Massive changes coming to the LEC in 2023: Rebranded to EMEA, Winter Split added
Likely one of the biggest overhauls to League of Legends' competitive scene in Europe, previously known as the LEC, are set to change in 2023. A new split will be added dubbed the Winter Split. Previous "wild-card regions" like Turkey and the CIS, will be integrated into the newly formed League of Legends EMEA Championship.
Starting in 2023, the LEC will be rebranded to the League of Legends EMEA Championship, or LoL EMEA. The EMEA encompasses Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, with Riot's goal including more regions under one umbrella to compete. Now, the EMEA merges four regions into one: Europe (formerly LEC), MENA (Middle East and Africa), Commonwealth of Independent States, or CIS (LoL Continental League), and Turkey (Turkiye Championship League).
New regions means more teams, and more teams open the gates for huge format changes. Amazingly, a Winter Split will now be added, along with the LEC Season Finals. The Winter Split and Spring Split will take place prior to the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI). The Summer Split and LEC Season Finals will take place after MSI, but before Worlds.
Each of the three splits above are divided into three stages: regular season, group stage, and playoffs. The regular season consists of the ten participating teams in a single round-robin format, played in best of ones.
Eight teams advance to the Group stage, where the format shifts to the coveted double-elimination, played in best of threes.
Onward to playoffs, where only four teams will remain, playing in best of fives. The winning team of the playoffs are crowned as the split champions.
Six teams compete in the LEC Season Finals, with the champions of the Winter, Spring, and Summer split automatically locking in a spot in the LEC Season Finals. The remaining three spots are determined based off Champion Points. In a situation where three unique teams do not win each of the three splits (which is likely), it's assumed Champion Points will determine the remaining spots, although it's unclear.
Credit: Riot Games
This has been perhaps the biggest shakeup seen in any league for League of Legends esports. Bringing in new avenues for players to compete, especially from regions that went largely unrepresented globally, 2023's EMEA is a must-watch.
MASSIVE RE-HAUL
Starting in 2023, the LEC will be rebranded to the League of Legends EMEA Championship, or LoL EMEA. The EMEA encompasses Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, with Riot's goal including more regions under one umbrella to compete. Now, the EMEA merges four regions into one: Europe (formerly LEC), MENA (Middle East and Africa), Commonwealth of Independent States, or CIS (LoL Continental League), and Turkey (Turkiye Championship League).
New regions means more teams, and more teams open the gates for huge format changes. Amazingly, a Winter Split will now be added, along with the LEC Season Finals. The Winter Split and Spring Split will take place prior to the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI). The Summer Split and LEC Season Finals will take place after MSI, but before Worlds.
| SPLIT/EVENT | 2023 SCHEDULE |
| Winter Split | January - February |
| Spring Split | March - April |
| Summer Split | June - July |
| LEC Season Finals | August - September |
FORMAT BREAKDOWN
Each of the three splits above are divided into three stages: regular season, group stage, and playoffs. The regular season consists of the ten participating teams in a single round-robin format, played in best of ones.
Eight teams advance to the Group stage, where the format shifts to the coveted double-elimination, played in best of threes.
Onward to playoffs, where only four teams will remain, playing in best of fives. The winning team of the playoffs are crowned as the split champions.
Six teams compete in the LEC Season Finals, with the champions of the Winter, Spring, and Summer split automatically locking in a spot in the LEC Season Finals. The remaining three spots are determined based off Champion Points. In a situation where three unique teams do not win each of the three splits (which is likely), it's assumed Champion Points will determine the remaining spots, although it's unclear.
Credit: Riot GamesThis has been perhaps the biggest shakeup seen in any league for League of Legends esports. Bringing in new avenues for players to compete, especially from regions that went largely unrepresented globally, 2023's EMEA is a must-watch.