EU LCS rebrands to LEC, welcomes new teams
The EU LCS is rebranding to the League of Legends European Championship, and the league’s ten franchises have now been revealed.
Early this year, Riot Games announced that the EU LCS would be transitioning into a franchising system similar to the NA LCS. The developer opened the application process to any organizations looking to become permanent members in the league.
As part of the transformation, the league is changing its name to LEC and has rebranded with a new and different logo.
After months of speculation, the ten franchises were also announced. Some expected teams are returning to the European stage. World Championship runner-up Fnatic, FC Schalke 04, G2 Esports, Misfits Gaming, Splyce, and Team Vitality were revealed as part of the LEC.
Origen will also return to Europe’s biggest stage for League of Legends. The organization is owned by RFRSH Entertainment. The entertainment company had originally planned to enter the LEC as Astralis, but decided to acquire the Origen branding in order to keep the company’s League of Legends and Counter-Strike brand names separate.
SK Gaming’s return to League of Legends comes after the storied esports organization left the game for multiple years. With new funding in hand, SK will again look to make its mark on both the European and international stages.
New entry Rogue is no stranger to the esports scene. The team is partially owned by popular DJ Steve Aoki, and this is the first time the organization has ventured into League of Legends.
English esports organization exceL rounds out the list of initial LEC franchises.
Splyce and exceL were late additions to the league. These two slots were originally occupied by Movistar Riders and North. According to Riot Games, the developers and those teams failed to reach a deal that satisfied both parties, leading to a withdrawal of each team’s applications.
The LEC debuts in its new form on January 18, 2019.
Read Also
Esports Betting
Dplus vs Karmine Corp: Best betting odds, picks for Esports World Cup 2026 grand final
Hannan Mundia
The League of Legends Esports World Cup 2026 grand final matchup has been determined, but which team will come out on top between Dplus and Karmine Corp? While there were multiple favorites going into the LoL EWC 2026, few assumed that Dplus and Karmine Corp would make it to the grand final. Both teams have showcased exceptional growth, but only one team can win the top prize. While Dplus is ...
League of Legends
League of Legends EWC 2026 group stage recap: G2 crash out as T1, Gen.G and HLE advance
Hannan Mundia
The League of Legends EWC group stage just concluded, and here’s a complete summary of everything that transpired in the two extremely eventful days. The League of Legends Esports World Cup is already making waves for all of the right reasons. While it isn’t nearly as long as the game’s esports fans are usually used to seeing, it’s still packed with awesome matches in which the best teams play each ...
League of Legends
DPlus players haven’t been paid in a month as upcoming acquisition affects finances
Michael Hassall
Korean esports organization Dplus Kia has reportedly not paid players for multiple titles it competes in for a period of at least a month as it grapples with financial issues related to an upcoming acquisition. The news surfaced on July 16 that the organization was struggling to fulfill its commitments to pay players. Just a few hours later, DPlus released a statement admitting the issues, but insisting that players had ...
Esports Betting
BLG vs T1: Best betting odds and picks for EWC LoL 2026
Hannan Mundia
BLG and T1 will face off in the 2026 EWC to determine the first team in Group C to qualify for the playoffs, but which team has a better chance of success? While T1 wasn’t able to beat BLG at the recent MSI tournament, the team has another shot at the 2026 EWC. This match is a best-of-one instead of the typical best-of-five that T1 frequently struggles in, so there ...
Esports Betting
G2 Esports vs AG.AL: Best betting odds and picks for EWC LoL 2026
Hannan Mundia
G2 Esports may be the strongest European League of Legends team at the EWC 2026, but how does it stack up against AG.AL? G2 Esports made waves in the recent 2026 Mid-Season Invitational by taking down T1 from the tournament. The team’s next opponent is AG.AL, a team many consider the dark horse of the series. The looming question is whether the LEC royalty can take down the China qualifier ...
Esports Betting
League of Legends at the EWC 2026 preview, details, predictions, and more
Hannan Mundia
The 2026 League of Legends Esports World Cup has the potential to be even grander than the last, making it all the more important to learn about its schedule and participating teams. League of Legends has no shortage of large-scale international tournaments. While First Stand and the Mid-Season Invitational have concluded, the next event that fans have to look forward to is the Esports World Cup. Gen.G may have dominated ...
League of Legends
HLE’s MSI win may have proven that Gumayusi’s the GOAT
Hannan Mundia
With HLE winning the 2026 MSI tournament grand final against BLG, there’s a real argument that Gumayusi may be the best ADC player currently. This year’s MSI has finally concluded, and Hanwha Life Esports took home the winning trophy. While it was filled to the brim with ups and downs for every player, Gumayusi may be the only player who consistently performed in every game, regardless of which team was ...
