Riot Games and the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) has announced a new competition in early 2026 with the launch of LEC Versus, The EMEA Invitational, a 12-team tournament scheduled to begin on Jan. 17.
Revealed today (Dec. 16) by release, LEC Versus will feature all 10 LEC teams alongside two guest teams from the EMEA Regional Leagues (ERLs), Los Ratones and Karmine Corp Blue. The two ERL representatives will compete in the tournament as invited participants, marking a rare opportunity for non-LEC teams to face the region’s top-tier competition in an official LEC event.
LEC Versus will operate independently from the standard LEC season structure, with its own branding, trophy, and competitive format. The tournament will also serve as a qualifier, with the winner earning EMEA’s sole spot at the international First Stand event.
The competition will begin with a single round-robin stage, running from January 17 across four weeks. All 12 teams will play each other once in best-of-one matches, resulting in a total of 66 games. Each match day will feature six games, reportedly the highest number scheduled in a single broadcast day to date.
The participating teams. Image Credit: LEC
According to tournament organizers, the best-of-one format was selected to ensure that the two ERL teams have the opportunity to play against every LEC team within the limited timeframe ahead of First Stand. Teams entering the event with new rosters will be tested early, as standings will be determined by a single game against each opponent. At the conclusion of the round-robin stage, the top eight teams will advance to the playoffs.
The playoff stage will use a double-elimination bracket. Rounds 1 and 2 will be played as best-of-three series, while all subsequent matches will be best-of-five. The eventual champion will qualify directly for First Stand as EMEA’s representative.
Riot Games also announced that HyperX will serve as the official peripherals partner for the event. The partnership will cover gaming equipment used during the tournament, continuing HyperX’s involvement in professional League of Legends esports.
It’s notable that despite stating that Los Ratones will not be competing in ERLs in 2026, the team will still represent the league for this event. Los Ratones also represented Europe at Red Bull League of its Own on Nov. 29.
Event Schedule. Image Credit: LEC
All matches will be held at the Riot Games Arena, with match days starting at 17:00 CET throughout both the group stage and playoffs.
Tickets for the round-robin stage (Weeks 1–4) will go on sale on Dec. 17 (tomorrow) at 18:00 CET, priced at €15 per day. Playoff tickets will be released in January, beginning with Upper Bracket Round 1 on January 5, followed by additional ticket batches on Jan. 12.
The event will be available to watch both in person and through official broadcast channels. The tournament represents the first major competitive event of the 2026 LEC calendar and introduces a new format aimed at increasing interaction between LEC and ERL teams.
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Featured Image Credit: LEC
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