Two weeks after the LCK rewrote its spending rules, it is the LEC's turn. Riot has published version 1.3 of the LEC Sporting Financial Regulations (SFR) rulebook, dated September 24 — and behind the technical updates sits a clear direction: the cap is coming down, hard, just as the offseason approaches.
A quick reminder of how the SFR works
Unlike a hard cap, the SFR taxes overspending on star salaries. Only each team's five highest-paid players count toward the "SFR Spend," measured against a threshold: exceed it, and the team pays a fee. 50% of the excess up to 150% of the threshold, 100% beyond that, with a 5% grace band that turns into a flat fee if abused twice in four seasons. The proceeds are split 50/50: half to compliant teams that also met the spending floor, half to the league — earmarked, notably, for the ERLs and EMEA Masters.
The cut: from €2 million to €1.65 million
Since the system launched in 2024, the threshold had sat at €2,000,000 with a €1,000,000 floor. Version 1.3 sets the 2027 season at €1,650,000 — a 17.5% cut — with the floor lowered to €825,000. And the squeeze is structural: the baselines already published point to €1,200,000 for 2028 and €1,000,000 for 2029. The message to teams is unambiguous — the era of €2 million star payrolls is being wound down, season by season.
