LEC announces official start date for 2021 LEC Summer Split

The best European competition in League of Legends returns on June 11 with the 2021 LEC Summer Split. 

In an announcement made by Riot, it was revealed that the LEC will return on June 11. This gives teams and fans just over a month of waiting time before the league returns for the last split of the year. Before then, the 2021 Mid-Season Invitational takes place where defending LEC champion MAD Lions will try to bring back an international trophy home to the LEC. 

With the summer split a bit over a month away, teams will have a few weeks to prepare for the split while getting the break needed to perform at the highest level possible. For MAD Lions, the break will be much shorter as the squad will compete at MSI. If MAD Lions makes it far in the tournament, the players will only have a couple of weeks to rest and prepare for the next split. 

All teams are likely starting back up soon, especially since some of the best sides are currently practicing in Europe because of MSI taking place in Iceland. This gives the LEC a golden opportunity to scrim teams like DWG KIA, Royal Never Give Up, Cloud9, and the other MSI participants. It is already established that G2 Esports has likely been scrimming the MSI teams, while Astralis is currently on a team-building trip in the rainy forests of Denmark. 

What to expect from the 2021 LEC Summer Split

As always, the 2021 LEC Summer Split will be very important when it comes to qualifying for the 2021 World Championship. Teams will once again compete for a spot at the biggest LoL event of the year, and the competition will be intense. 

After MAD Lions surprisingly won the 2021 LEC Spring Split, the competition suddenly seems closer than ever before. In previous years, it has been all about G2 and Fnatic, but now both MAD Lions and Rogue are established as serious contenders after playing in the spring final. As of right now, the summer split looks to be a battle between those four teams, but others might step up to the plate. 

The question remains if MAD Lions and Rogue can keep themselves as the top teams in the league, or if G2 and Fnatic will reclaim the top spots after a disappointing 2021 LEC Spring Split. 

Which teams will play in the 2021 LEC Summer Split? 

As a franchised league, the teams playing in the upcoming split are expected to be the same as in the spring split. This means that the 10 biggest organizations in Europe will be back on Summoner’s Rift. While there have been rumors about Schalke 04 potentially looking to sell its spot, there’s no official news about it at this time. 

The LEC participants are: 

• MAD Lions
• Rogue
• G2 Esports
• Fnatic
• Schalke 04
• Excel Esports
• SK Gaming
• Misfits Gaming
• Vitality
• Astralis