Riot Games has officially unveiled League of Legends Game Changers (LGC), a new competitive initiative designed to nurture and spotlight women competitors across the EMEA region. Building upon the success and inspiration from the established VALORANT Game Changers circuit, Riot is looking to create an inclusive, sustainable, and competitive environment for female League of Legends players.
The initiative begins with the inaugural tournament, LGC Rising, launching this August. The event will culminate in a live Grand Final on stage at Paris Games Week in October—one of Europe’s premier gaming expos—highlighting Riot’s ambitious plans and commitment to expanding the women’s competitive ecosystem.
LGC Rising will initially feature compact formats to ensure controlled growth, setting a strong foundation for future expansion. Riot confirmed the competition will blend direct invitations and open qualifiers, inviting top-performing teams from existing regional tournaments like Germany’s Equal Esports Cup and organizations affiliated with League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) franchises.
The competition begins with eight teams divided into two groups, competing in best-of-one matches. Top teams advance to a high-stakes, double-elimination playoff bracket featuring best-of-five series, concluding at Paris Games Week.
Further details and updates will be available via Riot’s official esports platforms.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly attributed a quote to former Riot employee Tom Martell. The quote and attribution were mistakenly included and have been removed for accuracy.