Asian Invitational – The New international tournament coming to League of Legends

Earlier today, a new League of Legends competition was unveiled, the Asia Invitational (ASI), which will feature teams from the LCK, LPL, and LCP.

The Asian Invitational – More Cross-Regional competitions

Set to take place from October 6 to October 12, right before the start of Worlds 2025, ASI will see the best non-Worlds participating teams from the three regional leagues compete for a major 1.5 million yuan prize pool (EUR 178,000), with the winner taking home 600,000 yuan (EUR 71,212). The tournament will be hosted jointly by streaming platforms Huya.com, Douyu.com, and Bilibili. The event, however, will not have a LAN, as all teams will compete online.

Which teams will take part in the ASI?

There will be a total of eight teams: the 5th to 7th-place teams from the LCK and LPL, as well as the 4th and 5th-place teams from the LCP. Based on current standings, the LCK will field Nongshim RedForce after their elimination from LCK playoffs, and two teams between Dplus KIA, BNK FearX, and T1.

The LPL has confirmed Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP) and EDward Gaming (EDG). The other team will be determined through the Regional Finals, which will also decide the #3 and #4 seeds from China. For the LCP, the teams competing will be the Vietnamese squads GAM Esports and MGN Vikings Esports, who have been eliminated in the LCP Season Finals.

ASI Format and Schedule

The eight squads will first be split into two groups of four. Group A will include 2 LPL teams, 1 LCK team, and 1 LCP team. Group B will instead consist of 2 LCK teams, 1 LPL team and 1 LCP team. There will be a single-elimination Bo3 bracket, with the top two from each group heading to the playoff stage.

The schedule will be as follows:

• Group Stage: October 6 – 9
• Playoffs: October 10 – 12

In the playoff stage, the top teams from each group will meet the #2 seed from the other group, using a double-elimination bracket. All series will be best-of-threes, except the final, which will be best-of-five.

The total 1.5 million yuan prizepool will be distributed:

1.  600,000 yuan (EUR 71.260)
2. 400,000 yuan (EUR 47,506)
3. 200,000 yuan (EUR 23,753)
4. 150,000 yuan (EUR 17,815)
5. 37,500 yuan (EUR 4,453)
6. 37,500 yuan (EUR 4,453)
7. 37,500 yuan (EUR 4,453)
8. 37,500 yuan (EUR 4,453)

Is ASI the Europa League for the LoL scene?

To some extent, it can be seen that way. Much like how the UEFA Europa League provides an additional competition for teams that cannot make it to the Champions League in traditional football, the ASI allows teams to stay in the international spotlight and keep proving themselves.

This also makes it easier for fans to understand how strong each region and sets the tone for all future competitions, including Worlds. With cross-regional matches being a major trend in recent times, following the implementation of the Swiss stage at the League of Legends World Championship and the third international tournament, First Stand, the Asian Invitational provides players who end their season early with more international experience.