Overview of LEC
LEC stands for League of Legends European Championship, previously known as EU LCS. The league was established in 2013 and has since been part of the “big four,” which includes:
The standard format for the LEC is divided into 3 splits and regional finals. Each year, the LEC hosts the following tournaments:
- LEC Winter
- LEC Spring
- LEC Summer
- LEC Finals
The system of splitting the tournament into 3 parts and regional finals was introduced in 2023. Before that, the year was divided into only LEC Spring and LEC Summer. LEC stands as one of the most anticipated events covered by EGamersWorld and other esports platforms.
History of LEC
The first tournament in the LEC series was the EU LCS 2013 championship. Under the EU LCS (similar to the American LCS), league of legends tournaments were held until 2018, after which Riot rebranded, distinguishing LEC as a separate tournament.
From 2018 to 2023, the LEC hosted two tournaments annually: LEC Spring and LEC Summer. Later, the LEC schedule expanded, and now the league's structure is as follows include 3 splits (Winter, Spring, Summer) and European Regional Finals.
Throughout the year, teams accumulate "internal points" necessary for qualifying for the LEC Finals. The winner of each split also secures a spot in the LEC Finals.
Tournament Format and LEC Schedule
The LEC tournament, like the LEC schedule, is divided into three splits: LEC Winter, LEC Spring, and LEC Summer. Each split follows its own schedule, which is typically the same for each season. Teams play several days a week, usually from Friday to Monday.
During several weeks of the LEC regular season, the playoff stage begins, played in a double-elimination format.
Participating Teams and Players
The number of participants in the LEC is fixed at 10 with 5 main players in every team. However, the team roster playing in the LEC can change from year to year. This depends on the clubs' desire to be part of the LEC ecosystem, as a franchise league requires participants to purchase their spot in the tournament.
For LEC 2024, the list of active partners includes G2 Esports, Fnatic, SK Gaming, Heretics, BDS, MAD Lions, KOI, Rogue, GiantX, BDS, and Karmine Corp.
Top Teams to Watch
As everywhere, the LEC has its favorites and underdogs. They often change, but the general trend remains consistent. Among the top teams in LEC 2024, the following stand out:
- G2 Esports
- Fnatic
- BDS
- SK Gaming
G2 Esports is the absolute leader in the European region and a regular winner of LEC tournaments. Fnatic and SK Gaming are veterans of European League of Legends, while BDS can be considered a relative newcomer among the "big" teams, having rapidly risen to the top between 2022 and 2024. These teams form the basis of lol live stats at least in Europe.
Star Players of the Tournament
Among LEC players, there are many top performers. Considering the championship rules that allow teams to hire players from other regions, Europe has representatives from South Korea – the strongest region in the world for LoL. Some of the best players include:
- Ice
- BrokenBlade
- Nisqy
- Adam
- Canna
Of course, there are many bright performers in the LEC, including LEC 2024, and the list above can be significantly expanded.
Tips for Following LEC
The main advice for you if you want to watch LEC matches is to study the LEC schedule. For example, the LEC schedule 2024 included 3 splits with three weeks of the regular season, playoff stages, tiebreakers, and so on. As you can see, there are many matches.
Another useful tip is to keep lec scores, lec results and handy, which will come in useful for analyzing future games.
Best ways to stay updated
If you want to stay up to date with everything happening in the LEC, the first thing you should do is follow the tournament's social media channels. Riot Games actively creates content related to esports within the LEC, including entire music clubs.
Another important resource for analyzing events in the LEC should be a service with esports live stats, where all LEC matches and tournaments are collected.
Engaging with the Community
During LEC 2024, staying connected with like-minded individuals is a good idea. The best platforms for this are major forums such as Reddit, Quora, and others. Each of these forums will have a dedicated section for the LEC. Additionally, the LEC will be a central topic of discussion on general Dota 2 subreddits and other platforms.
Final Thoughts about LEC 2024
The LEC is one of the leading tournaments in League of Legends, on par with LPL, LCK, and LCS. Top European clubs with a massive audience, such as Karmine Corp, G2 Esports, and Fnatic, compete in the LEC.
The LEC is also interesting because the region has several slots for international championships like Worlds, MSI, and EWC, adding prestige to the league.
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