Here's everything you need to know about the season.
The League of Legends Championship Pacific (LCP) returns on 16 January 2026, bringing top-tier APAC League of Legends back to the stage.
With CTBC Flying Oyster defending their crown and new challengers entering the fray, the season promises intense matches, high stakes, and a clear path to international events.
Here’s everything you should know about the upcoming season:
Match schedule
Match times in Split 1 have been moved earlier: 1:00 PM GMT+7 / 2:00 PM GMT+8 / 3:00 PM GMT+9 / 5:00 PM GMT+11, giving fans across the region the best chance to catch all the action. Schedules will be updated regularly at lolesports.com.
Teams to watch in 2026
CTBC Flying Oyster are the team to beat. Their experience, synergy, and championship pedigree make them the defending favourites, but every team in 2026 will be gunning to dethrone them.
Deep Cross Gaming and 
Ground Zero, as guest teams, enter the league with everything to prove. They’ll be fighting not only for victories but to accumulate enough Championship Points to retain their spots in the LCP next season.
Other returning teams are hungry for redemption. Mid-tier squads from 2025 will be aiming to shake up the standings, while last year’s runners-up are set to push for global qualification. With the new points system, every match matters, consistency across all three splits is now more critical than ever.
The Championship Points system will drive the season
The Championship Points system rewards teams for consistent performance across all splits and stages. Here's how the championship points system will work:
Splits 1 & 2 – Regular Season:
- Each game win gives +1 point, each loss -1 point.
- At the end of Split 2, points from wins/losses are doubled.
- Teams also earn Standing Points based on final placement: 1st = 7 points, 2nd = 6 points … down to 6th = 2 points.
- If a team’s total from wins/losses goes negative, it resets to 0, but Standing Points are kept. This keeps teams in the hunt even if they struggle early.
Knockout Stage (Splits 1 & 2):
- Top 4 teams receive bonus points: 1st = 20, 2nd = 15, 3rd = 10, 4th = 5.
Split 3 – Swiss Stage:
- Teams earn points based on match results:
- 3-0 win = 50 pts
- 3-1 win = 40 pts
- 3-2 win = 30 pts
- 2-3 loss = 15 pts
- 1-3 loss = 3 pts
- 0-3 loss = 0 pts
- Tie-breakers are decided using Knockout or Playoff standings if teams have the same points.
The system ensures teams are rewarded for both consistency and clutch performances, building towards Split 3, where Worlds qualification is on the line.
Split Formats
Splits 1 & 2:
- Teams compete in a Single Round-Robin BO3 Regular Season.
- The top 6 teams advance to the Knockout Stage, which uses a hybrid elimination BO5 format.
- Split 1 winner earns the spot for First Stand 2026.
- Split 2 decides MSI qualification, including the team with the highest Championship Points.
- https://static.gosugamers.net/4d/65/31/999e74fbcba45884706ade3e96327d8da746ce05c8bd73bc2deff3b7a1.jpg
Split 3 – Swiss Stage:
- Introduces a Swiss-style format. The top 4 teams from Split 2 Knockouts face the bottom 4 in a random draw.
- Teams continue playing against opponents with similar win-loss records until they either:
- Secure 3 wins → qualify for Playoffs
- Suffer 3 losses → eliminated from Swiss Stage
- Key matchups and final seeding are decided in BO5s, with the top seed getting to choose their Playoff opponent.
Playoffs:
- The 4 teams from Swiss Stage compete in a Double Elimination BO5 bracket.
- Two teams earn tickets to Worlds, and the top team is crowned LCP champion.
- The team with the most Championship Points at the end of the season also qualifies for Worlds.
Promotion series returns
The LCP Promotion Series (P&R) is back in 2026, giving Guest Teams the chance to defend their league spots against top APAC domestic teams.
Championship Points determine P&R participation, but Guest Teams that qualify for Worlds are exempt. Full details for each slot will be shared closer to the event.
Tickets, broadcasts, and fan access
Fans can grab tickets for the LCP Arena through KKTIX or at FamilyMarts across Taiwan. Matchweek 1 tickets go on sale 7 January at 12PM GMT+8, with each ticket granting access to all matches scheduled on that day. Ticketing instructions are available in English, Chinese, and Japanese.
The Split 3 Finals Weekend will take place on 29–30 August 2026, with the location to be announced soon.
Viewers can follow the action online via local broadcasts:
- English: Twitch | YouTube
- Vietnamese: YouTube | TikTok
- Traditional Chinese: Twitch | YouTube
- Japanese: Twitch | YouTube
- Thai: Twitch | YouTube
With defending champions, new challengers, and the revamped Championship Points system leading into Swiss Stage and Playoffs, LCP 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting seasons yet. Every game matters, every point counts, and the Pacific is ready to erupt with League of Legends action.
