LEC Winter 2023 All You Need to Know: Format, Schedule, Results, Teams
The League of Legends European Championship has been revamped for the 2023 season. LEC fans have a lot to look forward to, especially with three competitive splits and the launch of LEC Winter Split 2023. It is the newest split in the LEC, which started on January 21 and will run until the end of February.
The LEC Winter Split 2023 is one of the biggest changes in the EMEA league’s format. Two teams got a chance to debut during this split, namely Team Heretics and KOI (previously known as Rogue). Who will become the first LEC Winter Split champion?
A guide to LEC 2023 Winter Split
The LEC 2023 Winter Season is the first split of the newly merged EMEA League of Legends system. This is the fifth year of the LEC and the first season following the changed format. The Winter split will feature three different stages. Stage 1 is where all ten teams will compete with each other in a best-of-one (BO1), single round-robin format. Meanwhile, the top eight teams will advance to Stage 2, and play in a double-elimination group stage. From here on, the top four teams will advance to Stage 3, which will be the double-elimination playoffs. Stages 2 and 3 will feature best-of-three and best-of-five formats.
The same format is set to continue for the Spring and Summer splits. The top six teams from across the season will, further on, fight for the championship in a double elimination bracket and for qualification to Worlds 2023 during the LEC Season Finals.
Format for LEC 2023 Winter Split
Stage 1 (Regular Season) (January 21 — February 6)
- 10 teams will face each other in Stage 1 during a three-week span
- The teams will face each other in a Single Round Robin format
- Winners will be decided based on best-of-one matches.
- Top Eight teams will advance to Stage 2 of LEC 2023 Winter Split
Stage 2 (Groups)
- Eight teams will participate in Stage 2
- Teams will be split into two groups of four
- Teams will face each other in a Double-elimination bracket
- Winners will be decided based on best-of-three (BO3) format
- Top two teams from each group will advance to Stage 3 of LEC 2023 Winter Split
Stage 3 (Playoffs)
- Four teams will compete in the Play-Offs
- Matches will be held in a Double-elimination bracket format
- Teams will play matches in a best-of-five (BO5) style elimination
The winner of the LEC 2023 Winter Split, decided in the playoff stage, will earn a spot in the LEC Finals along with 120 points toward qualification for Worlds 2023.
Regular Season Schedule
The Regular Season (Stage 1) will take place from January 21 until February 6. Below is the week-wise split of the schedule.
Week 1 (January 21-23)
Day | Match | GMT |
January 21 | G2 Esports 1-0 EXCEL | 17:00 |
KOI 1-0 BDS | 18:00 | |
Astralis 0-1 Heretics | 19:00 | |
SK Gaming 0-1 MAD Lions | 20:00 | |
Fnatic 0-1 Vitality | 21:00 | |
January 22 | SK Gaming 0-1 BDS | 16:00 |
Astralis 0-1 MAD Lions | 17:00 | |
Vitality 1-0 Heretics | 18:00 | |
EXCEL 0-1 KOI | 19:00 | |
G2 Esports 1-0 Fnatic | 20:00 | |
January 23 | SK Gaming 1-0 Heretics | 16:00 |
EXCEL 1-0 BDS | 17:00 | |
G2 Esports 1-0 Astralis | 18:00 | |
Fnatic 1-0 KOI | 19:00 | |
MAD Lions 0-1 Vitality | 20:00 |
Week 2 (January 28-30)
Day | Match | GMT |
January 28 | Astralis vs Vitality | 17:00 |
Fnatic vs BDS | 18:00 | |
KOI vs Heretics | 19:00 | |
G2 Esports vs SK Gaming | 20:00 | |
EXCEL vs MAD Lions | 21:00 | |
January 29 | Astralis vs BDS | 16:00 |
SK Gaming vs Vitality | 17:00 | |
G2 Esports vs Heretics | 18:00 | |
KOI vs MAD Lions | 19:00 | |
Fnatic vs EXCEL | 20:00 | |
January 30 | EXCEL vs Astralis | 16:00 |
BDS vs MAD Lions | 17:00 | |
KOI vs MAD Lions | 18:00 | |
G2 Esports vs Vitality | 19:00 | |
Fnatic vs Heretics | 20:00 |
Week 3 (February 4-6)
Day | Match | GMT |
February 4 | SK Gaming vs Astralis | 17:00 |
Heretics vs EXCEL | 18:00 | |
BDS vs G2 Esports | 19:00 | |
Vitality vs KOI | 20:00 | |
Fnatic vs MAD Lions | 21:00 | |
February 5 | Heretics vs BDS | 16:00 |
Astralis vs KOI | 17:00 | |
Fnatic vs SK Gaming | 18:00 | |
Vitality vs EXCEL | 19:00 | |
MAD Lions vs G2 Esports | 20:00 | |
February 6 | MAD Lions vs Heretics | 16:00 |
Fnatic vs Astralis | 17:00 | |
SK Gaming vs EXCEL | 18:00 | |
KOI vs G2 Esports | 19:00 | |
Vitality vs BDS | 20:00 |
LEC Winter 2023: Teams & players
The League of Legends European Championship has seen significant changes in the offseason. Along with the new format changes, two new teams have been added to the league for 2023, Team KOI and Team Heretics.
Many teams have also updated their rosters for the new competitive calendar in hopes of reaching greater heights in 2023. Fnatic revamped their bot lane, re-signing Martin ‘Rekkles’ Larsson and promoting academy support Rúben ‘rhuckz’ Barbosa, and so did G2 Esports, who, in addition to picking up Steven ‘Hans sama’ Liv and bringing Mihael ‘Mikyx’ Mehle back, snared rookie-jungler Martin ‘Yike’ Sundelin.
Meanwhile, Vitality, after the collapse of their ‘super team’, built almost an entirely new roster, which will revolve around ‘jungler’ Zhou ‘Bo’ Yangbo who is one of the imports that LEC fans are excited to see in action, alongside Heretics’ Japanese top-laner Shunsuke “Evi” Murase, formerly of Detonation FocusMe.
Team | Top | Jungle | Mid | Bot | Support |
Astralis | Finn | 113 | Dajor | Kobbe | JeongHoon |
EXCEL | Odoamne | Xerxe | Vetheo | Patrik | Targamas |
Fnatic | Wunder | Razork | Humanoid | Rekkles | Rhuckz |
G2 Esports | Broken Blade | Yike | caPs | Hans sama | Mikyx |
MAD Lions | Chasy | Elyoya | Nisqy | Carzzy | Hylissang |
Team Heretics | Evi | Jankos | Ruby | Jackspektra | Mersa |
KOI | Szygenda | Malrang | Larssen | Comp | Trymbi |
SK Gaming | Irrelevant | Markoon | Sertuss | Exakick | Doss |
Team BDS | Adam | Sheo | NUCLEARINT | Crownshot | Labrov |
Vitality | Photon | Bo | Perkz | Neon | Kaiser |
As of League of Legends LEC 2023 Winter Split, the games will be held on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. Interestingly, Friday has been scrapped as a game day, and this is part of the new schedule that will apply for the entire year.