League of Legends has been around for a long time, with pro play being a major focus for almost the entire lifespan of the game. After over 15 years of waiting, Riot’s finally stepping in and creating a Game Changers LoL circuit.
The vast majority of esports leagues are comprised primarily of men despite there being no gender restrictions in almost any of them. The talent of both women and marginalized genders is rarely considered when it comes to pro league spots – though there are a few exceptions.
Valorant’s Game Changers League has been a huge force in esports when it comes to bringing women into the spotlight, boasting the biggest prize pool and viewership numbers for women’s esports leagues. Some Game Changers players have even been considered for proper VCT spots, with one player getting a spot in 2025 – though that had no shortage of controversy.
Now, almost 2 decades after the original release of League of Legends, Riot is finally doing a Game Changers league focused on highlighting new talent and giving women a chance to compete.
Riot creates League of Legends Game Changers league
It’s not as if there have never been options for women and people of marginalized genders to compete in League of Legends. But they’ve all been independent efforts and have been sparse across the years. This is the first time Riot has shown interest in officially sanctioning a women’s LoL circuit.
Riot is trying to do this in a way that doesn’t diminish the efforts of those who have tried to create their own leagues, and they’re doing so by starting with LGC Rising, and competition will start up in just a few months.
Here’s the proposed schedule:
- Open Qualifier: August (Date TBC)
- Group Stage: September 13–14, 20–21, 27–29
- Playoffs: October 10–12 and 14–15
- Grand Final: October 30, live on stage at Paris Games Week
To form an 8-team tournament, the first LGC event will have three teams that are already competing and affiliated with LEC organizations, the top three performing teams from the Equal Esports Cup, and two spots for teams to join through an open qualifier.
However, that LEC part is important because Game Changers will only be in Europe to start. There are currently no plans from Riot to expand outside of the region.
That said, it’s a noble first effort from Riot to try and make LoL esports a bit more inclusive and give people a chance to prove their worth.
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