Riot Games Reveals 2026 League of Legends Esports Schedule and New Twilight’s End Cinematic
On Friday, Riot Games unveiled new details about its 2026 international esports calendar along with a new cinematic created in collaboration with longtime partner Fortiche. The announcement includes host cities, tournament formats, and viewership milestones for the upcoming competitive season.
Viewership Milestones
Riot Games highlighted that the Worlds 2025 Play-Ins reached a record peak audience. The match between T1 and Invictus Gaming became the most-watched Play-Ins game in the event’s history. Although exact viewer numbers were not disclosed, Riot described this achievement as evidence of continuing global interest in League of Legends esports.
2026 Major Events
Stand Tournament
The first major event in 2026 is the Stand Tournament, scheduled for March 16–22 at the Riot Games Arena in São Paulo, Brazil. The tournament will consist of two double-elimination groups that feed into single-elimination knockout rounds. All matches will be best-of-five, a format Riot says ensures competitive integrity throughout the competition.
Mid-Season Invitational
The Mid-Season Invitational will return to Korea, with Daejeon hosting the event. Eleven teams will participate, starting with a Play-In Stage that advances one team into a double-elimination Bracket Stage. Riot explained the format aims to provide emerging regions with a clearer path while ensuring top-seeded teams face strong competition.
"The format is designed to give emerging regions a clearer path while ensuring top-seeded teams face rigorous competition."
Riot Games maintains its commitment to competitive fairness and global growth in the evolving League of Legends esports scene.
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