European League of Legends has experienced substantial growth over the last two seasons. We will dive into the European regional leagues, a complex ecosystem that provides talented players and exciting storylines.

League of Legends has been the world’s most popular esport title for some time now. While the number of viewers and players have hit record numbers around the world, one region has developed more than all others in the last few years – Europe has become a global LoL force.

Today we will take a look at the core of Europe’s success – its lower regional leagues.

These leagues are the breeding grounds of an endless supply of hungry new talent. This has allowed new and established esports organizations to easily field rosters that can compete at a high level.

The best place to nurture talent

Regional competitions are not new in European LoL, but they have only recently become officially sanctioned (the beginning of the 2018 season).

Presently, there are 13 Riot-sanctioned regional leagues, one for almost every European country.

LVP SuperLiga Orange (Spain)

LFL (France),

UKLC (United Kingdom & Ireland)

Nordic Championship (Scandinavia)

Premier Tour (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)

Ultraliga (Poland)

EBL (Balkans)

GLL (Greece & Cyprus)

PG Nationals (Italy)

LPLoL (Portugal)

Baltic Masters (Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia)

Hitpoint Masters (Czech Republic & Slovakia)

BPL (Benelux)

The top teams from each of these leagues qualify for the European Masters, a Champions League-style tournament, which determines the best regional (second) division team in Europe.

League of Legends European Championship’s (LEC, Europe’s first division continental league) growing popularity is directly correlated with the increasing number of players in the regional divisions. In the 2019 season, 22 players made their debut at Europe’s top-level competition – nearly a third of them were from the regional leagues.

Most of these players were already performing at top levels, largely because of their experience within regional leagues – nowadays rookies arrive into LEC having already played multiple nail-biting finals – they are used to functioning in a high-performing team environment.



The players’ dream: going pro in a safe environment

Players can now go pro and make a living in the regional leagues.

Not so long ago, trying to become a professional player was a do-or-die endeavour that resulted in either getting into EU LCS (the name of Europe’s top league before being rebranded to LEC at the start of this year) or failing miserably.

With lower leagues increasingly becoming fully professional, it is possible to build an entire career outside of LEC and make a liveable wage.

Many players are now choosing to finish school while playing on a team. This has been made possible by the lower level of commitment required to actively compete in a regional league.

The teams’ perspective: an opportunity for careful investment

Teams are also benefiting from the regional league system.

Getting into the franchised LEC is extremely expensive. A lot of organizations, even top-tier ones, do not know if the 8 million euros entry fee is justified.

The regional league’s lower-cost means teams in the esports industry, such as Ninjas in Pyjamas, Giants Gaming, Mousesports, BIG, and Movistar Riders, can continue to promote their brand to LoL fans without having to break the bank.

Additionally, the regional and international nature of the EU Masters means regionally popular clubs like Lithuania’s Žalgiris, Serbia’s Red Star, Germany’s 1860 Munich, Portugal’s Boavista FC or Slovakia’s AS Trenčín, can expand their influence both in their home countries and internationally.

The fan’s view: a way to cheer for your own home team

Many fans from European countries have, up until recently, never seen a team from their home country compete at a professional level. The regional league system has changed this. It has created exciting matches, success stories and rivalries in every region.

We are excited to see how the region continues to develop.