Speaking to RFT.GG at the Summer Finals in Nice, LEC commissioner Artem Bykov confirmed that LEC Versus — the semi-open, single-split format trialled earlier this year — will not return in 2026. He framed the experiment as a successful proof of concept that helped open the door for third-party tier-two competitions rather than a permanent fixture.
"This first split, LEC Versus went really well — one of the most viewed and exciting LEC splits ever. The viewership was good," Bykov said. "When we look at next year, we feel like LEC Versus, in a sense, we wanted to have a proof of concept, and this event paved the way and was one of the first steps towards competitions like the EWC qualifier or now the WSCI starting tomorrow."
He continued: "We have more competitions now happening in the tier-two space, and we wanted to pave the way for them.
We are not planning to bring LEC Versus back, and we are aiming to have a classic LEC experience with 10 LEC teams playing.
Asked whether the decision was linked to the departure of Los Ratones — the team around whom much of the format's hype and viewership had been built — Bykov pointed instead to the league's priorities going forward.
