LPL (League of Legends Pro League)
Overview
LPL (League of Legends Pro League) is China's top-tier professional esports league for League of Legends, operated by TJ Sports under Tencent. It was officially launched in 2013 and, alongside the LCK, is considered one of the largest LoL leagues in the world. Backed by large-scale capital and a massive population base, it grew rapidly and has produced multiple World Championship-winning teams, demonstrating its international competitiveness.
Key details
History and development
When the LPL was founded in 2013, it started with a small number of teams, but as the esports industry grew rapidly in the mid-2010s, the number of teams and the league's scale expanded. In 2018, it introduced an LCK-style franchise system, establishing a foundation for long-term team operations; afterward, teams backed by major corporations such as Bilibili Gaming (BLG), JD Gaming (JDG), and TES emerged as central figures in the league. The league operates in two seasons, Spring and Summer (more recently a three-split format), and determines the champion through a regular season and playoffs.
League structure and match format
The regular season is conducted in a round-robin or group format with many participating teams, and the top teams advance to the playoffs. From the mid-2020s, "Fearless Draft" was introduced and expanded, preventing champions already used in a series from being selected again. This has been evaluated as increasing the diversity of draft strategies and significantly changing match dynamics. Teams with top results are granted berths to the World Championship and MSI.
Major teams and players
Edward Gaming (EDG), Royal Never Give Up (RNG), Invictus Gaming (IG), FunPlus Phoenix (FPX), JD Gaming (JDG), Bilibili Gaming (BLG), and Top Esports (TES) are considered representative powerhouse teams. As players, Uzi, Rookie, TheShy, JackeyLove, and Knight are known as stars representing the league. The influx of overseas players and coaches, including from Korea, has also been active, and cases of talent from the LCK playing in the LPL continue steadily.
International tournament results
The LPL enjoyed its peak when IG won the World Championship in 2018, FPX in 2019, and EDG in 2021. At MSI, EDG won in 2015 and RNG in 2018 and 2021. However, since the mid-2020s, competition with the LCK has intensified, and there have been increasing cases of disappointing results in finals.
League culture and broadcasting
The LPL has world-class infrastructure in terms of venue scale, broadcast production, and fandom culture. The number of streaming viewers via platforms in China is very large, and English broadcasts for overseas fans are also actively provided. A characteristic is a cheering culture that combines rivalries between teams with individual player fandoms.
Latest trends
In the 2024–2025 season, the LPL underwent major changes in match format due to the full introduction of Fearless Draft and a reorganization of the split system. At the 2024 World Championship, BLG reached the final but lost to T1 and finished as runner-up, and at MSI 2025 LCK teams again showed superiority, continuing a trend in which the LPL did not take the international trophy. Meanwhile, discussions about the sustainability of league operations have become active, with continued reports on financial difficulties at some traditional powerhouse teams, roster reductions, and adjustments to the league participation structure. Amid a contraction of investment across the esports industry, the LPL is seeking a rebound through diversification of broadcasting rights, expansion of home-and-away matches, and strengthening of its rookie development system.
Related topics
- [[League of Legends]]
- [[LCK]]
- [[World Championship]]
- [[Esports]]
- [[Fearless Draft]]