While the LEC Summer Split is still ongoing, Riot Games has changed a rule in the rulebook. The Head-to-Head Game Score tiebreaker has been reinstated for the Group Stage.
The tiebreaker procedure was missed by accident, and the LEC Commissioner Artem Bykov said that it should have formed part of the tiebreaker procedure right from the start.
Understanding the Tiebreaker System
The Head-to-Head Game Score is a way to rank teams with the same win-loss record in the standings. The tiebreaker could be important in deciding which team will qualify next given that the 2025 LEC Summer Split has a new format. This is particularly since the tournament divides the ten participating teams in two equal groups in its first leg.
The updated rulebook (7.5.13) states that the tiebreakers will be applied in that order.
- Head-to-Head Game Score.
- Winter and Spring combined Split Placements.
- Spring Placement.
- Strength of Victory (SoV) – aggregate record of all defeated teams.
- Head-to-Head Victory Time.
- Overall Victory Time.
- Coinflip.
If two or more teams are in 5th place, the Tiebreaker Game (if any) will determine who will get this place. The game will be carried out as per the Tournament’s Rules. The exception applies after all tiebreaker rules are exhausted, resulting in at most a two-way tie.
In such a situation, the losing team will be eliminated from the LEC and also playoffs.
Potential Implications of Mid-Tournament Changes
Because the group stage isn’t done yet, the timing of this rule change wouldn’t affect the standings as of yet. The competitive community has voiced concerns regarding altering rules post-tournament commencement, as this may compromise competitive integrity. Some detractors fear that this mid-tournament shift could set a bad precedent.
A user on social media platform X remarked: “Halfway through the split rules change with only 2 weeks to go until it ends. The rule change in itself isn’t a bad thing, but it just creates a crap and careless image of how the LEC is dealt with at the moment. ”
Some fans also do not find the current Summer Split format very competitive. Recently, European teams have performed poorly on the international stage, having failed to make the top eight at the last two Worlds. In the recent Mid-Season Invitational, MKOI and G2 were eliminated from the playoff stage.
The LEC Summer Split continues this weekend with the third week of competition, featuring matches scheduled across Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.