In order to integrate various resources and improve the ratings of League of Legends esports, Riot Games announced on June 11 that the League of Legends 2025 tournament schedule will be overhauled, including the Pacific PCS, Viet Nam VCS, Japan LJL, and Australia LCO four regions, which will be merged into a new Asia-Pacific region. There will be 8 teams in the Asia-Pacific region next year, of which 4 are fixed places, 2 are invited places, and the other 2 are based on team results. After the merger, the Asia-Pacific region has established a relegation and relegation system, which can allow teams in the second division to also have the stage of the top league.
On July 23, Riot Games signed an MOU agreement with Kairui International to become the tournament executive unit for the Asia-Pacific League. The 2+1-year contract will feature Chinese Taipei as the focus of the Asia-Pacific region, as well as a new home stadium for the competition. In other words, representative teams from Southeast Asia, Japan, Australia and Viet Nam will go to the "E-sports Stadium" in Chinese Taipei to participate in the competition. Kairui International has been holding the PCS League since 2021, and will undertake all aspects of LJL event operation, broadcast production and business cooperation from the 2024 Spring Season.
When Kairui International took over the PCS league in 2021, it said that they would build a large esports stadium, and now it is confirmed that it will officially debut in 2025. Jerry, CEO of Kairui International, said that the location of the e-sports stadium will be in the center of the team in Taipei, China, but the specific location is not convenient to disclose at present, but he stressed that it will definitely be in a place with "convenient transportation". However, Jerry later confirmed on the League of Legends forum that it was not the previous host of the PCS League, Nangang Neihu.
This year's PCS Summer Tournament will also be held in an expanded scale, and will also be held in person at the Peace Basketball Stadium, which will be held for two consecutive days, starting with the finals of the lower bracket, so that all League of Legends fans can experience the excitement of live events together. The PCS Playoffs include the winners of LJL and LCO events, and this year it almost ended with Japan winning the cup.
At the press conference, Riot Games emphasized that they will focus on the Asia-Pacific league in Chinese Taipei, where esports has a strong atmosphere. The reason why they merged multiple wild card regions is to integrate the resources of the Asia-Pacific region, improve the overall strength of the region, and increase the visibility of the game. At the same time, they also want to unite fans across the Asia-Pacific region to bring new event experiences and expand their fan base.
In response, Riot Games has partnered with Shine International to license a 2+1-year contract, effective from the end of 2025, with the goal of achieving the highest level of esports in the Asia-Pacific region. In this regard, Kairui International will be responsible for the broadcast operation of offline e-sports stadiums and events, and will also produce Chinese traditional Chinese streaming of all League of Legends international events, after all, there will be 1 new international event next year, and League of Legends will have 3 international events throughout the year.
In response to this regional consolidation, Riot Games hopes to select the most competitive teams to compete in international competitions, and hopes to activate the esports atmosphere of the Asia-Pacific League through a better mechanism to bring these teams to the international stage, so that they can take the next stage on the international stage.
Earlier this year, after PCS powerhouse BYG announced its disbandment due to financial issues, Riot Games answered that question at today's press conference. They mentioned that League of Legends will provide a share of the sales of electronic goods (possibly team skins, emotes, etc.) in 2025, hoping that this model can stimulate teams to expand more fans, not only within the region, but also through international performances. Through the sales of in-game e-sports-themed items, a positive cycle of games and e-sports is formed, so as to solve the economic operation problems of the team.