Riot Games Announced LCP Teams Will Return to the PCS VCS and LJL From Two Thousand and Twenty Seven
Every team in the PCS, VCS and LJL will now have a chance to qualify for the LCP bracket stage in each split, rather than one annual promotion slot.
Riot Games announced on Monday 21 September 2026 that League of Legends Championship Pacific (LCP) teams will move back to their domestic leagues from the 2027 season, ending the current arrangement in which teams are based in a central hub in Taipei.
Under the new structure, teams will play their regular splits in their home leagues, the PCS, the VCS in Vietnam and the LJL in Japan. The top finishers from each league will then advance to an LCP bracket stage, which will act as the regional competition that decides qualification for international events.
The change widens the route to the top level. Previously, domestic sides had a limited opportunity to reach the LCP through a single annual Promotion Series, whereas every team in the PCS, VCS and LJL will now be able to qualify for the LCP in each split. Wild Card regions will keep a separate qualification path, with further details to follow.
Riot cited relocation and operating costs, fan engagement in local markets and player welfare as reasons for the move. Current LCP teams will retain Regional Global Revenue Pool support in 2027, while teams that qualify for global events become eligible for the Global Event revenue pool.
The announcement comes as the region prepares for the 2026 World Championship. Team Secret Whales, who won every LCP title in 2026, CTBC Flying Oyster and Vietnam's MVK Esports have qualified to represent the region at Worlds, which begins on 15 October.