LPL - LPL Split 2 2026

LPL Split 2 2026

Overview

The LPL Split 2 2026 is the second split of the 2026 League of Legends Pro League (LPL) season, China's premier professional League of Legends competition. Organized by TJ Sports, a joint venture between Riot Games and Tencent, the event serves as an S-Tier regional tournament featuring 14 teams competing for a prize pool of ¥2,800,000 CNY (approximately $410,368 USD as of April 28, 2026). Held offline across multiple venues in China, including the Shanghai League Arena (primary venue in Shanghai, CN), Suzhou Yangcheng International Esports Center (Suzhou, CN), Shenzhen LongGang BuJi Cultural & Sports Center (Shenzhen, CN), Xi'an Qujiang Esports Center (Xi'an, CN), Beijing JD Esports Center (Beijing, CN), and Puyuan Fashion Resort (Tongxiang, CN), the split runs from April 4, 2026, to approximately early June 2026 (with regular season ending around May 17 per some sources). Top performers qualify for the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), the second major international event of the year. Official website for the organizer: https://www.tjsports.com/. LPL official site: https://lpl.qq.com/.

History

The LPL, established in 2013 as China's top League of Legends league, transitioned from traditional Spring and Summer splits to a three-split format (Split 1, Split 2, Split 3) starting in 2025, aligning with global esports calendar changes for more frequent international qualification opportunities. LPL Split 2 emerged as the second installment in this structure, first held in 2025. The 2026 season reduced participating teams from 16 to 14 after FunPlus Phoenix and Royal Never Give Up departed, introducing a championship points system where split wins grant significant points (e.g., 110 for first place in Split 2). Format evolutions include group divisions based on prior split performance (Ascend for top teams, Nirvana for lower seeds), Fearless Draft (champions banned after use in a series), and a Knights Rivals play-in stage. Split 2 2026 follows Split 1 (won by Bilibili Gaming on March 8, 2026), with roster changes like ZUIAN joining Top Esports (April 1, 2026) and multiple transfers in late March 2026.

Format

The tournament features 14 teams divided into two groups based on LPL Split 1 results: Group Ascend (top 8: Top Esports, Bilibili Gaming, JD Gaming, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Anyone's Legend, Invictus Gaming, Weibo Gaming, Team WE) plays a Double Round-Robin (Bo3 matches with Fearless Draft); Group Nirvana (bottom 6: ThunderTalk Gaming, LGD Gaming, LNG Esports, Ultra Prime, EDward Gaming, Oh My God) plays a Single Round-Robin (Bo3). Top 4 from Ascend advance directly to Knockout Stage playoffs; bottom 4 from Ascend and top 4 from Nirvana enter Knights Rivals (8-team single-elimination Bo5 with Fearless Draft, 4 winners advance); bottom 2 from Nirvana are eliminated from the 2026 LPL season. Playoffs are an 8-team Double Elimination bracket (Bo5, Fearless Draft), with Upper Bracket Quarterfinals opponent selection by top Ascend teams. Tiebreakers: Series Wins, Game Difference, Head-to-Head. As of April 28, 2026 (Week 5 ongoing), Group Ascend leaders: Top Esports (6-1 series, 12-2 games), Bilibili Gaming (6-2); Group Nirvana: ThunderTalk Gaming (2-0).

Prize distribution (¥ CNY / ≈USD): 1st: ¥1,300,000 / $190,528 (110 points, MSI qual.); 2nd: ¥700,000 / $102,592 (80 pts); 3rd: ¥300,000 / $43,968 (50 pts, Split 3 qual.); 4th: ¥200,000 / $29,312 (30 pts, Split 3); 5th-6th: ¥150,000 / $21,984 each (15 pts, Split 3); 7th-8th: 10 pts (Split 3 qual.); 9th-12th: TBD pts (Split 3); 13th-14th: TBD.

Notable Editions

As the second year of the Split 2 format, editions are limited. The inaugural LPL Split 2 2025 was won by Anyone's Legend, who defeated Bilibili Gaming 3-1 in the Grand Finals, securing international qualification amid high-stakes playoffs. Split 2 2026 stands out for its reduced team count and refined group system, with early dominance by Split 1 champions Bilibili Gaming and Top Esports. Notable performances include Top Esports' 6-game win streak, Team WE's 0-7 skid (0-14 games), and upsets like Invictus Gaming's Week 1 2-0 over TES. Weekly MVPs: Bin, Tian, knight, Viper, ON (Weeks 1-3). Patch 26.7; top champions: Gnar (75% WR), Bard (66.67%). 79 games played by Week 4 (avg. duration 32:10, 27 kills/game).

Past Champions

Viewership & Impact

Specific viewership for Split 2 2026 is tracked on platforms like Escharts, but detailed peaks as of April 28 remain unavailable amid ongoing matches (e.g., Week 5 live on April 28). LPL splits consistently draw massive Chinese audiences, with prior LPL 2026 Split 1 peaking at 251.6k viewers and historical highs over millions of hours watched; English streams on YouTube (LPL English channel) attract global fans. Broadcast partners include official Tencent streams (https://lpl.qq.com/es/live.shtml) and community casters. As China's flagship league under Tencent/Riot, LPL Split 2 holds immense prestige, producing Worlds/MSI contenders and influencing global meta with aggressive playstyles. It unlocks additional Worlds slots via MSI performance and drives esports growth in China (56/72 players Chinese, 14 Korean).