What is League of Legends Esports – A Brief Guide to LoL Esports
| Tags: League of Legends
| Author David Hollingsworth
What is League of Legends Esports, that's the questions we hope to answer today.
League of Legends (LoL) Esports has grown into a complex, global ecosystem, featuring elite organizations and players from around the world. This vibrant network is structured into regional leagues that foster top-tier competition and support rising talent through academy and amateur leagues.
Contents
What is LoL Esports?
LoL Esports consists of regional leagues where the world's best esports organizations and players compete. The scene includes four major regions and several minor ones, each supported by developmental tiers like Academy leagues, where emerging players hone their skills. Most teams have a core of five players, a substitute, and coaching staff, often including a head coach, analyst, and sometimes specialized role coaches.
Which Regions Compete in LoL Esports?
LoL Esports spans four major regions—Europe (LEC), South Korea (LCK), China (LPL), and North America (LCS)—along with ten minor regions, including Brazil (CBLOL), Vietnam (VCS), and Japan (LJL). Each region supports its league structure; for instance, North America features an Academy league tied to each LCS team. Europe has numerous regional leagues for countries like Germany, France, and Spain, supporting competitive play across its diverse player base.
How Do Players Compete in LoL?
In addition to organized leagues, LoL includes in-game events like “Clash,” where players can form teams with friends to compete in structured tournaments, bridging casual and competitive play for a complete esports experience.
How Frequently is LoL Esports Played?
In Europe (LEC), LoL Esports operates with three splits per season: Spring, Summer, and Winter. These splits include a Mid-Season Invitational between them and culminate in the Worlds event at season’s end. For 2025 a new third event will also take place. During the regular season, European matches are held twice weekly—on Fridays and Saturdays—with five matches per day, allowing each team to play twice per weekend. Seasons span ten weeks, leading into playoffs that determine the split champion.
The LCS (North America) has a slightly different approach, moving toward a single-season structure for 2025. Big changes are coming to the League's pro scene. In June's Dev Update video, the President of Riot Esports John Needham and Head of Strategy Chris Greeley dropped the news of a big regional overhaul.
In the Esports section of the video, Needham stated the next phase of their plans for LoL Esports; a unified split format, a third annual championship, and more consolidated structures for APAC and the Americas.
Where Can I Watch LoL Esports?
LoL Esports offers various viewing options, particularly in Korea and China, where regional streaming services are popular. However, the most comprehensive platform to watch all professional LoL Esports matches is the official site, lolesports.com.
David has written for games media outlets for the last ten years. With his first major esports role being with Esports News UK covering mostly UK League of Legends. David is also a member of the British Esports Association and is an advisor to them on World of Warcraft Esports. More recently David has worked for Esports Insider and Red Bull as an esports journalist.
David later became Editor at ESTNN and now leads the current team.