Riot Games lays out the schedule for the 2026 League of Legends ERLs season

As we edge ever closer to the end of the calendar year, Riot Games is looking to get a jump on 2026's proceedings by announcing the plans for the 2026 EMEA Regional Leagues (ERLs).

These are effectively the leagues that are below the LEC, and across the EMEA region there are a grand total of 13 of these, including the UK and Nordic-based Northern LoL Championship and the Spanish ERL (full name to be shared at a later date). While these each have their own confirmed teams, they all operate with the same schedules and formats, meaning we can report on one and report on them all.

With this being the case, the schedule for the 2026 ERLs is outlined as such:

• ERL Winter Split - January 7 - March 8


• EMEA Masters Winter - March 9 - March 15


• ERL Spring Split - March 23 - June 7


• EMEA Masters Spring - June 8 - June 25


• ERL Summer Split - June 26 - September 17


• EMEA Masters Summer - September 21 - October 19

As for all 13 ERLs, these are known as the below:

• Ligue Française de LoL


• Prime League


• LoL Italian Tournament


• Arabian League


• Hellenic Legends League


• Hitpoint Masters


• Northern LoL Championship


• Rift Legends


• Liga Portuguesa de LoL


• Esports Balkan League


• Road of Legends


• Turkish Championship League


• Spain ERL

You can see the location of all the ERLs below. Update 8/12/2025: The map has since been updated with confirmed locations for ERL 2026.

The other changes of note include the removal of the LTR restrictions that meant every team had to have at least two locally trained representatives, with this change coming through to "allow some ERLs to increase this limit to better serve their region's specific needs," and to "empower TOs to deliver the best product possible for their audiences."

Are you excited for the return of the ERLs?