Riot Games has revised the format and slot distribution for the upcoming EMEA Masters Spring 2026 following criticism from the community regarding the initial restrictions on regional league (ERL) qualification slots.
Expanded Team Slots
The main change is an expansion of the tournament field by eight additional teams, bringing the total number of slots to 28. The original plan had significantly limited participation, with top leagues receiving only two slots each, while smaller leagues such as NLC, LPLOL, EBL, Road Of Legends, Hitpoint Masters, and Rift Legends were allocated just one representative.
Most single-slot teams were also required to go through a single-elimination Play-In stage.
New Regional Allocation
Under the revised system:
- The French LFL and German Prime League receive three slots each.
- All other regional leagues receive two slots each.
Direct qualification to the Main Event is granted to the top two teams from:
- LFL
- Prime League
- SuperLiga
- Turkish Championship League
Additional direct Main Event slots go to:
- Arabian League
- LIT
- Hellenic League of Legends League
- Rift Legends
Their second teams will start in the Play-In stage. Meanwhile, all representatives from Hitpoint Masters, Road Of Legends, EBL, LPLOL, and NLC begin exclusively in Play-Ins.
Expanded Play-In Format
The Play-In stage has also been extended from one day to two:
- Day 1: 16 teams compete in five rounds of Best-of-1 matches, with the top 8 advancing
- Day 2: A Swiss-style Best-of-3 stage determines which teams move on to the Group Stage
The updated format ensures that all qualified teams will play multiple full matches during the competition.
Earlier, Riot Games also announced a beta integration with Discord.