The EM X account has unveiled the format for the EMEA Masters Spring 2026, and the tournament is returning to a tighter structure after the unusually expanded Winter edition that ultimately crowned Solary. The Spring edition is built around 20 unique teams split across three phases, down from the 36 sides that competed in Winter.
Three phases, one path
The bracket is divided into Play-in, Group Stage and Playoffs.
The Play-in features eight teams playing single-elimination matches in a BO3 (best-of-three) format. Only four make it to the next round.
The Group Stage gathers 16 teams — the 12 directly seeded plus the four Play-in survivors — split into GSL groups played in BO3. The top two from each group reach the Playoffs.
The Playoffs then move to a single-elimination bracket of eight teams, with every match played in a BO5 (best-of-five). There is no double-elimination safety net this time. One loss, and the run is over.
Slot distribution: 13 ERLs, two clear tiers
All thirteen ERLs are represented, but not equally. The LFL, LES, Prime League and TCL each receive two Group Stage spots, reflecting their relative competitive depth. The Arabian League, the Hellenic Legends League (Greece) and the LoL Italian Tournament each get one Group Stage and one Play-in slot. The Rift Legends (Poland) rounds out the directly seeded sides with a single Group Stage entry.
The remaining single slots in Play-Ins are distributed across the Hitpoint Masters, the Road of Legends, the Esports Balkan League, LPLOL and the NLC.
How it compares to Winter
The Winter Split was an outlier, expanded to 36 teams because of the new Esports World Cup qualifier path attached to it. Spring strips that back down.
The Champions Match opening phase is gone. The Group Stage keeps the GSL format used in Winter, but with four groups of four instead of eight. The Playoffs themselves shrink from twelve teams to eight, drop the double-elimination structure for single elimination, and move to BO5 throughout. Winter had used BO3 series with BO5 finals only.
En vrai, c'est plus intéressant d'avoir moins d'équipes par championnat, mais que la LFL soit au même niveau que les autres ligues. Au moins donner 1 slots de plus en Play In pour la LFL