LoL: LFL reveals new formats for 2026 and LFL Invitational

We now finally know what form the upcoming LFL Invitational will take as it kicks off France’s League of Legends competitive season. On Monday, the Ligue Française de League of Legends (LFL) unveiled through an explanatory video the exact structure of the event, which will unfold across three stages. As previously reported by Sheep Esports a few weeks ago, the competition will indeed be a 20-team tournament—one that will take place without Karmine Corp Blue, as the team will be participating in LEC Versus during the same period.

The LFL Invitational will therefore feature the seven remaining LFL teams, eight teams from the second division, three teams from the Game Changers circuit, and two influencer teams, which will be led by Jean "TraYtoN" Medzadourian and Yasin "Nisqy" Dinçer. In addition to these two rosters, the LFL confirmed the participation of the six teams present last year, as well as Esprit Shōnen, completing the list of seven first-division teams. The league also specified that the two best non-LFL teams in the tournament will qualify for the following two splits.

Introduced as "the major innovation of the year celebrating the full diversity of the French ecosystem," the LFL Invitational—the first tournament of the season—will be played across three stages. The opening phase will be a group stage featuring five groups of four teams each competing against one another. The top two teams from every group will then advance to the Super Group, narrowing the field to ten teams before transitioning into playoffs with the six best teams. This means that half of the teams will play only three matches before being eliminated—underscoring the importance of performing well from the outset.

The Spring Split and Summer Split will return to a 10-team tournament format, featuring the two highest-placing non-LFL Invitational teams, the seven remaining first-division teams, and the returning Karmine Corp Blue. The format is expected to mirror this year’s Winter Split structure from the LEC. It will begin with a regular season in which teams will play three matches per week, followed by playoffs featuring the top eight teams, contested in best-of-three series and culminating in a best-of-five final.

The league notes that it has “listened to community feedback and made this choice to improve the clarity of the competition.” The tournament will begin on January 21, with the group-stage draw taking place beforehand.