Look Sports Media – Riot Games has finally unleashed its official EMEA women’s League of Legends competition, League of Legends Game Changers (LGC), following 2022 reports. The inaugural LGC Rising culminates in a Grand Final at Paris Games Week this October, marking a significant step towards a thriving competitive ecosystem for women in the region. While not the first women-only LoL tournament, this is the first officially sanctioned by Riot Games itself, a move drawing both excitement and scrutiny.
The tournament welcomes all self-identifying women, though the inclusion of non-binary individuals remains unclear, prompting inquiries to Riot Games EMEA for clarification. Inspired by the Valorant Game Changers initiative, Riot aims to foster a safe and inclusive environment. However, the success of Valorant’s iteration has been mixed, with some questioning its long-term viability, as noted by Maryam "Mary" Maher, who highlighted the inherent instability within esports.
Riot hopes LGC will flourish, starting with smaller-scale tournaments before expanding. The LEC will play a supporting role, with teams like G2 Esports, Team Vitality, and SK Gaming—already boasting female League of Legends rosters—potentially participating. The recent success of G2 Hel, the first all-female LoL team to qualify for Tier 2 of a European Regional League, further fuels anticipation.
Related Post
The Road to Paris: The competition kicks off in August with online Open Qualifiers. The Group Stage runs from September 13th to 29th, followed by Playoffs from October 10th to 15th. The Grand Final takes center stage at Paris Games Week on October 30th, coinciding with the start of the 2025 LoL World Championship—a potential scheduling conflict for the nascent tournament. However, Riot Games is still finalizing details, so dates remain subject to change.
Who’s Playing?
LGC Rising is open to self-identifying women. Three established teams—G2 Hel, Vitality Bees, and SK Gaming Avarosa—receive direct invitations, along with the three Equal Esports Cup finalists. An Open Qualifier ensures broader participation.
Tournament Format:
Eight teams compete in two groups, playing a best-of-one round robin. The top three from each group advance to a double-elimination best-of-five playoff bracket. The top two finalists clash in the Paris Games Week Grand Final.
The future of LGC remains unwritten, but its launch marks a bold step by Riot Games into a potentially transformative chapter for women’s competitive League of Legends. Whether it can overcome the inherent challenges of the esports landscape and achieve lasting success remains to be seen.
Leave a Comment