EMEA Masters teams criticize WSCI qualifier format after LFL sides are excluded

EMEA Masters teams criticize WSCI qualifier format after LFL sides are excluded

The qualification format for the World Star Challengers Invitational has sparked frustration among several EMEA Masters teams after Riot Games confirmed that the region's final spot will be decided through a three-league qualifier.

EMEA will send three teams to the first global Tier-2 League of Legends tournament.

Galions and Solary have already been selected based on their performances across this year's EMEA Masters competitions, while the final representative will be determined through a separate qualifier on September 13–14.

Three leagues compete for final EMEA spot

The qualifier will feature the champions of the Spanish, Turkish and German Tier-2 leagues.

The winner of the Liga Española de Superliga between MKOI Fénix and Team Heretics Academy will first face the TCL champion, which will be either Bushido Wildcats or PCIFIC Esports .

The winner of that series will then play the Prime League champion, either G2 NORD or Berlin International Gaming.

Whoever wins the final match will join Galions and Solary at the World Star Challengers Invitational.

LFL teams left out

The structure has drawn criticism because no additional French team will be allowed to compete for the third slot.

France already has two representatives in Galions and Solary , but several other LFL teams have argued that they should still have been given an opportunity to qualify.

TLN Pirates are among the most notable examples.

The team recently finished runner-up in the LFL Summer Split after losing the final to Galions , yet they have no path into the WSCI qualifier.

AD carry Nikola "Axelent" Petrusev publicly questioned why teams from other regional leagues were being given the opportunity instead.

Coach Frédéric "Glopo" Sialelli was even more critical, arguing that LFL teams were effectively being punished because of the strength of their domestic competition.

Qualification rules announced late

Part of the frustration also comes from the timing of the announcement.

The World Star Challengers Invitational was only revealed shortly before the qualifier structure was made public, leaving teams little time to prepare for an international qualification path they did not previously know existed.

Some players and staff have argued that organizations might have approached roster building and domestic competition differently if qualification criteria had been announced earlier in the year.

The issue has created an awkward situation in which teams that performed strongly throughout the season now have no route into the first global Tier-2 League of Legends event.

WSCI begins later in September

The World Star Challengers Invitational will feature 16 teams from the major Tier-2 ecosystems.

The event is designed to give developing players international experience before reaching the highest level of professional League of Legends.

For EMEA, Galions and Solary are already confirmed.

The final representative will now come from Spain, Turkey or Germany after the September 13–14 qualifier.