As the latest League of Legends season begins, fans eagerly anticipate the next 12 months of competitive action. The 2024 season was packed with unforgettable moments, capped by T1’s record-breaking World Championship victory. With viewership numbers climbing across most regions, LoL esports is poised for an even more exciting and unpredictable 2025.
A Look Back at 2024: Highs and Lows
Last year was a monumental one for League of Legends esports. The introduction of the Esports World Cup brought a fresh dynamic to the competitive scene, offering teams an additional pathway to the World Championship. Changes to Worlds 2024 also shifted qualification routes, ensuring that top-performing teams at MSI and EWC had a direct impact on their region’s Worlds slots.
Most regional leagues saw significant growth in both hours watched and peak viewership, particularly in LCK, LEC, and CBLOL. The Brazilian league experienced a surge in popularity, securing its place as the third-most-watched circuit after LCK and LEC. Meanwhile, the rise of streamer-owned organizations like Karmine Corp and Movistar KOI further diversified audience engagement.
However, it wasn’t all positive. The League Championship Series (LCS) struggled with declining viewership, marking an all-time low in engagement. Riot Games has responded with major changes for 2025, aimed at revitalizing the competition and maintaining the global appeal of LoL esports.
League of Legends Esports 2025 (image via Getty)Co-Casting and Its Impact on Viewership
One of the most notable factors behind LoL’s growing audience has been the rise of co-casting. Allowing popular streamers and influencers to broadcast matches has significantly expanded the game’s reach. This strategy played a crucial role in boosting engagement for Worlds 2024, demonstrating the power of community-driven content in the esports industry.
Major Changes for LoL Esports in 2025
This year, Riot Games is shaking up the League of Legends competitive scene with several major adjustments. A key introduction is the First Stand tournament, an early-season international event that will take place before MSI 2025 and Worlds 2025. Featuring five invited teams from each region in a round-robin format, First Stand aims to ignite cross-regional rivalries and create a fresh competitive dynamic.
The tournament will also serve as an experimental playground, with Riot testing new competitive formats and gameplay innovations. One major change is the introduction of a “fearless draft” system, where champions used in previous games cannot be picked again in a series. This is the first major adjustment to the draft system in years and is expected to encourage greater strategic depth and variety in team compositions.
A New Regional Structure
Another major shift in 2025 is the restructuring of regional leagues. Riot has merged multiple circuits to create larger competitive ecosystems, with the Americas region undergoing the most significant transformation. The LCS and CBLOL have been combined into the League of Legends Championship of the Americas (LTA), eliminating the Latin America League (LLA) in the process. The LTA will feature two conferences—North and South—each with six teams from their respective former leagues and an additional guest team spot.
Similarly, the League of Legends Championship Pacific (LCP) has been formed, bringing together various Asian circuits under one umbrella. These changes mark a new era for LoL esports, aimed at increasing competition while addressing declining engagement in certain regions.
League of Legends Esports 2025 (image via Getty)Global Event Slots and Qualification Changes
With five major regions—Americas, LEC, LCK, LPL, and LCP—competing in 2025, Riot has allocated international event slots accordingly. Each region will receive one slot at the newly introduced First Stand, two slots at MSI, and three slots at Worlds. Additionally, the MSI champion and the second-best performing region will earn extra Worlds slots, increasing the total number of participating teams at the season finale to 17.
These adjustments will create new challenges for smaller teams, particularly those impacted by regional mergers. With fewer tier-1 teams, some promising squads and players may be forced into lower-tier competitions. However, the guest team slot offers a potential pathway for second-division teams to break into the top level, adding an element of unpredictability to the qualification process.
Key Storylines to Follow in 2025
The 2025 season is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing yet, with several major storylines to keep an eye on:
- Zeus’ Departure from T1: The top layer’s decision to leave a back-to-back Worlds-winning roster and join Hanwha Life Esports adds a new layer of intrigue to the LCK. Can he help dethrone his former team?
- Salary Caps in LPL: China’s top league has introduced stricter financial regulations to level the playing field. Will this hinder the formation of superteams or create a more competitive terrain?
- The Return of Invictus Gaming: Two players from IG’s 2018 Worlds-winning roster have reunited. Can they bring China back to the top of LoL esports?
- The Americas Merger: With the North and South conferences now combined, will the LTA rejuvenate the North American League of Legends, or will it face the same struggles as the LCS?
- Disguised in Tier-1 Play: The popular organization, backed by streamer Jeremy “Disguised Toast” Wang, has entered the top division. With a strong community following, could they help boost viewership in North America?
