What we know as the League of Legends Championship Series format is reportedly no longer. According to Travis Gafford, Riot Games is considering a new format for the 2021 season, merging the Spring and Summer Spit format into a single seasonal championship, spanning about the same length as the two splits combined.

The season-long format will begin with a pre-season tournament, comparable to the Overwatch League’s pre-season playoffs, followed by the regular season, which will see a break around the Mid-Season Invitational. Coming to its closure, each LCS team is expected to play 45 matches in the span of 30 weeks.

Riot Games will reportedly be selecting the LCS MSI representative through mid-season playoffs, picking the top six teams in the standings before the league comes to a break.

Gafford’s report suggests that LCS Academy will also switch to maintenance mode, being shrunk to a smaller size with fewer games throughout the year. Riot is looking to open up the Academy system so second division teams have a shot at the tournament.

It is unclear where the LCS will be broadcast in the upcoming year, however, Gafford has listed Twitch, its competitor Caffeine, and YouTube as possible exclusive broadcast partners, entering a model similar to the Overwatch League.

The LCS changes have not been confirmed by Riot Games.

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