Riot Games today revealed new plans for League of Legends Esports (LoL Esports) in Europe and Middle East and Africa (EMEA), marking the start of the second decade of its existence and an exciting new chapter in its history. The plans include key changes to the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) and the merging of Europe, Türkiye, CIS, and Middle East and Africa (MENA) to become a single competitive region: EMEA.
Through these changes to the ecosystem, LoL Esports aspires to become the future of sports in EMEA and to enhance the level of competition in the region. It will give more players from all corners of the region a path to EMEA Masters (EM) and the opportunity to showcase their talent to teams in the LEC. It will also present fans across EMEA with even greater opportunities to watch elite level competition and look to unite fans across EMEA through their love of the sport.
“Over the past decade, our team has worked tirelessly to create an industry-leading esports ecosystem. Today, we’re excited to reveal our plan for the next decade of LoL Esports in EMEA and the changes we’re bringing to the LEC and wider ecosystem to continue offering a best-in-class experience to our players”, said Maximilian Peter Schmidt, Director, League of Legends Esports, EMEA. “We’re focused on offering our players the best competition possible. These changes will further enhance the opportunities for professional and aspiring LoL players in the region, giving them more avenues to reach the elite level of competition in EMEA.”
The key changes to the LEC and wider ecosystem from 2023 include:
LEC
EMEA Ecosystem and ERLs
“Over the last decade, our EMEA region has been in a constant state of evolution, from the transformation of the EU LCS to the LEC, and the establishment of the most robust developmental ecosystem across the sport to today, as we expand the footprint of the region,” said Naz Aletaha, Global Head of League of Legends Esports. “As we plan for the future of LoL Esports, we’re dedicated to building on top of the foundation we laid in our first decade, growing the overall competitive landscape to a meaningful, multi-tiered ecosystem and maintaining the upward trajectory for many years to come.”
For further details about the next chapter of LoL Esports in EMEA, please see: https://lolemea.com/
