Riot Games has sent shockwaves through the League of Legends European Championship community by making a mid-split adjustment to the official Summer Split rulebook. The change reinstates the Head-to-Head Game Score as a deciding factor for breaking ties during the Group Stage, a rule that was accidentally removed in the initial guidelines for this season.
LEC Commissioner Artem Bykov admitted the tiebreaker’s absence was a mistake and clarified that it should have been part of the rule order from the start. The restored criteria now ranks teams with identical win-loss records based on their game score against each other before moving to other measures such as combined placements from the Winter and Spring Splits, strength of victory, and victory times. For ties at fifth place, the rulebook specifies that a tiebreaker match will be played, with the loser eliminated from playoff contention.
While the update has no immediate effect on current standings, its timing has raised eyebrows across the esports scene. With only two weeks left before the Group Stage concludes, some fans are questioning why such a change was made mid-event. Critics argue that even if the rule itself is fair, altering the competitive framework during an ongoing split risks undermining the league’s credibility.
Social media reactions have been swift. “The change itself isn’t bad, but it gives a careless image of how the LEC is being handled right now,” one fan posted on X, echoing a sentiment shared by many in the community. Others have used the moment to voice broader concerns about the Summer Split’s competitiveness and the league’s international struggles. European teams have failed to crack the top eight at the last two Worlds, and at this year’s Mid-Season Invitational, both MKOI and G2 were knocked out early.
Despite the controversy, the LEC marches on, with Week 3 of the Summer Split set to deliver another round of high-stakes matches on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. All eyes will be on the standings to see if the reinstated tiebreaker plays a role in deciding playoff berths.
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