In 2026, the LCS makes its comeback with a new mission focused on bigger fan experiences, cross-regional competition, and roadshows.
The League Championship Series (LCS) is returning in 2026 with a new format and many new experiences for the fans. Leaving the League of Legends Championship of The Americas (LTA) behind, the LCS promises to bring a standalone league ready to level up.
LCS teams
The LCS is coming back with a new face to the game: Sentinels. After 100 Thieves left the scene, Sentinels joined the league. In 2025, Team Liquid won the first Stage, while FlyQuest took home the remaining two trophies of the year.
Rosters
| Lanes | SEN | C9 | FLY | SIG | DSG | LYON | SR | TL |
| Top | Impact | Thanatos | Gakgos | Photon | Castle | Zamudo | Fudge | Morgan |
| Jungle | HamBak | Blaber | Gryffinn | eXyu | KryRa | Inspired | Contractz | Josedeodo |
| Mid | DARKWINGS | APA | Quad | Palafox | Callme | Saint | Zinie | Quid |
| Bot | Rahel | Zven | Massu | FBI | Sajed | Berserker | Bvoy | Yeon |
| Support | huhi | Vulcan | Cryogen | Ignar | Lyonz | Isles | Ceos | CoreJJ |
LCS 2026: New format
Lock-In Tournament (Stage 1)
The 2026 LCS Season will be structured across three Splits. For the first time since 2022, the LCS and the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) will operate in identical formats, making it easier for fans in the West to follow their favorite teams and players.
The stage opens on Jan. 24 with three weeks of best-of-three (Bo3) Swiss play before moving into a top-six, double-elimination, best-of-five (Bo5) bracket. The 3-0 team selects the upper-bracket opponent, while the 0-3 team is eliminated from the tournament. One 1-2 team will advance based on game record, and the remaining two play a tiebreaker for the final slot.
This new change brings 50% more games, something that fans have been demanding for a while. The Grand Finals will be held in the Riot Games Arena in Los Angeles on March 1.
Spring Split (Stage 2)
The Split Spring starts on April 4 and features a Bo3 round-robin that leads into a top-six playoff bracket. It mirrors the Lck-In structure with a double-elimination format. The Grand Finals are happening on June 14. Only two teams will qualify for the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2026 in Daejeon, South Korea.
Summer Split (Stage 3)
As for the last regional tournament of the year, the Summer Split will kick off on July 25. The Summer Split closes 2026 with a Bo3 round-robin feeding into a top-six playoff bracket. However, this split will bring back the 2024 Summer bracket, featuring an expanded lower-bracket gauntlet. Only the region’s strongest teams will rise to the top.
The top three teams will qualify for the League of Legends Worlds Championship (LoL Worlds), to be held in their home region, North America. The Play-Ins, Swiss Stage, and Playoffs will be played in Allen, Texas, while the Grand Finals will happen in New York.
More LCS road shows in 2026
The road shows have been successful in many leagues that have chosen to implement them in 2025. In 2026, Riot Games is bringing more of the LCS out of Los Angeles. To make it possible, the team will rebalance operations by having some of the new days in the FaceOff studio, while only having in-person show days by three across the year.
“The FaceOff stage will be used to redirect resources toward regional events,” Riot explained. “Opening Weekends and Playoffs will remain live in front of audiences in Los Angeles, but the broader goal is to bring the LCS to fans in more cities, more often.” There is still no information on when the first road show will happen. We will be waiting for more updates.
LCS vs. CBLOL: The rivalry is back in 2026
Despite competing within the same LTA structure, the LCS and the Circuit Brazilian League of Legends (CBLOL) preserved one of the fiercest rivalries in the Americas. To keep this rivalry alive, both leagues will clash in the new Americas Cup. The tournament will take place one week before First Stand, the year’s first international event, which will be hosted in São Paulo, Brazil.
It will be a five-day-long event, with the first round of matches in the upper bracket being Bo3. All the remaining matches will be Bo5. The prize will be bootcamps. Yes, it sounds weird, but that’s what’s happening in the Americas Cup.
After the 2025 bootcamp’s success, Riot Games wants to bring them back. Riot will provide fully funded bootcamps in South Korea during MSI for the third-place LCS team from Split 2, the second and third-place teams from CBLOL, and the winner of the Americas Cup.
When a team secures qualification through both MSI and Spring placement, its league earns the additional bootcamp slot. Up to four LCS teams might be training in South Korea during the MSI 2026.
LTA Fantasy app update
In 2026, the LTA Fantasy app will be updated and split regionally for the LCS and CBLOL. The now LCS Fantasy app will be “morphed into a comprehensive hub featuring schedules, standings, content, and fantasy integration in one place,” Riot Games explained. The app is getting system improvements and will also introduce achievements. You can check it out on Jan. 19.
That’s all for now. Stick around for more League of Legends news, guides, and updates on esports.gg.