League of Legends: What is the Coupe des Etoiles?

Announced in early 2023 during the press conference of the French League of Legends (LFL), the Coupe des Etoiles is the first official 100% female competition for League of Legends. For this occasion, Riot Games and Webedia joined forces to highlight new talents, aligning their efforts with the growing trend of inclusivity in esports.

While the finals are held in the fall, registered teams compete in qualifying tournaments that take place earlier in the year. Since the second edition in 2024, four qualifying tournaments have been played between June and September, during which teams accumulate points. The top eight teams advance to the playoffs, with a grand final taking place on stage at Paris Games Week. In the first edition in 2023, Team GO Aurora defeated BDS Valkyrie 2-1.

Only women aged 16 and older can participate, with no minimum rank required in the game. According to the competition rules, teams must include at least two residents of France and three residents of the European Union.

Among the competing teams are well-known organizations from the French League of Legends scene: Team GO Aurora, BDS Valkyries, Solary Académie, Vitality Rising Bees, and GameWard Astrals. In 2023, the competition's final was commentated on-site by OTP in front of over 1,000 spectators and broadcasted on their Twitch channel. The event is also supported by La Banque Postale, which is also sponsoring the Coupe de France taking place simultaneously.

The competition is set to occur for the second consecutive year and will host more teams than the previous year, indicating its establishment in France. Other initiatives aim to highlight female and non-binary players in the League of Legends esports scene. Some, like the Pathfinders in 2023 or the Storm Takeover in 2024, seem to be one-off events, while others, such as the Equal Esport Cup, appear to be intended as permanent fixtures on the European stage.