Rumor: LCS Move To Single Split Format, Three Full Game Days a Week

With the LCS struggling at Worlds 2020, it looks like they're taking action to improve competitiveness in the region.

According to Travis Gafford, it appears the LCS is about to make some big changes heading into the 2021 season. The most notable of these rumored changes is that the Spring and Summer Split will be merging into a single season.

This brings up a few problems, ones that the LCS seems to have figured out. The first issue is that MSI would be affected, so the LCS will host a “Spring Finals” event that will see the top six sides at a given point in the season compete. The winner of said event will then, we assume, be the side that represents the LCS at MSI.

This change will also include a move to a full three day full schedule of matches. Travis claims this will mean each day (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) will feature a full set of five matches. The net gain here will see sides play each other five times a season, up from four times currently. This is also likely to be why the LCS is looking to sell exclusive broadcast rights to a streaming platform.

The last major change will see the introduction of a pre-season event that will act as a pre-season friendly tournament. Effectively making pre-season scrims public, and giving teams a chance to test out rosters and make changes.

Lastly, it looks like the LCS is trying to blur the line between Academy and amateur league. This is likely to attempt to tap into the talent at the lower levels, similar to what we see in Europe. This will also likely mean that other LCS sides follow 100 Thieves and their 100 Thieves Next amateur team.