Addressing player feedback, Riot Games changed the format of the EMEA Masters ahead of its summer event. Scheduled to unfold from July 31 to August 30, the tournament will now have more teams competing in more best-of-fives.
After the mixed reception of the format introduced earlier this year, Riot is revamping the tournament’s format, which now promises a more engaging and competitive experience for participating teams and spectators alike. With a larger pool of teams, a Swiss Stage, and adjustments to slot distribution, Riot aims to address the concerns raised by the community.
Riot has also modified the slot distribution to ensure a “fairer” representation across all regions. Accredited ERLs will now receive six slots each, with the top three teams qualifying directly into the Swiss Stage and the remaining three teams entering the Last Chance Qualifier. Non-accredited ERLs will qualify four teams, with the distribution dependent on their performance in recent EM events.
The upcoming summer event will feature a 60-team tournament, offering more opportunities for regional talents to showcase their skills—starting with matches in the LCQ.
Kicking off on July 31, the LCQ will see teams compete in single-elimination brackets with regional protection applied to prevent direct clashes this early in the tournament. The LCQ will run until August 2 and will have best-of-three matches in the initial rounds, evolving to best-of-fives in the final one, determining qualification for the Swiss Stage.
The addition of best-of-five matches throughout all stages of the tournament adds an extra layer of intensity to the event, but the introduction of a Swiss Stage is perhaps the biggest change yet.
Comprising the top four teams from the LCQ and the 28 teams that automatically qualified, this new stage will see teams strive to secure four wins to advance to the Playoffs while facing the risk of elimination if they suffer four losses. Matches initially will follow a best-of-one format, transitioning to best-of-threes during the qualification and elimination rounds.
In the Playoffs, the final 16 teams will battle it out in best-of-five single elimination matches to secure a ticket for the 2024 EMEA Summer Finals on August 30, scheduled to take place along the LEC Season Finals in Munich. More information about the broadcasts, co-streams, and potential surprises are expected to be announced closer to the event.
