Updates on the ERLs ahead of 2026

This Thursday, Riot Games shared new information regarding the ERLs in 2026. A new Tournament Organizer for the Spanish League, the possibility of Los Ratones and Karmine Corp Blue joining the first ERL split, the competitive calendar… Here’s a summary of the key points and their potential impact on the Tier 2 EMEA ecosystem this year.

A new TO succeeds the LVP

Earlier this year, Sheep Esports reported that the Spanish league was undergoing a wave of layoffs and that its tournament organizer was therefore going to step away from its role within the Superliga. Riot Games quickly informed participating organizations that there was no need to worry, as a new TO would take over starting in 2026. This Wednesday, they confirmed the identity of the chosen ones: LastLap and Cabal Esports.

A lot of responsibility will rest on their shoulders as they attempt to restore the reputation of a league that has too often been overlooked in recent years, with declining viewership and results that haven’t always lived up to expectations compared to other, more competitive leagues (particularly the LFL). This announcement also comes as MKOI recently revealed plans to develop an academy system similar to Karmine Corp’s, with one team competing in the Spanish league and another dedicated to developing young talent in the Spanish Second Division. The project will be overseen by the person holding the keys to their LEC operations: head coach Melzhet, to whom the organization seems ready to entrust full leadership of their LoL department.

LR and KCB

As has been known for some time, Los Ratones and Karmine Corp Blue will face LEC teams for a spot at the First Stand during the first split of 2026 — a reward for their 2025 Tier 2 performances. Riot Games stated in their recent announcement: “This does mean that both teams will miss their regular season back in their ERLs. However, we’re working with both tournament organisers to allow flexibility in their respective Winter Split Playoffs.”

This information was confirmed by my sources within the LFL, who told me that KCB’s participation in the first split’s playoffs is still undecided. The format of the expected LFL Invitational, along with full details, should be communicated next week. One question remains: what about Los Ratones, especially given that Caedrel recently mentioned on stream that the team will not be competing in Tier 2 next year? Would KCB only be able to join the LFL Invitational if they perform poorly and fail to qualify for the LEC Versus playoffs? There is still a lot of uncertainty, and for now… no clear answers. More information about the plans of Los Ratones and Caedrel post–LEC Versus is expected by 2026.

ERLs 2026 schedule

• ERL Winter Split: 7 January – 8 March

• ERL Spring Split: 23 March – 7 June

• ERL Summer Split: 26 June – 17 September

Along with the precise dates for the EMEA Masters:

• EMEA Masters Winter: 9 March – 15 March

• EMEA Masters Spring: 8 June – 25 June

• EMEA Masters Summer: 21 September – 19 October

Assuming that Worlds will take place around the same period as in 2025, the dates announced should avoid the issue raised by many observers this year — namely, the overlap between the EMEA Masters and the final stages of Worlds. On paper, this is good news for preventing an overloaded competitive schedule. Hopefully this time, plans don’t shift too much.