Riot Games has announced a series of changes to the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) League of Legends Regional Leagues, aiming to make the ecosystem more sustainable. These changes include relaxed rules, greater freedom for tournament organizers, and reduced structural requirements, such as in-person events and secondary divisions.
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The EMEA Regional Leagues (ERLs) form the foundation of competitive League of Legends in the region, considered the second tier of the scene. The changes, which will take effect in 2025, reflect the need to modernize the system, especially given the declining viewership of the EMEA Masters, a tournament that brings together the winners of the 13 regional leagues.
New broadcast rules expand League of Legends' reach
One of the most impactful changes is the relaxation of co-streaming rules. Starting in 2025, teams will be able to broadcast their games directly, including from the players' perspective. This will allow for greater interaction with fans and diversify broadcast formats, expanding audience reach.
According to Riot Games, the goal is to democratize access to matches, attracting new viewers and encouraging content creators to engage with broadcasts. Co-streaming, already popular in other regions, promises to boost the visibility of the competitive scene.
Another significant change is the end of the mandatory in-person events for each split. The decision aims to reduce league operating costs, facilitating the organization of regional tournaments.
Furthermore, ERLs will no longer be required to maintain secondary divisions. However, promotion and relegation tournaments will continue to be held, ensuring a platform for new talent. For Riot, this measure preserves competitiveness without overburdening teams and organizers.
Flexibility in tournament structure benefits local communities
Riot will also allow organizers to adapt split formats to the needs of regional communities. While the basic competition model will remain, each league will be able to innovate its tournament formats, encouraging greater local engagement.
With this greater autonomy, regional leagues will be able to experiment with creative formats that better serve their audiences. Riot emphasized that this freedom will be essential to meet the diverse cultural and economic demands of the EMEA region.
Changes to the competitive landscape aim to sustain the game's ecosystem
These changes follow a trend of overhauls across the global League of Legends landscape, which has already included updates to the LEC (Europe) and LCK (South Korea) leagues. The company also recently introduced the League of the Americas (LTA), reinforcing its commitment to adapting the game to new market realities.
With these initiatives, Riot Games aims to revitalize competitive League of Legends and establish a financially viable model for teams, players, and organizers. The changes to the ERLs are expected to help keep the game relevant in the esports scene.
