Riot Games says every team in the PCS, VCS and LJL will begin each split at the domestic level in 2027, with the strongest teams qualifying for the League of Legends Championship Pacific. Riot announced the change on Sept. 21, describing the LCP as the bracket stage where the region’s best teams will compete for regional titles and places at global events. The announcement does not yet specify the number of slots or the competition format.
Why It Matters
The change addresses a cost and access problem in the Asia-Pacific League of Legends ecosystem. Riot says teams competing from Taipei faced rising relocation costs, weaker direct contact with local fans and long periods away from players’ homes and support networks. Allowing teams to operate from their domestic leagues is intended to reduce those pressures while creating a more continuous local-to-regional fan journey.
The LCP will still sit at the top of the regional pyramid and remain the sole APAC route to global events. That preserves the value of inter-regional competition, but makes the domestic leagues more important: they become the regular entry point to the LCP rather than a source of only occasional promotion candidates.
Riot also says the Regional Global Revenue Pool will continue to support current LCP teams, including teams that earn promotion or defend their places in the upcoming Promotion Series. Teams that qualify for global events through the more open route will also be eligible for Global Event GRP, according to the announcement. The commercial impact will depend on how those payments, slots and travel requirements are implemented.
What Changed
Under the current structure, domestic teams have one annual opportunity to compete for LCP promotion, and only one or two teams from each league enter that process. In 2027, every team in the PCS, VCS and LJL is expected to compete for an LCP place each split. Riot says the LCP will then bring together the split’s leading teams for the regional stage and qualification to global competition.
The announcement keeps a route open for Wild Card regions, but does not publish the distribution of slots or the format. Riot says organizers that want to run a Wild Card tournament connected directly to the LCP should look for application details in the coming months.
What to Watch
- Riot’s slot distribution and format announcement, which will show how many domestic teams can reach the LCP each split and how promotion or defense works.
- The 2027 domestic and LCP calendar, including whether the travel and match volume make the home-region model workable for teams and players.
- The terms and reporting around Regional GRP and Global Event GRP, especially how newly promoted teams and global qualifiers receive support.
- Wild Card tournament applications and the regions included, which will indicate how Riot balances competitive strength with regional representation.
