Riot Games is making significant changes<\/a> to the EU LCS for 2018\u2014but it isn’t the sweeping overhaul that some hoped for. <\/p>
This is not the format change most were expecting, though. An ESPN report last month claimed<\/a> that the EU LCS would be expanded into four regional leagues, based in Berlin, London, Paris, and Barcelona. Teams would choose a home base, and the top teams would come together for a Europe-wide league. <\/p>
The report also claimed that these new regional leagues would host a total of 24 teams, with no relegation from the four groups. According to ESPN, this plan went as far as the existing EU LCS teams submitting<\/a> their preferences for which city they would be based in. <\/p>
EU LCS teams will also receive greater financial compensation for 2018, with a future revenue sharing model hinted at. Riot will be hoping this placates teams like H2k-Gaming, who claimed<\/a> they were running at a \u20ac1 million deficit. <\/span><\/p>
Making changes to the EU LCS and keeping leading teams happy has become a pressing concern for Riot. Four teams\u2014G2 Esports, Fnatic, Splyce, and Misfits\u2014<\/span><\/span><\/span>reportedly<\/a> applied for NA LCS franchise spots in an attempt to jump across the pond. If ESPN’s reports of that process are correct however, none of the four teams were <\/span>chosen<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>
