League of Legends
GameBy Riot Games · Released Oct 27, 2009
Documents about League of Legends
First Details on Esports World Cup 2026
The Esports World Cup Foundation has released initial details regarding the 2026 Esports World Cup, a multi-week global competition scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 6 to August 23, 2026.
- The 2026 Esports World Cup will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 6 to August 23, featuring a total prize pool of $75 million USD.
- The event will host over 2,000 players and 200 clubs from more than 100 countries competing across 25 tournaments and 24 different game titles.
- The Club Championship prize pool has been increased to $30 million, with the winning club set to receive $7 million.
MadHouse TV to Broadcast Brazilian League of Legends Championship Competitions
MadHouse TV, a Brazil-based content creation entity formed through a partnership between the Podpah Group and FURIA, has secured the broadcasting rights for the Brazilian League of Legends Championship (CBLOL).
- MadHouse TV has secured the broadcasting rights for the 2026 Brazilian League of Legends Championship (CBLOL).
- The channel's debut coverage of the 2026 CBLOL season is scheduled to begin on January 17, 2026, at 1 p.m. local time.
- MadHouse TV is a collaborative content creation project established between the Podpah Group and FURIA, which officially launched in March 2025.
Top Esports Games of 2025
The 2025 esports landscape was defined by stability among the top five titles, even as the industry navigated circuit restructurings and evolving broadcast formats.
- League of Legends remained the global leader in 2025 with 735.5 million Hours Watched, supported by strong international events and expanded co-streaming.
- Counter-Strike secured the second position with a 33% year-over-year increase in Hours Watched, driven by tournament format changes and competitive innovation.
- The top five esports titles remained identical to 2024, signaling a consolidated industry hierarchy despite broader circuit restructurings.
Important Dates for the 2026 League of Legends Esports Season
Riot Games has announced the official schedule and structural updates for the 2026 League of Legends esports season, which spans major competitive regions including the United States, Brazil, South Korea, China, the Asia-Pacific region, and Europe.
- The 2026 League of Legends World Championship will be held in North America, with early stages at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen, Texas, and the final hosted in New York City.
- The 'First Stand' tournament, featuring eight teams from global leagues, is scheduled for March 16–22, 2026, at the Riot Games Arena in São Paulo, Brazil.
- Regional league play begins in January 2026: LCK and LPL start January 14, LCP on January 16, LEC and CBLOL on January 17, and the LCS on January 24.
LPL Set to Shrink to 14 Teams for 2026
China’s League of Legends Pro League (LPL) is undergoing a significant structural contraction, reducing its roster from 16 to 14 teams for the 2026 season.
- China’s League of Legends Pro League (LPL) will reduce its roster from 16 to 14 teams for the 2026 season.
- FunPlus Phoenix (FPX) has officially exited the league following TJ Sports' repurchase of their franchise slot, effective January 1, 2026.
- Royal Never Give Up (RNG) is expected to be absent from the 2026 season lineup, though league operator TJ Sports has not issued a formal statement regarding their status.
G2 Partners With NORD Esports for Tier-2 LoL Competition
Berlin-based esports organization G2 has entered into a strategic partnership with NORD Esports to launch a new League of Legends team, G2 NORD.
- G2 Esports has partnered with NORD Esports to launch a new League of Legends team, G2 NORD, to compete in the DACH EMEA Regional League (ERL) Prime League.
- The partnership aims to establish a high-performance academy environment to develop young talent and create a clear 'path to pro' for players.
- Insurance firm LVM Versicherung has joined the project as a founding partner for the G2 NORD team.
Friendly Fire Plans Expansion Into the United States
Friendly Fire, a Croatia-based gaming cafe operator, has announced plans to enter the United States market, targeting Texas and Florida for its initial franchise locations.
- Croatia-based gaming cafe operator Friendly Fire is expanding into the United States, with initial franchise plans targeting Texas and Florida.
- The company recently strengthened its leadership by adding retired League of Legends professional player Luka “Perkz” Perkovic to its ownership group in December 2025.
- Opening a Friendly Fire franchise requires an investment between $218,400 and $390,685, which includes a $49,500 franchise fee for a 1,500-square-foot facility with approximately 50 gaming stations.
🚨📢 BREAKING NEWS: OpenAI Becomes a Platform, AI Eats Consoles, Netflix Goes All-In
The gaming industry is currently undergoing a significant structural shift driven by the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence, which is simultaneously creating new platform opportunities and disrupting hardware supply chains.
- Global RAM prices have surged by 200% due to AI-driven demand, forcing manufacturers to prioritize AI inventory over consumer hardware.
- Valve discontinued its entry-level Steam Deck model as a direct response to rising memory component costs and tightening hardware margins.
- OpenAI is positioning ChatGPT as a new distribution platform by launching an app directory that allows developers to integrate games directly into AI conversations.
Most Valuable Esports Tournaments of 2025: Media Value Ranking
The 2025 media value landscape for professional gaming reveals that commercial success is increasingly decoupled from raw peak viewership, favoring long-form engagement and regional monetization strength.
- The 2025 LCK League of Legends season is the most valuable tournament, generating over $71 million in estimated media value.
- Commercial value in esports is shifting away from transient peak viewership toward long-form engagement and consistent, high-frequency broadcast schedules.
- Regional league structures currently outperform prestigious global championships in financial utility due to their sustained presence in premium advertising markets.
Fastest-Growing Esports Games of 2025
The global esports landscape underwent a significant transformation in 2025, characterized by the successful integration of new competitive titles and the strategic revitalization of established legacy franchises.
- Honor of Kings achieved the highest year-over-year growth in total hours watched among the top twenty esports titles in 2025, cementing its leadership in the mobile sector.
- The 2025 esports landscape was defined by a shift toward mobile-first titles and the revitalization of legacy franchises like Clash Royale and Clash of Clans through consistent ecosystem updates.
- New competitive titles, most notably Marvel Rivals, successfully integrated into the market by leveraging existing player bases and transitioning standalone modes into independent esports.
Dignitas Partners With LANForge
The Los Angeles-based esports organization Dignitas has entered into a strategic partnership with gaming PC manufacturer LANForge.
- Esports organization Dignitas has entered into a partnership with gaming PC manufacturer LANForge, though the financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
- Under the agreement, LANForge will supply high-end gaming PCs to Dignitas players, as well as to the organization's broadcast and content teams.
- The partnership includes collaborative marketing efforts, with LANForge branding to be featured on Dignitas team jerseys and promoted across social media channels.
LEC Versus: EMEA Invitational Details
Riot Games has announced the structure and schedule for the LEC Versus 2026, the inaugural event of the League of Legends EMEA Championship season.
- Riot Games will launch the 2026 League of Legends EMEA season with a new 12-team tournament called LEC Versus, beginning January 17, 2026.
- The tournament features all 10 standard LEC teams alongside two ERL guest teams, Los Ratones and Karmine Corp Blue.
- The competition format consists of a single round-robin of best-of-one matches, followed by a double-elimination playoff bracket for the top eight teams.
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