League of Legends Pro League
The League of Legends Pro League (LPL) is the premier professional league for League of Legends in China. Since its inaugural season in 2013, it has grown into one of the world's most competitive and watched regional leagues, directly feeding talent and champions into the global World Championship.
| First held | 2013 Spring season |
|---|---|
| Developer | Riot Games |
| Regions | China |
| Prize pool | ¥2,350,000 |
| Primary venues | Shanghai, Suzhou, Shenzhen, Xi'an, Beijing |
| Current format | Three splits per year (from 2025) |
| Qualifies to | World Championship, Mid-Season Invitational, First Stand |
| Operating body | TJ Sports (Riot Games & Tencent joint venture) |
Founding and Operational Evolution
The League of Legends Pro League launched its competitive operations with the 2013 Spring season. Its initial competitive format was directly inspired by the structure of South Korea's League of Legends Champions Korea. To serve a growing international audience, Riot Games introduced an official English language broadcast for the LPL in 2014.
The management of the league shifted significantly in the following years. In September 2015, Riot Games confirmed it was negotiating with Tencent to transfer operational control of the LPL. This process concluded in 2019 with the establishment of TJ Sports, a formal joint venture between Riot Games and Tencent. TJ Sports was created to centralize and manage all League of Legends esports activities within China, with responsibilities covering tournament organization, professional talent management, and venue operations.
Regular Season Format Changes
The LPL's regular season structure has been revised multiple times to refine competition. For the 2015 spring season, the league moved to a best-of-two series format where all teams played a double round robin. Between 2017 and 2018, the league adopted a group selection method similar to the one used by the EU LCS, where the highest-ranked teams from the previous split headed the groups. During this period, all regular season matches were played as best-of-three series.
A major consolidation occurred from 2019 to 2021. The league operated with 16 teams in a single group, competing in a single round robin where every match was a best-of-three. The top eight teams from this round robin advanced to the postseason playoffs. This format was updated again in 2021 with an expansion to 17 teams, though it retained the single round robin and best-of-three match structure for the regular season.
Playoff Structures and Mechanics
The LPL playoffs are a high-stakes, single-elimination tournament where every series is a best-of-five. The format for qualifying teams and bracket placement has seen detailed revisions. From 2019 to 2021, the top eight regular season teams advanced. The first and second place teams started in the semifinals, the third and fourth place teams began in the quarterfinals, and the fifth to eighth place teams started in the first round.
The 2021 format introduced a ten-team playoff with a more detailed bracket. The ninth and tenth place regular season teams entered in the first two games against the eighth and seventh place teams, respectively. Winners then advanced to face higher seeds in a layered bracket. This system included a second chance for the teams that reached Game 7 and Game 8 before they could be eliminated. The bracket culminated in a final series between the winners of Game 10 and Game 11 to decide the champion.
The Three-Split System from 2025
Beginning in 2025, the LPL replaced its traditional two-split annual schedule with a new calendar of three splits. This change created distinct qualification paths for different international events. The winner of Split 1 earns a direct qualification to the First Stand 2025 tournament. For the Mid-Season Invitational 2025, both the winner and the runner-up of Split 2 will qualify.
World Championship qualification under this new system is determined through a combination of split results and championship points. The champion of Split 3 automatically becomes China's first seed for the World Championship Main Event. The team with the most championship points accumulated over the entire 2025 season, provided it is not the Split 3 champion, becomes the second seed. A subsequent Regional Finals tournament determines the third seed for the Main Event. If required, a fourth seed from the Regional Finals will enter the World Championship Play-in stage. Tiebreakers for championship points are resolved based on the teams' final rankings in Split 3.
Pathways to International Events
The LPL serves as the primary qualification route for Chinese teams to major global League of Legends tournaments. Under the pre-2025 system, the finalists of the spring split represented China at the Mid-Season Invitational. For the World Championship, four Chinese seeds were determined: the summer split winner was the first seed, the team with the most championship points was the second seed, and the winner and runner-up of a regional qualifier were the third and fourth seeds.
Historically, a core feature of the LPL has been that the top three finishers of its playoff tournament receive automatic bids to the League of Legends World Championship, highlighting the league's status as a premier competitive region. The new three-split model continues this tradition of sending multiple teams to Worlds through its revised points and playoff structure.
Competing Organizations and Venues
The league is composed of fifteen professional organizations. The full list of competing teams is Anyone's Legend, Bilibili Gaming, EDward Gaming, Invictus Gaming, JD Gaming, LGD Gaming, LNG Esports, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Oh My God, Royal Never Give Up, Team WE, TT Gaming, Top Esports, Ultra Prime, and Weibo Gaming.
The LPL maintains a strong physical presence across China with five primary home venues. Matches are routinely hosted in Shanghai, Suzhou, Shenzhen, Xi'an, and Beijing. While the league occasionally holds touring events in other locations, these five cities form the consistent home bases for the competition, helping to build local fan communities.
Broadcast and Global Position
The league's broadcast production has been a key part of its growth. The introduction of the official English language broadcast by Riot Games in 2014 made the LPL accessible to a worldwide audience, allowing international fans to follow the action and narratives of the Chinese league. This move complemented the league's existing Chinese broadcasts.
The operational shift to the TJ Sports joint venture in 2019 further professionalized the league's ecosystem. By focusing tournament organizing, talent management, and venue operations under one dedicated entity, the league aimed to create a more stable and commercially developed environment for teams, players, and fans, confirming its position within global professional gaming.
FAQ
When did the LPL start?
The first season of the League of Legends Pro League was the 2013 Spring season.
How many teams qualify from the LPL for the World Championship?
Historically, the top three LPL playoff finishers received automatic bids. From 2025, the Split 3 champion is the first seed, the team with the most championship points is the second seed, and the Regional Finals winner is the third seed, with a potential fourth seed from the Play-ins.
What is the format of LPL playoffs?
The playoffs are a single-elimination tournament where all matches are best-of-five series. Recent formats have involved eight or ten teams, with higher-seeded teams receiving byes and the 2021 format providing a second chance for teams in the later bracket stages.
Where are LPL matches played?
LPL games are primarily played in five venues located in the Chinese cities of Shanghai, Suzhou, Shenzhen, Xi'an, and Beijing, with some touring events held elsewhere.
Who operates the LPL?
Since 2019, the LPL has been operated by TJ Sports, a joint venture created by Riot Games and Tencent to manage all League of Legends esports business in China.
Source: English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), rewritten by the Redington Cybersport desk.
