LCS Undergoes Major Format Changes for 2021
In the coming year, the League of Legends Championship Series will be overhauling its competitive structure with the introduction of LCS Lock In, Mid-Season Showdown, and the LCS Championship starting January 15, 2020.
Format of the incoming LCS Lock In. (Source: Riot Games)
North America will be starting the year off with the LCS Lock In, a three-week kick-off tournament featuring a single round robin and a $150,000 grand prize. The tournament will run from January 15 to 31 and is held so teams can show off at the start of the season.
The LCS Lock In will then be followed by the regular season Spring Split from February 5 to March 14, 2020. The regular season will be streaming across Friday to Sunday with five games being broadcasted each day. Summer split will then continue once again on June 4 to August 1, 2020 with a triple Round Robin format over nine weeks of play.
Format for the incoming Mid-Season Showdown. (Source: Riot Games)
As the Mid-Season Invitational closes, the Mid-Season Showdown will determine who represents the region at the year’s first international tournament. The qualifying tournament will have the top six teams from Spring compete in a double-elimination bracket.
Format for the incoming LCS Championship. (Source: Riot Games)
Lastly, the LCS Championship, held from August 7 to 29, will be the tournament to decide which teams qualify for Worlds 2021. Teams are seeded into a double-elimination format based on their performance from Spring and Summer. The LCS Championship will feature an inverted format and improved rulings such as side selection favoring teams in the upper bracket.
The format changes come as North America failed to qualify out of the Group Stage in Worlds 2020. Watch the tournaments live at LoL Esports, Twitch, and YouTube.
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