| 2026 LCP season | |
|---|---|
| League | LCP |
| Sport | League of Legends |
| Duration |
|
| Teams | 8 |
| Split 1 | |
| Split 2 | |
| Split 3 | |
The 2026 LCP season is the upcoming second season of the League of Legends Championship Pacific (LCP), an Asia-Pacific esports league for the video game League of Legends by developer Riot Games and tournament organizer Carry International. It will consist of eight teams participating in three splits, with each split qualifying teams to three international tournaments. The season will begin on 16 January
Starting in 2026, the LCP will utilize the championship points system in determining the second team to qualify for the Mid-Season Invitational and the third team to qualify for the League of Legends World Championship. [1] [2]
Unlike the league's inaugural season where the first few playoff series were best-of-threes, all playoff matches in 2026 will be contested in best-of-five series. Side selection during the first game of each series will now be decided by a duos match as opposed to one-on-one solo matches from the previous season. [1]
Three team changes occurred heading into the 2026 season. Chiefs Esports Club of Australia, one of the guest teams that participated in the 2025 LCP season, was relegated after losing to Deep Cross Gaming of Taiwan from the Pacific Championship Series (PCS) in the finals of the league's promotion and relegation free-for-all bracket. [3] MGN Vikings Esports of Vietnam retained its spot in the league after beating Saigon Dino of the Vietnam Championship Series (VCS) in the regional merit match. [4] Prior to the start of the 2026 season, the team rebranded as MVK Esports.
On 18 November 2025, Riot Games announced that PSG Talon of Taiwan, one of the four LCP partners, was removed from the league, with Riot citing financial issues as the main reason why they were removed. This came after reports surfaced of the organization failing to pay their players and staff in a timely manner. Talon noted in a statement that these issues came from funding delays stemming from their most recent financing round. [5] On 22 December, Riot Games announced that Ground Zero Gaming of Taiwan (formerly of Australia) would replace PSG Talon in the LCP for 2026 as a guest team, with Ground Zero required to field a roster from the PCS region. [6]
Five guest teams will compete in the 2026 season – Deep Cross Gaming and Ground Zero Gaming from Taiwan, Secret Whales and MVK Esports from Vietnam, and DetonatioN FocusMe from Japan. The two bottom-ranked teams at the conclusion of the third split will compete in a promotion and relegation tournament against the top teams from the Tier 2 leagues (currently consisting of the PCS, VCS, LJL and a "Wild Card" spot) based on their location.
Split 1 will feature all eight (8) teams competing in a single-round robin tournament where all matches will be played in best-of-threes, with the top six (6) teams qualifying for the playoffs. The playoffs will be a hybrid double elimination bracket with best-of-five matches, with the winner of Split 1 qualifying to represent the league as its lone representative at the 2026 First Stand Tournament. [7] [2]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PCT | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CTBC Flying Oyster | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | Playoffs |
| 2 | Deep Cross Gaming | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 3 | DetonatioN FocusMe | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 4 | GAM Esports | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 5 | Ground Zero Gaming | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 6 | MVK Esports | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 7 | Secret Whales | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | Eliminated |
| 8 | SoftBank Hawks | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Similar to Split 1, Split 2 will have the same eight (8) teams competing in a single-round robin tournament where all matches will be played in best-of-threes. The top six (6) teams qualifying for the playoffs, applying a hybrid double-elimination bracket as with Split 1. All playoff matches will be played in best-of-fives, with the winner of Split 2 qualifying for the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational as the region's first seed. The second team to qualify for MSI 2025 from the LCP will be the team with the most number of championship points at the end of Split 2, and will be the region's second seed. [7] [8] Playoff seeding principles remain unclear. [2]
If an LCP team wins the 2026 First Stand Tournament, both of its representatives at MSI will have a bye to the bracket stage.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PCT | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CTBC Flying Oyster | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | Playoffs |
| 2 | Deep Cross Gaming | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 3 | DetonatioN FocusMe | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 4 | GAM Esports | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 5 | Ground Zero Gaming | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 6 | MVK Esports | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 7 | Secret Whales | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | Eliminated |
| 8 | SoftBank Hawks | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
The third split will follow a Swiss stage format consisting of best-of-three matches for the first two rounds and the 1-1 bracket, and best-of-five matches for qualification and elimination series. The teams that win three matches first will secure their spot in the playoffs, but seeding will be determined by a series of best-of-five seeding matches.
In between the 2-1 and 1-2 brackets, the team that lost in the 2-0 match will face the team that won in the 0-2 match. The outcome of the said series will have an impact in the final swiss stage round and in the seeding matches for the playoffs, with the following scenarios: [8]
The playoffs will be a double-elimination format, with all matches played in best-of-fives. The finalists of Split 3 will qualify for the 2026 League of Legends World Championship, with the Season Champion earning the first seed. The team that had the most number of championship points at the end of the season will also earn their spot in the tournament as the third seed. [8] If an LCP team finishes as a finalist at the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational, a fourth slot will be unlocked for the league.
For the first round of the swiss stage, the top four (4) teams from the previous split will be drawn against the bottom four (4) teams. Teams with the same win-loss record will be drawn against each other in subsequent rounds, but teams are not allowed to play each other twice unless no other option is available. [8]