2024 LEC season

In contrast to previous season, the LEC merged the group and playoff stages into one double-elimination tournament playoff for the 2024 season. It will maintain the same number of best-of-three and best-of-five series as the previous year. Additionally, teams that can face can face each other in the upper bracket of the playoffs will not face each other in the lower bracket, aside from the lower bracket final. The league also put increased emphasis on the Summer Split, with winner of the Summer Finals automatically qualifying for the 2024 World Championship and giving both the second- and third-place finishers in the Summer Split Playoffs a spot in the LEC Season Finals as well. Additionally, any ties in Championship Points heading into the LEC Season Finals are broken by which team earned the higher number of Championship Points in Summer.^[1][2]

The league increased the time in between the Winter and Spring splits and Spring and the Mid-Season Invitational by one week. The break between Summer split and the LEC Season Finals will be shortened by one week.^[1]

The LEC also increased the minimum age requirement to compete from 17 to 18. Riot said the reason for the age limit increase was to "enable teams and the LEC to explore additional revenue opportunities."^[3]

Several team changes occurred heading into the 2024 season. In October 2023, La Ligue Française team Karmine Corp purchased the LEC franchise slot of Astralis.^[4] The following month, KOI ended their partnership with Infinite Reality, splitting their esports assets. With the split, Infinite Reality retained the LEC franchise position and reverted their branding back to Rogue.^[5] OverActive Media, owner of MAD Lions, would then buy KOI (as well as Movistar Riders) in January 2024, rebranding their League team to MAD Lions KOI.^[6] In December 2023, Excel Esports and Giants Gaming merged. As a result, LEC franchise Excel Esports rebranded to GIANTX.^[7]

The Winter Split regular season began on 13 January 2024. All matches took place at the Riot Games Arena in Berlin, Germany. The split concluded with the Winter Split Final on 18 February.^[8]

Source: LoL Esports

The Spring Split regular will begin on 9 March 2024. The split will conclude with the Spring Split Final on 14 April.^[9]

Source: LoL Esports

The summer split will begin on 8 June, with the regular season ending on 30 June. After a one week break to allow for the League of Legends tournament at the 2024 Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia, the playoffs will run from 12 to 28 July.^[10]

Source: LoL Esports