New International Tier 2 LoL Event ‘WSCI’ Revealed
Riot Games has announced the World Star Challengers Invitational (WSCI), a new international League of Legends tournament designed to showcase the world’s best Tier 2 teams. The inaugural event will take place from September 20 to October 2, 2026, and will be organized in collaboration with tournament organizer TJ Sports.
WSCI will feature top Tier 2 teams from all of League of Legends’ major regions, including EMEA Masters, providing competitive opportunities for teams that fall just below the tier of professional league participants. This addition represents Riot’s continued expansion of its international LoL esports calendar, which already includes the established MSI and World Championships, along with more recent additions like First Stand (introduced last year) and the upcoming Demacia Cup Global Invitational.
The Demacia Cup will specifically target teams that narrowly missed qualification for the World Championship, while WSCI focuses on the broader Tier 2 competitive landscape. This multi-tiered approach demonstrates Riot’s commitment to creating more pathways for professional development in competitive League of Legends and growing the international esports ecosystem.
However, some community members have raised scheduling concerns regarding the tournament’s placement within the broader esports calendar, though specific details about these concerns were not fully elaborated in the initial announcements.