Riot Games Announces 2026 League of Legends Esports Schedule
Riot Games revealed new details on Friday about its 2026 international esports calendar, accompanied by a new cinematic developed with longtime partner Fortiche. The announcement includes host cities, tournament formats, and viewership milestones for next year’s competitive season.
Viewership Milestone at Worlds 2025 Play-Ins
Riot Games reported that the Worlds 2025 Play-Ins reached a new peak in popularity. The match between T1 and Invictus Gaming became the most-watched Play-Ins game in the event's history. Although exact numbers were not shared, the publisher described this milestone as evidence of enduring global interest in League of Legends esports.
2026 Major Events and Formats
Stand Tournament in São Paulo
The first major event of 2026 will be the Stand Tournament, taking place from March 16 to 22 at the Riot Games Arena in São Paulo, Brazil. This competition will feature two double-elimination groups that advance into a single-elimination knockout stage. Every match will be best-of-five, a format Riot believes preserves competitive integrity throughout the bracket.
Mid-Season Invitational in Korea
Next year’s Mid-Season Invitational will be held in Daejeon, South Korea. Eleven teams will compete, starting with a Play-In Stage that advances one team to a double-elimination Bracket Stage. Riot explained that this format aims to offer emerging regions a clearer path while ensuring that top-seeded teams face strong challenges.
Riot Games said Worlds 2025 Play-Ins reached a new peak, with the T1 vs. Invictus Gaming matchup becoming the most-watched Play-Ins match in the event’s history.
Riot said the format is designed to give emerging regions a clearer path while ensuring top-seeded teams face rigorous competition.
Summary
Riot Games’ 2026 schedule balances competitive integrity and inclusivity, highlighting growing global interest and evolving tournament formats.