After spending a year under the
LTA North banner, the North American league will once again operate under the
LCS name, returning to its eight-team format. Following an offseason in which every team made at least one roster change, the competition is preparing to resume on
January 24, with the first title of the season and qualification for
First Stand on the line.
It seems difficult to distinguish a clear favorite, the region's two-time defending champion, FlyQuest, having made several changes to their roster, no longer appear as dominant and leave the competition open to other teams. New contenders like LYON will also have a card to play for this year's title.
Format and Schedule
The format is set to introduce an entirely new structure divided into two phases. Initially, teams will compete in a Swiss Stage played over three rounds. The only team to finish with a 3–0 record will earn the right to choose its opponent for the upper-bracket final from among the teams that end the stage at 2–1.
Six teams will qualify for the playoffs, which are scheduled to begin on February 20. The grand final will take place on March 1 and will determine the first team to be crowned champion of the season, as well as the squad that secures qualification for First Stand.
LCK Lock In 2026 Format. Credit: Riot Games
Roster changes
All eight teams in the league have made at least one change during the offseason. With the departures of key players such as Gabriël “
Bwipo” Rau, Kacper “
Inspired” Słoma, and Alan “
Busio” Cwalina, reigning champions FlyQuest appear less well positioned to maintain their dominance, particularly as their closest rivals,
Cloud9 and
Team Liquid, have strengthened their lineups through targeted offseason moves.
New contenders have also entered the title race, most notably Shopify Rebellion and LYON. The former has bolstered its roster with the arrival of Yoo “
Zinie” Baek-jin in the midlane. The latter has undergone a significant shift in status with the additions of Inspired, Kim “
Berserker” Min-cheol, and Niship “
Dhokla” Doshi, who joins at the last minute as a replacement for Frankie “
Zamudo” Lin, sidelined due to visa issues. Many teams are in fact facing similar visa issues, and the competition could begin with several temporary replacements.
Where to watch
The entire competition will be broadcast live on the LCS
YouTube and
Twitch channels. If all the co-streamers have not yet been announced, it remains highly likely that a good number of them could also obtain the broadcasting rights for the league.
