Riot Video games has introduced new codecs for the LEC 2026 season, which is able to see Los Ratones compete in Winter.
The brand new LEC Versus occasion replaces the Winter Cut up and briefly expands the league to 12 groups with visitor slots.
These visitor groups can have the prospect to compete with the LEC groups for EMEA’s sole slot at First Stand.
That is even if Karmine Corp proprietor Kameto claims LEC groups didn’t comply with letting ERL groups compete.
The brand new Winter Format
Riot has confirmed Los Ratones’ participation in LEC Versus 2026 and the way the visitor slots are determined.
One slot goes to probably the most constant EMEA Masters staff from the earlier 12 months.
That is already confirmed as Los Ratones, Marc ‘Caedrel’ Lamont’s staff, after profitable EMEA Masters Winter and Spring.
The second LEC Versus visitor slot is then given to the EMEA Masters Summer time 2025 Champions.
This implies both Karmine Corp or Workforce Heretics can have two groups in LEC Versus with the EMEA Masters last set.
Riot has confirmed LEC secondary groups can compete in Versus, so both KCorp Blue or Los Heretics will qualify.
KCorp Blue embarrassed Los Ratones 3-0 and eradicated them from EMEA Masters within the NLC’s champions’ first best-of-five loss.
The format for LEC Versus will see the 12 groups compete in opposition to each different staff as soon as in a Finest-of-One.
The highest eight will then advance to the Playoffs, a double-elimination bracket with Rounds 1 and a pair of performed as Finest-of-Threes, and all remaining matches as Finest-of-Fives.
Then the eventual champion will face the opposite Winter regional champions at First Stand.
LEC Spring and Summer time Cut up codecs
Along with the LEC Versus announcement, Riot has additionally confirmed the LEC Spring and Summer time 2026 codecs.
It has been confirmed that the visitor ERL groups is not going to compete in Spring or Summer time, regardless of how they carry out.
The 2025 LEC Summer time format was controversial for having an absence of video games.
Navi jungler Francisco ‘Thayger’ Mazo Sánchez was eradicated from the LEC after simply three sequence.
To deal with this, Riot has introduced that Spring and Summer time 2026 can have the precise format.
Each will observe the earlier Spring 2025 format.
This implies the ten LEC groups will compete in a Single Spherical Robin of best-of-threes to resolve the highest six groups.
The highest six will then compete in best-of-fives within the Playoffs to resolve break up champions in addition to MSI and Worlds individuals.
Riot claims this duplicated format will make scheduling simpler and can permit for extra Roadtrips.
The announcement teased that there will likely be extra Roadtrips and so they’ll be ‘enhanced’, however no additional particulars had been shared.
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