized manner across the world. This makes the opening weeks especially significant, as team form and the evolving meta are immediately tested under real competitive pressure.
The Regional Split, running from January 12 to March 8, serves as the foundation of the season revealing teams’ true levels. Players must adapt quickly to new patches, while coaching staffs are forced to make early decisions without the ability to hide structural weaknesses. For viewers following LoL Esport on paf.com, this phase offers an ideal opportunity to identify which teams have the potential to grow and which risk falling behind from the very start.
In March, attention turns to São Paulo, Brazil, where the global tournament First Stand makes its return. Eight teams from the world’s strongest regions compete in matches played exclusively in Bo5 series. With the Fearless Draft format, the tournament encourages greater variation and opens the door to more creative tactical approaches. The stakes are further raised by the fact that results directly impact seeding for the Mid-Season Invitational.
Following First Stand, the season continues with the Mid-Season Invitational, which in 2026 will be hosted in Daejeon, South Korea. Later in the year, everything builds toward Worlds 2026, which returns to North America. The early playoff rounds will be held in Texas, before the World Championship Final takes place in New York.
One of the most significant updates for 2026 is the introduction of First Selection, a system designed to give teams greater strategic freedom. Instead of automatically choosing sides, teams now decide whether they want side selection or first pick in the draft. The goal is to reduce structural advantages and ensure that preparation and skill play a greater role in determining outcomes.
At the same time, Riot Games is implementing a major financial restructuring. Regional prize pools are being removed in several leagues, with resources reallocated to strengthen the long-term stability of the esports ecosystem. International tournaments such as MSI and Worlds will continue to feature prize pools, ensuring they remain the undisputed highlights of the competitive calendar.
The 2026 season defines a clear direction for the future of League of Legends esports. For everyone involved, it means an intense start to the year and a promise of an esport that continues to evolve and move forward.
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