The League of Legends Japan League will be joining the Pacific Championship Series (PCS) ecosystem to “strengthen the League esports ecosystem in the Asia Pacific region,” says Riot Games.

Why is the LJL joining PCS?

In an official article posted by LoL Esports staff, they outlined several key principles that outline their development of League of Legends Esports in the Asia Pacific region.

The first was to create a unified Pacific League that is competitive in the global League of Legends 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 change is evident as no PCS team has made it into an international event's Playoff Stage since its formation in 2020. The last time this happened was in the Mid-Season Invitational in 2018 with Flash Wolves as part of the LMS region.

Another principle for the joining of LJL was to improve the fan experience. Quality broadcast products in English, Japanese, Mandarin, and Cantonese will be provided on top of more hyper-local experiences across the region. Having unified PCS social channels will also make it easier for fans to get league updates and match information.

This consolidation is also a crucial step toward creating a more sustainable esports environment where professional players and organizations can thrive. It provides pro teams with a larger platform, potentially expanding their fan bases and viewership. LJL players, now considered residents of the PCS, can join any PCS team without being classified as import players, although LJL teams must still include at least three Japanese players.

LJL players will no longer be considered imports within the PCS, but LJL teams will still be required to have at least three Japanese players on their roster.

LJL Schedule, Roadmap, and Bracket

The long-time viewers of LJL will not have to adjust much as the league will continue its domestic season in Japan. The top three teams from the domestic league will be seeded into the PCS Playoffs and compete with other PCS and LCO teams for the trophy and spots at international events like MSI and Worlds.

The first placed team from the Spring Split qualifies for MSI, while the top two teams from the Summer Split qualifies for Worlds.

PCS Playoffs

As the top three teams from the LJL join the PCS Playoffs, they will compete the top six teams from the PCS and the top two teams from the LCO. This means a rework for the playoff bracket as well, as it is now divided into two stages with three top seeds getting a bye into Stage Two.

In Stage One, teams will be split into Groups A and B, competing in a double-elimination format with winners of each group advancing. The remaining teams will compete to become the Lower Bracket winners of their groups. The two victors will then compete in an Advancement Match for the final Stage Two spot.

In Stage Two, the six qualified teams go to battle as they make their way through a double-elimination bracket to be crowned the best team in the Pacific.

It's currently unknown how this affects the number of slots that the PCS gets on international events. LoL Esports promised more information on seeding distribution soon.