Martin Arévalo-Östberg

The return of the LCS has had something for everyone. With old North American powerhouses rising back to the top and dark horses showing they came to play, the start of this year's LCS season has not disappointed so far. With the Swiss Stage done and dusted, it's now time to turn our attention to the LCS Lock-In 2026 Playoffs, where the winners will not only come away with the trophy but also earn the chance to represent the region at First Stand in Brazil.

It has been a hectic Group Stage at this year's LCK Cup, one that included the elimination of Hanwha Life's new superteam sooner than anyone would have expected. After Group Baron claimed the win over Group Elder, the time has come to up the stakes as the 2026 LCK Cup Playoffs kick off this Thursday, February 12.

It has been a roller coaster of a ride, but the Regular Season at the 2026 LEC Versus has finally drawn to a close. With all eight playoffs teams decided, fan favorites of Los Ratones missed out on their chance to compete for the trophy, putting an end to their LEC journey.

We may still have one full day of games left to go, but the new-look Karmine Corp are already set to finish the 2026 LEC Versus Regular Season as the region's #1 team. With a current record of 8-2 and a favorable head-to-head against the next-best team — NAVI — KC will arrive in playoffs as the number one seed for a chance to come away with their second LEC trophy.

With Patch 26.03 now live, the Solo Queue meta in League of Legends continues to evolve. This early-season update brought a large number of changes that shifted champion power levels across all roles, rewarding picks that can consistently pressure opponents, scale effectively, and snowball advantages into wins. Without further ado, here's our look at the best champions to climb ranked in LoL Patch 26.03 in every role.

VALORANT Solarstride skin bundle introduces new skins to the Vandal, the Guardian, and a flamethrower melee weapon in Patch 12.02.