LCP unveils 2025 Wild Card Playoffs schedule and format

Riot Games has unveiled all details for the LCP Wild Card Playoffs, the tournament that will decide which team gets access to the LCP Promotion Series (P&R) and a chance to enter the tier-one region in 2026.

Participants include top performers from the Asia-Pacific regional tournaments, facing off from August 28th to 31st to determine the team taking part in the LCP P&R.

The five teams taking part in the competition are Yang Dae Pal (Indonesia), Faerie Charm (Malaysia/Singapore), Inferno Esports (Philippines), S8UL Esports (South Asia) and FULL SENSE (Thailand).

Even though Inferno Esports came in second place at the Liga Republika, the team was promoted by Riot Games. This is because West Point Esports’ (WPE) academy team wasn’t considered eligible to take part in the competition, as the main team is currently competing in the PCS.

The five teams will be battling out in a single round robin, each consisting of two games and using a points-based scoring system (2-0 wins are awarded two points, ties one point, and losses zero points).

The top three teams will then advance to the bracket stage, with second and third place placed in the first round and the first seed in the Grand Final. All matches will be played using Fearless Draft, with the bracket stage matches featuring best-of-five series.

The winner of the tournament will not only win $3,000 (~£2,226) from the $10,000 (~£7,420) prize pool, but most importantly, head to the LCP P&R. In that event, teams compete for the Free-For-All Guest Spot at the LCP Arena in Taipei, which will take place at the start of October.

Following the merger of the minor regions ahead of the 2025 season, the LCP has gained increasing popularity thanks to the consolidation of strong communities such as the Vietnamese fan base, alongside strong results at the international stage.

CTBC Flying Oyster (CFO) is the only team, among the tier-one regions, to have taken part at both First Stand and MSI. Considering its strong form in the LCP Season Finals, the team might become the first organisation ever to have locked qualification to all three international tournaments in a season since the implementation of the three-split structure.