Riot Games Unveils ERL Reforms: New Formats, 2nd Division, Less Imports, Co-Streams, Budget Cuts...

As the 2025 season nears, Riot Games is preparing to reveal upcoming changes to the EMEA Regional Leagues. With many concerns about the scene's sustainability and future over the past few months, the company is now reversing some of the changes made during the previous three-year license cycle and heading in a new, more modest direction. Here's what you need to know about the upcoming changes:

While some upcoming changes may seem concerning, it's important to consider the current state of the scene. After years of decline, the EMEA Masters and its regional leagues have faced numerous challenges, including a significant loss in viewership and rising team turnover. With more competitions and the rumored introduction of a three-split format, it's not surprising that Riot Games is now aiming to move in a direction that allows greater flexibility for organizers and teams to cut costs and adopt more sustainable practices.

Co-streams have become the dominant way to watch competitions, notably boosting LEC viewership this year and international viewership at Worlds 2024. Given this, it's no surprise that Riot Games is giving creators more freedom to cover and promote regional leagues, especially with Los Ratones entering the ecosystem.

Additionally, a return to giving organizers more freedom to shape their formats, number of teams, and potentially reduce import numbers should be seen as a net positive, as the previous introduction of accredited and non-accredited statuses, along with enforced format standardization, was a major point of criticism in 2022.

If there's one takeaway from these changes, it's that Riot Games aims to replicate the success of co-streaming in the LEC, creating a better product with larger fanbases, while reducing financial costs and addressing the alarming turnover currently affecting the ecosystem. All signs point to these changes having a good impact on the EMEA region, but many worries remain.

Despite some positive changes, it’s understandable to have reservations and concerns about the upcoming 2025 season. With numerous factors changing all at once, Riot Games is taking a major gamble heading into the next three-year ERL license cycle. Among the most concerning changes are the removal of the obligation to host second divisions, the shift toward co-streaming, and the ability to reduce the quality and quantity of official broadcasts—all of which signal a potential blow to the current ecosystem.

With organizers potentially moving away from hosting lower tiers of competition, many young talents and aspiring pro players will find their path to the big leagues stifled, with fewer avenues to prove themselves. While the LFL will maintain its second division, the recent success story of Kamil "Kamiloo" Haudegond, who is set to join Team Heretics in the LEC directly from the LFL 2nd Division, serves as a strong argument for keeping these lower tiers. Although players outside the big leagues were already encouraged to focus solely on solo queue before playing in the lower levels of ERLs, this change will only deepen the divide and reduce opportunities for new talent to emerge.

The shift toward co-streaming could also prove to be a double-edged sword. While co-streaming boosts short-term viewership, it may also reduce opportunities for grassroots casters and broadcast talents to emerge. With regional leagues likely cutting back on official broadcasts and professional coverage, many aspiring talents may struggle to break into the scene. Without grassroots casting, figures like Maurits "Chronicler" Jan Meeusen, who started in the Benelux, or Aaron "Medic" Chamberlain and Andrew "Vedius" Day, who came from the UK scene, might never have reached the heights they have today. These are just a few examples among many of the talents who rose from grassroots leagues.