League of Legends Japan League joins Pacific Championship Series to create unified Pacific League in 2024
League of Legends pros like Yutapon, Aria, and Milan will have the opportunity to explore other teams in the greater Pacific region without being considered an import.
In a move to strengthen and expand the League of Legends (LoL) Pacific Championship Series (PCS), Riot Games has decided to integrate the LoL Japan League (LJL) into the the PCS League in Season 2024.
This came after the LoL Circuit Oceania (LCO) was integrated into the PCS earlier this year as well, with the strategic expansion being a significant step toward creating a unified Pacific powerhouse in the global LoL esports ecosystem.
“We hope that by giving teams a chance to test their mettle against other strong competitors on a pan-regional level, we can improve the quality of all pro teams and foster a higher level of competition across a multi-tiered ecosystem,” the LoL Esports team said in a press release on Monday (27 November).
What does this mean for the players in the PCS?
This means that LJL players like DetonatioN FocusMe top laner Yuta "Yutapon" Sugiura or Lee “Aria” Ga-eul, will now be considered PCS “residents” and can move across teams within the region without being considered an import.
This also opens doors to other players from Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, FENNEL, Sengoku Gaming, and more.
With many of the LJL players’ contracts expiring this year, we’ve yet to see if some of them would consider moving to other teams within the PCS.
How does this affect existing organisations within the two leagues?
This expansion is said also to be beneficial to the players and the teams in the region. By consolidating the leagues, pro teams gain a broader platform with access to new fan bases and increased viewership potential, which can open doors to other opportunities.
This doesn’t mean that the Japanese teams won’t have the chance to compete against each other. In fact, Like the LCO integration, LJL will continue its domestic season in Japan.
The top three LJL teams will then enter the PCS Playoffs, competing alongside six PCS and twLCO teams for coveted spots at international events like MSI and Worlds, with the Spring Split first-placed team qualifying for the MSI, and the Summer Split top two teams earning spots at Worlds.
PCS Playoffs Format
The PCS Playoffs will see the top three LJL teams, along with the top six PCS teams and top two LCO teams, competing in a revamped format.
The PCS Playoffs will now consist of two stages. In Stage One, teams will be split into Groups A and B, competing in a double-elimination format.
Winners from each group will move forward, while the remaining teams will vie for lower-bracket victories in their groups. The two successful teams will then compete in an Advancement Match for the final Stage Two spot.
In Stage Two, the six qualified teams will face off in a double-elimination bracket to determine the best team in the Pacific.
While this may feel like the teams in the expanded PCS may have fewer chances of getting into Worlds, the intense inter-region competition will expose them to the playstyle and meta of more League players in different countries.
Is this move beneficial to fans?
With a more diverse group from different countries going head-to-head in PCS tournaments, fans can look forward to more exciting matches, involvement, and, most likely, better fanfare.
Some “hyper-local experiences” will be created for each community to bolster support for the different teams and reignite the League community in the Pacific region.
Broadcasts in English, Japanese, Mandarin, and Cantonese, will also be available for fans to tune into. PCS updates and matches will also be made more accessible via official social media channels.
As the news develops, however, fans and players will need to wait for further details in the coming weeks to know which teams are participating, and what team rosters are changing.
Anna is a freelance writer and photographer. She is a gamer who loves RPGs and platformers, and is a League of Legends geek. She's also a food enthusiast who loves a good cup of black coffee.
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