Game developer Riot Games has unveiled that League of Legends’ tier two EMEA competitions, the EMEA Regional Leagues (ERLs), will undergo format changes in 2025.
The changes, which are set to affect the ERLs and EMEA Masters, follow on from wider tier-two ecosystem changes announced earlier this week. This included the relaxation of co-streaming rules and the removal of mandatory LAN events.
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Firstly, starting next year, ERLs are set to move to a three-split format with the addition of a Winter split and season finale. According to a release, the season finale for each league ‘will be adapted to suit local needs.’ Moreover, the broader changes aim to add ‘an additional pathway for teams to qualify for EMEA Masters.’
The new Winter split will utilise the ‘Fearless Draft’ mode for the competitions’ best-of series. This pick/ban method sees any champions played during a series become unavailable for the remainder of said series, forcing competitors to play a wider range of characters.
The additional ERL split will be accompanied by an additional EMEA Masters iteration, with ‘unique variations in length and structure for each event’ expected, according to the release.
To accommodate the added competition, the competitive calendar is also being extended. ERL Winter splits will run from January 13th to March 9th, followed by EMEA Masters Winter from March 17th to 23rd.
After a quick turnaround, ERL Spring splits will then take place from March 24th, ending May 30th, leading into the EMEA Masters Spring tournament from June 3rd to 21st. Dates for the Summer split tournaments will be released later this year.
The announcement mirrors changes at a League of Legends’ tier-one level which has seen all its global competitions adding a Winter split — featuring fearless drafting. These new splits build up towards the newly added First Stand tournament; a third tier-one international event.
