Last Updated on January 26, 2021 4:36 pm by
Over the past 12 years that League of Legends has been available to play, the game has experienced drastic changes that affect winning conditions, champions that we love, and even Summoner’s Rift itself. While the game might have changed drastically since the 2009 Beta, betting on League of Legends has stayed quite the same. However, 2021 has given us the opportunity to bet on League of Legends pro play like never before with the introduction of the new 2021 LCS format.
Previously, the LCS (League Champion Series) was broken into four main ‘splits’ or seasons; Spring Split, MSI, Summer Split and Worlds. This year, the format has changed slightly with changes to season lengths, betting options and more.
Our team of League of Legends addicts and amateur Clash pros have created a guide for new and veteran players alike to start dominating LoL fantasy pools and raking in those payouts.
* If you’re wanting the latest updates on League of Legends betting, LCS betting, or other popular LoL Leagues, be sure to check out our dedicated League of Legends betting page.
The New 2021 Lock-In Stage:
This year, Riot Games has decided to change the format of their LCS tournaments by adding in a new “kick-off” tournament for the season called the “LCS Lock In. This lock-in tournament will be the first competitive League of Legends tournament featured within the 2021 LCS Season.
The tournament will set a strong precedent for the rest of the season, with Riot Games stating that the three-week tournament will determine ‘who’s the team to beat throughout the 2021 LCS season.
The format for the New 2021 LCS Lock In Tournament is as follows:
- A Three Week Tournament.
- Begins with Group Stage, where the top two teams of the previous season draft their group opponents.
- Each group will participate in a four-day Round Robin.
- Top four groups will be placed into an eight-team, single-elimination bracket – determining the 2021 LCS Lock In Champion.
The winner of the 2021 LCS Lock In Tournament will win the $150,000 prize pool. Additionally, each team will receive an additional $50,000 to go to a charity of their choosing. Last to note, the Lock In Champions will also gain a ‘side selection’ advantage during their Game 5 of the regular 2021 LCS season.
Additionally, your favourite teams may be showcasing some up-and-coming talent as LCS Lock allows teams to experiment with their roster before February 5, 2021. However, games played during the LCS Lock In stage won’t count towards the overall season standings. Our Gambyl LoL Experts expect this stage to have loads of prop bets and other betting formats as these games will be free of affecting overall season standings.
Games Get Real During The Spring Split
The regular LCS Spring Split is the first competitive League season where winnings matter. LCS teams will be participating in a six week tournament to determine who will represent NA in the year’s first global competition, The Mid Season Invitational.
The spring split Starts February 5, 2021 and ends March 14, 2021. The format has been expanded from previous seasons, expanding the format into five games a day, spread across three days.
Games can be viewed on the LCS Twitch Channel or LOLesports.com during the following times.
- Friday at 3:00pm PT.
- Saturday at 1:00pm PT.
- Sunday at 1:00pm PT.
The 2021Mid-Season Showdown
After the 2021 LCS Lock In and the Spring Split, the LCS will be half way throughout their regular season. The Mid Season Showdown will determine who will represent the North American region at the annual Mid-Season invitational (MSI).
The 2021 Mid-Season Showdown will feature the top six teams from the Spring Split. The tournament features a double elimination bracket, and it’s pretty close to the format that League Veterans are used to.
However, this year, the first seed MUST play the fourth seed. It’s important to note that the side selection will always go to the team that dropped from the lower bracket most recently.
The winner of the Mid-Season Showdown will the crowned the 2021 LCS Champion and automatically qualify into MSI.
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The Summer Split
The LCS Summer split is a triple round robin tournament with over nine weeks of play, determining the second LCS Champions and the team who will represent North America at the 2021 World Championships.
Although the Summer Split format has stayed more or less the same, it should be noted that game days have shifted from previous years. This means that teams will no longer be playing two matches in one week.
The 2021 LCS Summer Split starts June 4th, 2021 and will conclude with the 2021 Summer Split Finals taking place on August 1st.
The 2021 LCS Championship
The 2021 LCS Championship is the last tournament of the yearly NA LCS format, taking place from August 7th, 2021 to August 29th, 2021.
At the beginning of the season, LCS teams will be seeded by combining their Spring Split and Summer Regular Season records. Teams will then be blacked into a ‘double-elimination ultimate showdown’.
However, it should be noted that there will be several format changes from the previous 2020 Summer Playoffs’ format. The following changes include:
- An ‘inverted’ bracket format.
- This ensures that teams have the changes to meet again later in the tournament.
- The side selection of the tournament will always be going to the team that drops from the higher bracket.
- Game days have shifted to prevent most teams from playing twice in the same week.
Even though there are quite a few changes to the 2021 LCS season, much of the LCS experience is staying the same. High profile matches will still be taking place around the same time as previous years, while increasing the excitement and rivalry of teams throughout the Lock-In stage.
Be sure to sign up to the Gambyl Newsletter to get the latest 2021 LCS updates, insights and betting guides.
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