Riot Games announced changes to its League of Legends EMEA Masters for the 2025 competitive season including content creators and veterans joining EMEA Regional Leagues (ERLs), and more. The news is part of the league’s tweaks and changes to improve tier-2 LoL esports in 2025, as part of its overhaul of the entire global league.
To align with the three ranked in-game seasons and the LEC’s three split model, the Tier 2 ecosystem will move to a three-split format in 2025, with plans to host three EM tournaments this year. Riot says that these EM events will “increase in size as the season progresses.” Details on specific content creators and pros joining the tier-2 leagues was not revealed at press time.
Changes to EMEA Masters in 2025 include:
- EMEA Masters will feature three events in 2025 – Winter, Spring, and Summer.
- Winter to feature Fearless Draft.
- Winter and Spring will feature a GLS Group Stage.
- Events will evolve and grow in size as the season progresses.
- Regional protection in early rounds will “guarantee” cross-regional match-ups.
EMEA Masters Winter will feature the region’s top 16 teams invited to compete, with Fearless Draft as the format. Each ERL’s Winter champion, as well as three additional second seeds, will take part.
EMEA Masters Spring will see 32 teams competing in regionally protected groups, competing in best-of-threes in order to advance to the Playoffs. EM Spring Playoffs will be double the size of Winter, as 16 teams compete in pure best-of-fives in a single elimination bracket. Lose a series and you’re eliminated.
EMEA Masters Summer features 16 teams competing in a region-protected Group Stage (four groups of four teams) in a best-of-three to reach the LCQ finals where the winners will face off in a best-of-five to decide four group winners who will then qualify for the next stage. The Swiss Stage will see 32 teams compete in a gauntlet of matches and series against teams with equal records from outside of their own regions to reach the Playoffs. For the final stage, region protection will be removed, with the top 16 teams battling in best-of-fives through the single elimination bracket Playoffs, to ultimately crown the Summer’s EMEA champions.
Thirteen EMEA Regional Leagues competing for spots in this year’s regional events:
- France – La Ligue Française (LFL)
- Turkey – Turkish Championship League (TCL)
- Germany, Austria, Switzerland – Prime League (PRM)
- Spain – Superliga (SL)
- Poland and Baltics – Rift Legends: Polish Championship (RL)
- UK and Nordics – Northern League of Legends Championship (NLC)
- Italy – League of Legends Italian Tournament (LIT)
- Middle East and Northern Africa – Arabian League (AL)
- Greece and Cyprus – Hellenic League of Legends Championship (HLL)
- Portugal – Liga Portuguesa (LPLOL)
- Czech Republic and Slovakia – Hitpoint Masters (HM)
- Balkans – Esports Balkan League (EBL)
- BeNeLux – Road of Legends (ROL)
The Winter Masters kicks off March 17. More details about this new format for LEC’s EMEA can be found here.