Last Updated on March 28, 2024 by Ashish
Riot Games has some exciting changes coming for Summer, and can also reveal that the Summer finalists will play on the mainstage in Munich!
EMEA Masters returns in 2024 with exciting competitive updates, so fans and players should mark their calendars!
The changes Riot is making to the overall format of EMEA Masters aren’t just to shake up the competitive scene; they’re designed to usher in more competitiveness and bring more excitement to fans and players alike!
Spring Split
Looking towards the Spring Split for 2024, it will be held in a very similar competitive format. Unfortunately, Riot only has a two-week window in the competitive calendar for the EMEA Masters Spring Split due to overall calendar restrictions, which isn’t suitable to properly accommodate the tournament as they did in 2023. To remedy this, the number of parallel matches will be increased, but the overall amount of matches has remained the same.
For 2024, Riot will continue with the three-stage approach, which sees 28 teams competing over two weeks – starting on April 15 and concluding on April 28. As a friendly reminder, here’s the format for the Spring Split:
| Stage | Format |
|---|---|
| Play-in | 16 teams, split into four groups of four. Best-of-one, double round-robin format. The top two teams in each group progress to Knock-outs. |
| Play-in (Knock-outs) | 8 teams will compete in a best-of-three series. The top four teams progress to the Group Stage. |
| Group Stage | 16 teams, split into four groups of four. Best-of-one, double round-robin format. The top two teams from each group progress to the Playoffs. |
| Playoffs | 8 teams will compete in a best-of-five, single elimination bracket. |
Summer Split
Riot has, however, made changes to the 2024 EMEA Masters Summer Split. Firstly, it will now be held in three stages: Last Chance Qualifiers (LCQ), Group Stage and Playoffs. A total of 38 different teams will compete throughout the tournament – so fans better strap in for the ride!
Last Chance Qualifiers
The Last Chance Qualifiers (LCQ) will be the stage where 24 teams compete for a ticket to the Group Stage – with one to three teams representing each region. Riot will be sharing more information on the format of this opening stage for the 2024 EMEA Masters Summer Split in the coming months, so fans should stay tuned!
Group Stage
The Group Stage will consist of 16 teams, with 13 of them having automatically qualified by winning their respective ERL Summer Finals. The remaining three teams will qualify through the LCQ. Four groups of four teams will battle for victory in a best-of-three, GSL format. The teams will be assigned to groups through a draw show. In the GSL format, if a team wins twice, they move on – so the pressure is on! Teams will have three chances to advance from their group. The top two teams from each group will then progress to the Playoffs.
Playoffs
The Playoffs will see the tournament’s best eight teams fighting fiercely for the crown. The format will be a double-elimination bracket, with the Group Stage’s first seeds placed in the upper bracket, and second seeds in the lower bracket. All matches will be best-of-three, except the Lower Bracket Finals and Grand Finals which are best-of-five, allowing teams to grapple intensely for the trophy!
Just like 2023, this year’s EMEA Masters Summer Finals will take place on the big stage during the 2024 LEC Roadshow. The two finalists will compete in front of the crowd for the championship title. More information on the finals weekend will be announced later this year, so fans should stay tuned!
