Riot Games Reveals 2026 League of Legends Esports Schedule and New Twilight’s End Cinematic

Riot Games Reveals 2026 League of Legends Esports Schedule

Riot Games announced new details about the 2026 international League of Legends esports calendar along with a new cinematic made with longtime partner Fortiche. The reveal includes host cities, tournament formats, and expected viewing milestones for the upcoming competitive season.

Watching Milestones and Global Interest

Riot Games highlighted that the Worlds 2025 Play-Ins stage reached a record peak in viewership, especially the T1 vs. Invictus Gaming match, which became the most-watched Play-Ins game in the history of the event. Although exact figures were not shared, Riot emphasized this as evidence of continued global enthusiasm for League of Legends esports.

Stand Tournament in São Paulo, March 2026

The first major event of 2026 will be the Stand Tournament, taking place from March 16 to 22 at the Riot Games Arena in São Paulo, Brazil. The competition format features two double-elimination groups advancing into single-elimination knockout rounds. Every match will be best-of-five, a setup Riot believes preserves competitive integrity throughout the tournament.

Mid-Season Invitational Returns to Korea

The Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) is scheduled to return to Korea, hosted in Daejeon. Eleven teams will participate, starting with a Play-In Stage that qualifies one team for the double-elimination Bracket Stage. Riot designed this format to provide emerging regions a more straightforward 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."

Author's summary: Riot Games has outlined a comprehensive 2026 League of Legends esports calendar, emphasizing competitive integrity, global reach, and support for emerging regions in key tournaments.

Inven Global — 2025-11-08