Asian Games 2026 Playoffs

The Asian Games is a unique form of competition for its significance outside of esports. It’s a multi-sports event held over Asia every four years. The Asian Games are recognized by the International Olympic Committee and are the second largest multi-sport event, behind the Olympics only.

For League of Legends, each participating country sends a team of national representatives. None of these match a professional LoL team, making for unique pairings.

Naturally, South Korea and China are always the favorites. The LPL and LCK are one-country regions, so national teams retain most of the strength of the pro leagues outside of imports. To make matters worse, they’re the best two regions in League of Legends.

While the point of this tournament is national pride and the honor of winning an Olympic medal, the Asian Games also have a unique implication for esports. Korean citizens all have to undertake mandatory military service, which marks either a pause or the end of their careers in the case of esports players. However, gold medalists are exempted from this service and get to extend their LoL career.