Highlights
- Riot Games introduces the full schedule of LEC Versus 2026, with a 12-team invitational blending LEC partners and ERL squads.
- The event features single round robins, double-elimination playoffs, and a place in the First Stand Tournament on the line.
- Riot confirms HyperX as official partner, with matches hosted in Berlin and ticket sales starting Dec 17, 2025.
Riot Games, Inc. has unveiled the complete schedule and new partnership announcement of LEC Versus Primer, the new kickoff event for the 2026 League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) season, set to begin Jan 17, 2026, at the Riot Games Arena in Berlin. The event will kick off with single round robin on Jan 17, with two guests from the EMEA Regional League (ERL), Los Ratones and Karmine Corp Blue, competing in the 12-team format.
After four rounds of best-of-one (BO1) robin and Playoffs, the finale is scheduled for Mar 1, 2026. The LEC Versus tournament will replace the Winter Split, integrating 12 teams, including all 10 LEC partner organizations, as well as two invited EMEA Regional League (ERL) squads.
In tandem with the full schedule reveal, Riot confirmed a commercial partnership with HyperX as the official peripherals sponsor for LEC Versus. A HyperX spokesperson emphasized, “this partnership pairs HyperX’s high-performance gaming gear with the best in competitive League of Legends play, setting the stage for an electrifying start to the year,” while underscoring the significance of the deal.
LEC Versus Format and Schedule
During the Robins, six matches will be scheduled per day, allowing the ERL teams to compete against every LEC partner team. There are four Single Round Robin scheduled, with the first one from Jan 17-19, the second one on Jan 24-26, third on Jan 31-Feb 2, and lastly Feb 7-8 for the last Robin round.
The top eight teams from this initial phase advance to a double-elimination playoff bracket, starting from Feb 16, 2026. The Playoffs are divided into the Upper Bracket and Lower Bracket. Rounds one and two will be played as best-of-three (BO3), and the rest will be in best-of-five (BO5) format. The Upper Bracket Playoffs are scheduled on Feb 16-17, Feb 20, and Feb 23. Lower Bracket Playoffs will start on Feb 21, with the Round four culminating on Feb 28.
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Apart from the ERL teams, the field includes the ten partnered LEC organizations, including Fnatic, G2 Esports, Team Vitality, SK Gaming, GIANTX, and Natus Vincere. The winner earns a qualification slot to the First Stand Tournament in Brazil.
The LEC Versus starts at 17:00 CET, on Jan 17, 2026, with ticketing for weeks one to four starting from Dec 17, 2025, at 18:00 CET, on Riot’s website. In January, playoff tickets will be available in batches. The Upper Bracket Round 1 will go on sale on Jan 5, and more tickets will go on sale on Jan 12.
LEC Versus follows the new format overhaul after the feedback on the 2025 season’s structure, which featured multiple differing split formats and limited opportunities for non-franchise talent to compete at the top level. LEC Versus is intended to address those concerns by blending established franchised teams with ERL competitors in a single invitational ahead of traditional Spring and Summer splits.
The tournament positions itself as a pivotal narrative driver for the 2026 League of Legends esports calendar in Europe as Riot Games continues to refine its competitive landscape.
