LPL will undergo significant changes after a long period of disappointing results
In the 2025 season, Riot decided to host the World Championship in China, with the main venues located in major cities of the populous nation. However, once again, LPL representatives disappointed as no teams from the region made it to the finals. This performance was even worse than last year. Coupled with the ups and downs of LPL over the years in both competitive performance and surrounding factors, LPL may implement drastic reforms to save the League of Legends scene in the region.
According to some information circulating in the LPL community, there is a possibility that in the upcoming transfer window, the region will change its format. Instead of direct deals between players and teams, there will be auctions for superstar players with certain regulations.
At the same time, according to the information, once a player has been “marked” by a team, unless there are violations or overlapping deals, players will not have the right to refuse. Even if a player turns down an accepted offer, they may face penalties, including bans from competing in certain stages of LPL 2026.
The community debates the new format of LPL
In reality, many opinions suggest that this could elevate the quality of top-tier teams, which are already known for their strong financial backing, such as JDG, TES, or BLG… However, for smaller teams, they may struggle to compete for skilled players and be forced to settle for cheaper, lower-quality rosters. Consequently, performance may decline, making it even harder for smaller teams to survive.
Players themselves may also face risks, as some teams will splurge to bid for superstars and then slot them into subpar rosters. If performance declines, it is entirely possible that these players will also deteriorate.
Currently, LPL has not released any official information regarding these changes, and it is likely that only after the conclusion of Worlds will the League of Legends community be informed of the specific developments.