With First Stand crowning BiliBili Gaming as champions, it’s time to turn our eyes to the start of action in LoL esports with the second split of the season. Here are all the split 2 start dates of the LoL 2026 season, as teams fight their way to an MSI qualification.
Split 2 Start Dates by region
- LEC: March 28
- LCK: April 1
- LPL: April 4
- LCS: April 4
- LCP: April 4
- CBLOL: March 28
CBLOL and the LEC will be the first regions to kick off the second split, followed by the LCK on Wednesday, April 1, with the Telecom War between T1 and KT Rolster. All the other leagues will start on Saturday, April 4.
Regions to host the EWC Qualifiers during split 2
Compared to the previous seasons, the second split will not only qualify the top teams for MSI but also feature the qualifiers for the Esports World Cup tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Each region will have its own tournament, featuring all the non-qualified teams for the 2026 edition (Korean team Gen.G is automatically qualified as the 2025 defending champion).
The LEC is the only region that will also allow tier-two teams to take part in the competition, with both EMEA Masters Winter finalists locking a spot. The two teams will be determined on April 14, when the EM Winter lower bracket final will take place. Each league will feature a double elimination bracket, with best-of-three matches throughout until the grand final, which will be best-of-five. The schedule for each qualifier is as follows:
Split 2 Playoff Schedule
With the addition of the EWC qualifiers, playoffs across regions will undergo major changes in schedule. For most regions, the qualifiers will take place prior to the playoffs, while CBLOL is currently the only one confirmed to have the qualifier after the end of the LoL split 2 playoffs.
- LEC: May 23 – June 7
- LCK: June 6 – June 14
- LPL: TBD
- LCS: May 23 – June 14
- LCP: May 23 – June 7
- CBLOL: May 9 – June 6
