Riot Games announces new changes to the LCS side

AdminJanuary 15, 2024

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The LCS is scheduled to resume on January 20 with the first two days of the regular season spring split. Ahead of the launch of this new competitive segment, Riot Games has released important information regarding major changes planned for the 2024 season in the North American League.

A year of transition for the LCS

There have been significant changes for the 2024 League Championship Series (LCS) season, especially in terms of schedule and format. One of the most significant changes is the reduction in the number of participating teams. For the first time since 2014, the league will have just eight teams instead of the usual ten. This change follows the release of Golden Guardians and Evil Geniuses from the LCS and the sale of the TSM slot to Shopify Rebellion. The league will work with the remaining eight teams due to a short deadline to fill the two vacancies after this departure.

For the 2024 season, the LCS Spring Split will include the regular season as a double round robin featuring eight teams. This stage will be followed by a six-team playoff, where the top four seeded teams will benefit from a double elimination.

Back to weekends and less downtime

Another major change is the return to the weekend match schedule. As in previous years, matches will now be held on Saturdays and Sundays. The change responds to community criticism and aims to reinvigorate the league’s viewership. The season will begin on January 20, 2024. The changes come against a backdrop of declining audiences and the departure of iconic teams like Evil Geniuses and Golden Guardians. The LCS faces the challenge of reversing the trend of declining viewership and overcoming the problem of low team participation. The year 2023 marked the lowest attendance in league history.

Additionally, despite the reduced number of participating teams, Riot Games has confirmed the return of the double round robin format to Bo1 for the upcoming season. The Spring Split will be condensed into a six-week period, including a two-week break between weeks four and five. The purpose of this organization is to reduce the period of inactivity of LCS teams before the start of the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI). The Spring Split finals are scheduled for March 31. For the 2024 season, Riot Games also plans to shorten the wait between games by changing the format of the draft phase. The idea is for teams to complete the draft while the previous game is in progress. Footage of this recorded draft will then be broadcast as the teams prepare for their own matches.

All LCS matches will be played on Live Patch

Another significant change in LCS is at the patch level. Unlike previous seasons, the 2024 regular season matches will be played on live patches, meaning the same patches used by the in-game community will be called. However, for playoffs (playoffs), certain patches will be locked. and used throughout the competition. The change is part of a series of adjustments to the LCS, aimed at increasing viewer interest and engagement. It is designed to make League more relevant and dynamic by syncing with current meta developments in the game. So far, no other leagues have announced that they will follow this new rule, which means all other regions will continue with a patch. Behind live servers.