LCS reveals new 2021 Lock In event, new format for 2021 season

William Davis Published 14/12/2020

The LCS has revealed a new format for 2021 and it comes with some major changes.

During the offseason, it was rumored that the LCS would be changing its format in 2021. The decision came after multiple complaints from players and fans alike, who believed the spring split was meaningless. Because the spring split didn’t grant championship points, performing well in this stage meant nothing long term for the teams. Those concerns were realized when Cloud9 posted a dominant split, but was refused a spot from Worlds 2020.

The LCS addressed those complaints and completely changed its schedule as well as new tournaments. The LCS 2021 season will start with the Lock In tournament, a three-week event played from January 15 to January 31. All 10 teams from the LCS will be competing for a cash prize of $150,000, plus $50,000 for the charity of their choice. The LCS Lock In is similar to the KeSPA Cup or the Demacia Cup, pre-season tournaments played in the LCK and LPL, respectively.

The Spring Split matters again with Mid-Season Showdown

The Spring Split still doesn’t grant championship points, but the final standings will influence the Summer split. The Spring split starts on February 5 with three days of competition each week with Friday Night League, and games on Saturdays and Sundays. Each day features five matches. The entire season will be played in a condensed format of six weeks instead of nine, but with the same amount of games.

The spring split playoffs will be replaced by the Mid-Season Showdown, featuring the top six teams from the season. Six teams will play in a double-elimination bracket, with the winner representing North America in the 2021 Mid-Season Invitational.

The summer season will be played for the regular nine weeks, but this time with a triple round-robin, so teams will play each other three times. Playoffs will follow the same format as last year with eight teams competing.

LCS introduces the LCS Championship

Winning in the summer doesn’t necessarily guarantee anything for the teams. Instead of two championships per year, the LCS season will end with the LCS Championship. Eight teams will compete in the LCS championship, with seeding based on their record during the season. The top two seeds from the regular season start in the upper bracket semifinals, while the seventh and eighth seeds start in the lower bracket. The top three teams from the LCS Championship will represent North America at the World Championship.

When does the 2021 LCS start?

The 2021 LCS Spring split starts on Friday, February 5 at 3 p.m. PT, 6 p.m. ET.

Who is competing in the LCS?

There are 10 teams competing in the LCS:

• 100 Thieves
• Cloud9
• Counter Logic Gaming
• Dignitas
• Evil Geniuses
• FlyQuest
• Golden Guardians
• Immortals
• Team SoloMid
• Team Liquid

Read Also

Valorant

OBS Game Capture isn’t working on Valorant and League of Legends? Here’s why and how to fix it Khizar Mundia Several reports suggest that OBS Game Capture is broken, with Valorant and League of Legends streamers only being able to broadcast a black screen. OBS has responded to the issue, confirming that it exists and also provided a way to fix it. Valorant and League of Legends are two of Riot Games’ most popular titles, and they are being streamed on streaming platforms by creators regularly. On July 21, 2026, ...

League of Legends

Dplus sweeps Karmine Corp to win the 2026 LoL EWC grand final Hannan Mundia The League of Legends Esports World Cup 2026 grand final just concluded, where Dplus absolutely swept Karmine Corp to win it all. The League of Legends Esports World Cup may only have been taking place since 2024, but it has already become a key international event for fans and professional players. With a large prize pool and consecutive matches with little delay, fans have a blast seeing their favorite teams ...

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 ...