GiantX’s ADC Noah has publicly criticized the LEC’s summer schedule after his team faced massive gaps between official matches. The Korean player didn’t hold back in his assessment, stating that his team waited 17 days to play one series, then another 10 days for the next match.
“This format is so sh*t we wait 17 days to play one series, then need to wait 10 days to play another series. Only two series in 27 days is crazy sh*t while LCK and LPL are playing 2 series a week xd,” Noah wrote on social media.
The numbers paint a stark picture. While teams in Korea’s LCK and China’s LPL typically play two best-of-three series every week, LEC teams this summer are experiencing weeks-long breaks between stage appearances. Some teams have reportedly gone three weeks without playing a single official match.
The root of the problem lies in the LEC’s current summer format. Teams are split into two groups of five, playing each opponent just once in best-of-three matches. This means each team only plays four series during the entire group stage, which stretches across more than a month. Compare that to the LCK, which uses the same group structure but has teams face each opponent three times, creating a much denser schedule.
The irregular schedule isn’t just about random break weeks either. The summer split includes a one-week break before playoffs and another week-long pause in the middle of playoffs. These gaps add up to create the massive delays Noah, and other players, are complaining about.
Part of the scheduling constraint comes from the Berlin arena, which hosts both LEC and EMEA’s Valorant Champions Tour events. The two esports share the venue and potentially a combined budget, limiting the number of broadcast days available for League of Legends.
When vacation time hits different
For players like Noah, these long breaks disrupt competitive rhythm and reduce valuable stage practice ahead of international tournaments. Teams in other major regions get significantly more on-stage experience throughout the split, with LCK and LPL teams typically playing 16–18 best-of-three series compared to the handful LEC teams receive.
The frustration extends beyond just the players. Fans have grown tired of the constant format changes since 2023, with each split bringing new experiments that often result in fewer games and longer waits between matches. The spring format worked relatively well with more consistent scheduling, making the summer changes even more puzzling to both players and viewers.
