League of Legends Master Series

History and Formation

The League of Legends Master Series was created in 2015 following an announcement by Garena in late 2014. The league was formed to separate the competitive scenes of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau from the broader Garena Premier League (GPL) of Southeast Asia. This move was a direct response to the consistent dominance of Taiwanese teams, which had won every GPL season, limiting opportunities for other Southeast Asian squads. The LMS replaced the Nova League in Taiwan and was designed to have two seasons per year, spring and summer.

The league's five-year run concluded in 2019. In September of that year, Riot Games and Garena announced that the LMS would merge with the League of Legends SEA Tour (LST) to form a new, larger competition called the Pacific Championship Series (PCS). This new league included all Garena-affiliated regions except Vietnam, marking the end of the LMS as a standalone entity.

Competitive Format

The LMS followed a consistent competitive structure throughout its seasons. The league featured eight teams competing in a double round-robin group stage. All matches in this stage were played offline and were best-of-three series. The top four teams from the regular season advanced to the playoffs.

The playoffs were a single-elimination bracket where seeding was determined by the teams' regular season ranks. Every playoff match was a best-of-five series. The team finishing at the bottom of the regular season standings had to compete in a promotion tournament to retain its spot in the league for the following season.

Financial and Logistical Support

Garena provided direct financial support to the participating organizations. Each team received NT$200,000 from the organizer, which was separate from any prize money earned in competition. To accommodate teams based outside of Taiwan, additional support was given to squads from Hong Kong and Macau. These teams were provided with flights, accommodations, and an extra NT$60,000.

The launch of the LMS coincided with the opening of a dedicated esports venue. Matches were held at the Garena e-Sports Stadium, which was located on the first floor of an office building in the Neihu district of Taipei.

International Significance

The primary purpose of the LMS was to determine which teams from its region would qualify for the League of Legends World Championship. The league was allocated spots at the global event, making success in the LMS the crucial goal for every team. This system temporarily addressed the historical imbalance where Taiwanese teams had taken both of Southeast Asia's World Championship slots in 2014 while competing in the GPL.

By creating a dedicated league, the LMS aimed to foster stronger regional competition and better prepare its champions for the international stage. The performance of LMS teams at the World Championship was a key metric for the league's overall strength and reputation.

Controversy and Closure

The league faced a significant integrity issue in 2019. In April, Garena removed Dragon Gate Team from the LMS following a match-fixing investigation. As a result of the investigation, the team's owner was permanently banned from any affiliation with Riot-sanctioned teams. The team's jungler, coach, and manager all received suspensions.

Later that year, the decision was made to merge the league. The creation of the Pacific Championship Series was presented as a strategic move to consolidate the competitive strength of multiple regions under the Garena umbrella, excluding Vietnam which maintained its own league. This merger effectively dissolved the LMS after the 2019 summer season.