Last Ever NLC Split Expanded Ahead of Nordics and UK League Split
Riot Games has announced an expanded format for the NLC Summer Split 2026, marking the conclusion of the Nordic League of Legends Championship after seven years of operation. The league will be restructured following the departure of its former organisers earlier in 2026, just before the Spring Split was set to commence.
Beginning in 2027, the NLC will transition into two distinct regional leagues: one serving the UK and Ireland, and another covering the Nordic region, comprising Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. To facilitate this transition, the upcoming Summer Split 2026 will feature an expanded format with additional slots available to teams from smaller national leagues across these regions.
This restructuring represents a significant shift in League of Legends’ competitive landscape in Northern Europe, consolidating fragmented regional competition into a more organized structure. The expanded Summer Split serves as a bridge between the current unified NLC format and the future split regional system, allowing organisations and players from across the expanded participant pool to compete at the highest level during this transitional period.
The decision reflects Riot’s broader strategy to strengthen esports infrastructure in key regions while providing pathways for emerging teams and players to reach competitive prominence before the 2027 regional league restructuring takes full effect.