LEC Commissioner Artem Bykov has publicly conceded that the 2025 Summer Split format fell short of expectations, following substantial criticism from players and fans.
Bykov also announced that changes are already in development for the 2026 LEC season.
“We want to be upfront about it. Summer Split format didn’t land the way we hoped and we won’t bring it back next year,” Bykov said on X (formerly Twitter). “We’re also looking for ways to increase the number of competition days across the whole year in 2026,” he added, addressing the core complaints which compared the lack of LEC matches to China’s LPL and Korea’s LCK.
The statement comes after weeks of intense criticism from professional players, such as GiantX’s Noah and NAVI standouts, as well as fans, who lambasted the schedule for its long gaps between matches and overall awkward pacing.
Artem provided clarity on the community’s declining interest in best-of-one matches, and said that the “tight calendar window between MSI/EWC and the Madrid Finals” made it harder for the European league to avoid bo1s completely.
Many fans theorized that the scheduling conflict with the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) was to blame for the LEC’s unpopular Monday and Tuesday matchdays, assuming that both tournaments competing for the same studio space was the cause. However, Artem clarified the situation with data, revealing that only four of the LEC’s 23 weeks this year were actually affected by the overlap.
Despite this, he acknowledged that even those few weeks contributed to a lingering sense of disruption, making the entire Summer Split feel off for viewers, particularly the LEC matches on Monday and Tuesday.
Among many upcoming changes in 2026, the Commissioner confirmed that they’re considering conducting a few matches online in addition to their regular offline schedule to accommodate more matches without engaging the studio to deliver the optimal viewing experience for the fans.
This transparent response is likely to be welcomed by a frustrated community, offering a clear admission of a misstep and a promise of a better experience for the fans and players alike. The details for the revamped format are promised after the Split concludes.
The LEC Summer Split 2025 playoffs start with the lower bracket match between Team Heretics and Team Vitality on Friday, Sept. 5.
