After years of requests from players and teams alike, Riot Games and Webedia have joined forces to launch the first-ever League of Legends Game Changers (LGC) circuit — the official women’s League of Legends competition for the EMEA region, marking a major milestone for greater inclusion in the esports scene. Featuring eight participating teams, the inaugural competition, titled LGC Rising, will run from August to October, with its Grand Finals set to take place live on stage at Paris Games Week.

"After two editions of the Coupe des Étoiles, we’re thrilled to continue investing in diverse competitions with this first edition of LoL Game Changers", stated Yoann "Saelind" Bouchard, Head of Tournaments at Webedia. "Our primary goal is to support the development of this scene by working with existing tournaments, such as the Equal Esports Cup, while also taking the time to build this Game Changers environment, which we hope will grow over the coming years."

A Collaborative Future, Not a Replacement

From the original La Ligue Féminine to more recent competitions like the Equal Esports Cup and the Coupe des Étoiles, the women and marginalized genders scene has always thrived thanks to the determination of its community. While the arrival of the Game Changers circuit is a welcome and long-awaited addition, Riot Games has emphasized that this new tournament series is not intended to replace existing initiatives: "We’re looking to support and grow together with these local events across the region. LGC isn’t here to replace anything — the efforts of these tournament organizers and LEC teams are a vital part of our shared journey and evolving history."

When asked about the future of the Coupe des Étoiles, Webedia’s flagship competition in the space, the tournament organizers expressed a desire to continue running the French event alongside their new role in LGC: "It’s a topic we’re currently discussing. We hope to find a way to keep it going, but that depends on several factors — particularly the competitive calendar."

Much like in VALORANT, this new competition will serve as an additional space for women’s teams to develop while still allowing them to compete in the broader mixed circuit. Riot Games highlighted this dual path in their recent announcement by spotlighting G2 Hel, who recently reached the Liga Nexo Playoffs and also competed in the Circuito Tormenta playoffs for a chance at the Superliga. Across Europe, many other women’s rosters are already active in regional ecosystems — including SK Avarosa in the Prime League, as well as Vitality Rising Bees, Galions Pearl, and Solary Académie in France’s Nexus Tour — all part of a growing presence across the region.

A Step Towards Inclusion — With Limits

Open to all individuals who identify as women, the new League of Legends Game Changers aims to create a safe and welcoming space for women to engage with professional play — much like its VALORANT counterpart has done. However, this new circuit marks a notable shift in the existing scene, orchestrated by Riot Games' guidance.

By specifically framing the competition as a space for women, it creates a divide that leaves out non-binary individuals and others of marginalized genders, who have historically been included in the ecosystem. While the competition is open to both cisgender and transgender women, an already important landmark amid growing transphobia around the ecosystem, it also currently does not provide space for transgender men, whom have previously struggled to find a place to compete, per testimonies collected by Sheep Esports.

This ruling also directly conflicts with the rules of the Equal Esports Cup, which currently allows non-binary players to compete — raising an important question: what would happen if a team with a non-binary player qualified for the LGC through the EEC? Sheep Esports reached out to Riot Games to clarify the company’s stance on the inclusion of non-binary competitors and players of other marginalized genders. As of now, Riot has not responded. This article will be updated if and when a response is provided.

Nonetheless, the creation of the LoL Game Changers circuit remains a significant step in the right direction, aiming to bridge the existing gap in the scene and provide more opportunities for women to develop their skills. In VALORANT, many success stories have emerged from the Game Changers scene — and over time, similar stories could very well happen in League of Legends. Examples like Ava “florescent” Eugene joining Apeks in the VCT EMEA or Shopify Rebellion qualifying for VALORANT Challengers NA highlight this potential. With the support of a Game Changers circuit, and as evidenced by G2 Hel’s recent successes, LoL could soon see its own rising stars.

Great Ambitions, Cautious Beginnings

According to sources — and as previously reported by Sheep Esports — the League of Legends Game Changers program has been in development for quite some time. Originally envisioned as a two-split competition, the decision was ultimately made to scale back the scope for its first edition. As confirmed by Riot Games, LGC Rising will primarily be held online, with the exception of its Grand Finals, which will take place live at Paris Games Week on October 30 — taking over the slot previously occupied by Webedia’s Coupe des Étoiles for the past two years.

Riot has stated that this first year is focused on laying the foundation for a healthy and sustainable ecosystem. "We want to develop the LGC alongside the community, watch it grow organically," the company shared. Speaking about the format and timing, Riot further emphasized their long-term commitment to the project: "LGC Rising will be starting off with compact formats — partially to ensure we get things right, but mostly so that there is plenty of room to grow as we aim to scale up these events year-on-year."

Finally, Riot Games also expressed a desire to increase the number of offline events as the project evolves: "We know how meaningful in-person, live events are to the community — we feel the same, and we’re committed to making them a growing part of this journey over time."

A Compact Format

Featuring three invited LEC teams — presumed to be G2 Hel, SK Avarosa, and Vitality Rising Bees, as they are already active in the scene — the inaugural LGC Rising will also include the top three teams from the Equal Esports Cup 2025, along with two additional teams qualifying through open qualifiers. As one of the key organizers behind the Equal Esports Cup, SK Gaming welcomed the new collaboration and the direct qualification pipeline to LGC Rising.

"SK Gaming has led the way in building inclusive spaces for women and non-binary players in League of Legends — long before the scene caught up. Seeing the top three teams from our Equal Esports Cup now earn a direct qualification to LGC is not only a new spark of motivation for the teams, but also a strong recognition for the groundwork we've laid. We appreciate Webedia’s transparent approach and welcome LGC as a fantastic addition to the competitive landscape. We’re excited to unite our efforts for the diversity scene and drive progress even further in the future," said Marie Cordier, Marketing Manager at SK Gaming.

The competition will feature a compact format of eight teams divided into two groups, each playing a best-of-one single round robin. Although the number of games in the group stage is limited, only the bottom team from each group will be eliminated, while the remaining six teams advance to the playoffs. The playoffs will adopt a more forgiving double-elimination format, with all matches played as best-of-five series. Details about the open qualifiers’ format have yet to be announced and may evolve based on interest.

To make sure you don’t miss any of the action, here are the key dates to remember:

Viewers will be able to follow the competition directly on lolesports.com and through the @LEC social media platforms, as Riot Games plans to integrate the new circuit into its regular coverage — offering even greater visibility to the growing scene.

Alongside the well-known teams mentioned earlier, many other organizations will compete for a spot in the Game Changers circuit. Among those not tied to the LEC are Galions Pearl, Solary Académie, Supernova Comets, WLG Female Stars, Zerance Bloom, and several more.

For teams aiming to qualify through the Equal Esports Cup and still searching for an organization to represent, readers should keep an eye on Las Divinas, a roster mostly made up of former MAD Lions players; Nexus Reapers, led by the popular duo Agnė "Karina" Ivaškevičiūtė and Alena "TIFA" Maurer; Last Minute Airlines, formed from the remnants of the ex-GameWard Astrals squad; and Femmes Fatales, a team featuring mostly promising rookies.