by Riot Games has revealed the complete schedule for the upcoming League of Legends European Masters. The Amazon-sponsored event will commence on August 24 and will run through to September 25.
In that month, teams representing several European regional leagues will compete for a piece of the $153,290 prize pool. The French league (LFL) has dominated the last three Masters and will be looking to extend its winning streak.
The event will kick off with the play-in tournament, which will see 16 teams fight for one of the four spots in the group stage. After the play-in knockout, which will end on August 27, the four teams advancing to the next stage will be revealed.
Although some of the teams that will be participating in the play-ins have been revealed, their standing is undisclosed as the final matches are yet to be played.
The main stage will commence on August 29 with group stage action, with the playoffs kicking off midway into September. Below is the full schedule for the play-in and main stage action.
Play ins:
● Group stage: August 24 – August 25
● Knockout stage: August 27
Main Stage:
● Group stage, Week one: August 29 – September 1
● Group stage, Week two: September 5 – September 8
● Quarterfinals: 15 – September 18
● Semifinals: 21 – September 22
● Grand Finals: September 25
Riot has also announced changes to the slot distribution after reviewing performances from each of the European Regional Leagues. The LFL has the most slots, two in the main stage and another two in the play-ins. Below is the full list of slot allocations across the leagues.
● LFL: Two main stage slots, two play-ins slots
● Ultraliga: Two main stage slots, one play-ins slot
● Superliga: Two main stage slots, one play-ins slot
● NLC: Two main stage slots, one play-ins slot
● Prime League: Two main stage slots, one play-ins slot
● PG Nationals: One main stage slot, one play-ins slot
● EBL: One main stage slot, one play-ins slot
● Elite Series: Two play-ins spots
● LPLOL: Two play-ins spots
● Hitpoint Masters: Two play-ins spots
● GLL: Two play-ins spots
LFL’s Karmine Corp have dominated the EU Masters since the 2021 Spring. In May, they defeated LDLC OL 3-1 in the grand final to clinch their third consecutive Masters’ victory.
However, their LFL Summer campaign has been less impressive. KC are currently ranked fifth in the group stage rankings with only one play day left.
Their last game in the group stage will be against league leaders LDLC. KC are the underdogs according to the top esport betting sites, with moneyline odds of $2.5 while LDLC are pegged at $1.43.
A top-six finish in the group stage will see KC advance to the playoffs. However, they need to finish in the top four for a chance to win four consecutive EU Masters.
