The upcoming season of the 2026 LCK Challengers League (LCK CL), the official secondary league for League of Legends, is set to kick off on Monday, March 30.
This year, the LCK CL regular season will see some changes, transitioning to a single-season format with four rounds instead of five. The first four rounds will be played online, while the Play-In and Playoffs will be held offline. The season will span approximately six months, split into pre and post-Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) periods.
Leading up to MSI, all 10 LCK CL teams will compete in Rounds 1 and 2 in a double round-robin setup. From Round 3 onwards, teams will be split based on performance: the top five will form the Challenge Group, while the bottom five will populate the Trial Group, with both groups continuing in a double round-robin style. Qualification for the Play-In and Playoffs will hinge on cumulative results from all four rounds.
For the LCK CL Playoffs, seeding will be determined by the regular season standings. The top two Challenge Group teams will advance straight to Round 2 of the Playoffs, while the third- and fourth-placed teams will start in Round 1. Additionally, the fifth-place Challenge Group team and the top three Trial Group teams will secure spots in the Play-In. The winner of the Play-In winners’ match will claim the No. 5 seed for the Playoffs, while the victor of the final qualification match will secure the No. 6 seed. The Play-In and Playoffs will follow a seeded tournament and full double-elimination format, with all matches played as best-of-five.
The total prize pool for the LCK CL regular season stands at 99.5 million won. The champions will walk away with 40 million won, the runners-up with 25 million won, third place with 15 million won, and fourth place with 7.5 million won. Additional awards include 2.5 million won for the Regular Round MVP, 1 million won each for the five players selected to the ALL CL Team, 2 million won for the CL Coach of the Year, and 2.5 million won for the Finals MVP.
The LCK CL regular season is scheduled to commence on Monday, March 30, at 2 p.m. with KT Rolster taking on DN Supers. Following that, BNK FEARX will face Hanwha Life Esports at 4 p.m., and Hanwha BRION will clash with Nongshim RedForce at 6 p.m. On Tuesday, March 31, Dplus KIA will go up against Gen.G Global Academy at 5 p.m., followed by KIWOOM DRX versus T1 Esports Academy at 7 p.m.
Additionally, LCK CL matches will be part of the 2026 T1 Home Ground, the LCK roadshow event spanning three days starting Friday, April 24. The LCK CL schedule for the event will feature T1 Esports Academy against Hanwha BRION on Saturday, April 25, at 1 p.m., followed by T1 Esports Academy versus BNK FEARX on Sunday, April 26.
The broadcast team for the matches will remain unchanged from the Kickoff, with casters Shim Ji-su and Park Han-eol, alongside commentators “Nuclear” Shin Jeong-hyeon and “Kuro” Lee Seo-haeng. The matches will be live-streamed online via SOOP and CHZZK, with more information available through the official LCK CL channels.
The 2026 LCK CL is being organized and hosted by Riot Games Korea, with overall operations overseen by the Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA). WDG is in charge of broadcast production, and Woori Bank has come on board as the league’s sponsor.