Riot Games has come under criticism follwoing a last-minute change of patch that the EMEA Masters League of Legends tournament was being played on.
EMEA Masters Summer 2026, a tournament that looks to crown the region’s best Tier 2 team, is currently midway through the Playoffs stage.
Riot has apparently changed the patch the tournament is being played on overnight, from 26.18 to LoL Patch 26.20, the same patch the LoL World Championships will use.
Players and coaches are claiming that the teams were given late notice of this significant update, which changes the meta drastically.
LoL Patch 26.20 Brought in for EMEA Masters Quarterfinals
Various personalities from EMEA’s Regional Leagues have blasted Riot for giving teams no time to prepare for this update.
Patch 26.20 is a substantial update that is taking large swings at the current competitive meta to great the best experience for Worlds.
Adapting to a new patch is always tricky in professional play, so jumping two updates forward takes the game into an entirely new meta.
Nicolas Perez, head coach of G2 Nord, the academy team of LEC champions G2 Esports, blasted the decision on X, labelling it “a disgrace.”
“Learning at 11:50 PM that the patch you’re supposed to play your quarterfinal on in 36 hours is changing completely.
We’re going from 20.18 to 20.20 for no reason other than RIOT/EMEA botched their patch organization and they’re only realizing it now (The Demacia Cup is getting screwed over too), he added.”
Perez also lamented that his team would next play against a team with a strong Draven and Aphelios player after both champions received buffs.
He was also frustrated that his team would only get one scrim to learn the update, but admitted G2 Nord were luckier than some teams like Galions who had to play today with no preparation.
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Future of EMEA Masters
This incident raised more concerns for the future of the ERLs and Tier 2 LoL, which is facing a fair level of uncertainty.
Team Vitality just sunset its Vitality.Bee academy LoL team after seven years due to the uncertainty of the LFL’s future broadcaster and to save costs.
Berlin International Gaming coach Yannick Pierre ‘Pandar’ Greff expressed his worry for the future:
“In the LFL, half the orgs are disbanded for next year, and next year looks overall EVEN worse than this one across all the leagues.”
After creating a new format in LEC Versus, Riot Games allowed the previous season’s best ERL teams, including Marc ‘Caedrel’ Lamont’s Los Ratones, to compete in the LEC during Winter.
However, it has been confirmed that this format will not return and ERL teams won’t have access to Tier 1 play.
Though, the new World Star Challenger Invitational won by T1 Academy does offer the ERL teams a chance to compete internationally.
Adam Amadou, the ceo of LEC team Movistar KOI’s parent company OverActive, gave his opinion on what needs to change:
“In my opinion, the current system needs to be more focused. Make it a real development league. No imports. Under 25 players only.
“Whether it’s region-based or one league, I don’t know (I like the LES). The mission should be to develop the best young players in our region.”
What are your thoughts on the current state of Tier 2 LoL in EMEA? Share your thoughts with us on the Insider Gaming Discord.
Meanwhile, Riot has delayed privatising LoL replays after community backlash. And for even more Insider Gaming delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.
An esports journalist for nine years with a focus on LoL Jack has written for national newspapers, interviewed major names, and driven people mad with puns. He's most proud of…
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