A history-making upcoming split in the LCS becomes more and more interesting each day leading up to its start, with the possibility of complete cancelation now on the table.
Riot Games released the schedule for the 2023 Summer Split during MSI, only a few short days before both North American representatives—Cloud9 and Golden Guardians—were sent home. Originally, the split was expected to begin on June 1, culminating in the LCS Championship in late August, but after a player walkout over the state of the NA Challengers League (NACL), Riot has delayed the start by two weeks.
Should Riot and the LCS Players Association (LCSPA) be unable to reach an acceptable outcome after this two-week period, the Summer Split may well be canceled in its entirety and the LCS will be removed from qualification for this year’s World Championship. At this time, this measure has not yet been taken.
As with all previous splits, the Summer will begin with a rematch of the Spring grand finals, featuring C9 against the Golden Guardians—with no changes expected to be made to these rosters. From there, all 10 LCS teams will participate in an eight-week double round robin, with the top eight teams qualifying for the playoffs stage.
The LCS will also be welcoming NRG back to the league with the start of this split, taking up the slot that CLG held within the NA league for many years. As of now, it appears that many pieces of CLG’s Spring Split roster will remain on stage as part of NRG’s main roster, but with rumors of a few changes.
Summer will culminate in yet another iteration of the LCS Championship, complete with a bracket stage that will lead into the lower finals and grand finals at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. This split marks the return of the LCS to this venue following the cancellation of the 2021 LCS Championship, which was moved due to global circumstances.
However, due to the postponement of the regular season, there is a possibility the LCS Championship’s location will be moved again.
Here is the current schedule for the 2023 LCS Summer Split, which may change in the coming weeks following negotiations (or lack thereof) between Riot and the LCSPA.
2023 LCS Summer Split schedule
Week 1
Thursday, June 15
- 4pm CT – Cloud9 vs. Golden Guardians
- 5pm CT – Team Liquid vs. TSM
- 6pm CT – Immortals vs. Dignitas
- 7pm CT – Evil Geniuses vs. NRG
- 8pm CT – FlyQuest vs. 100 Thieves
Friday, June 16
- 4pm CT – Dignitas vs. C9
- 5pm CT – TSM vs. FlyQuest
- 6pm CT – 100T vs. Liquid
- 7pm CT – NRG vs. Immortals
- 8pm CT – Golden Guardians vs. EG
Week 2
Thursday, June 22
- 4pm CT – Immortals vs. Liquid
- 5pm CT – Golden Guardians vs. FlyQuest
- 6pm CT – EG vs. Dignitas
- 7pm CT – NRG vs. 100T
- 8pm CT – C9 vs. TSM
Friday, June 23
- 4pm CT – Dignitas vs. Golden Guardians
- 5pm CT – Liquid vs. NRG
- 6pm CT – FlyQuest vs. C9
- 7pm CT – TSM vs. Immortals
- 8pm CT – 100T vs. EG
Week 3
Thursday, June 29
- 4pm CT – NRG vs. TSM
- 5pm CT – Golden Guardians vs. Immortals
- 6pm CT – 100T vs. C9
- 7pm CT – Dignitas vs. Liquid
- 8pm CT – EG vs. FlyQuest
Friday, June 30
- 4pm CT – TSM vs. Golden Guardians
- 5pm CT – Immortals vs. 100T
- 6pm CT – Liquid vs. EG
- 7pm CT – FlyQuest vs. Dignitas
- 8pm CT – C9 vs. NRG
Week 4 (superweek)
Wednesday, July 5
- 4pm CT – TSM vs. EG
- 5pm CT – FlyQuest vs. Liquid
- 6pm CT – NRG vs. Golden Guardians
- 7pm CT – 100T vs. Dignitas
- 8pm CT – C9 vs. Immortals
Thursday, July 6
- 4pm CT – NRG vs. FlyQuest
- 5pm CT – Liquid vs. C9
- 6pm CT – Dignitas vs. TSM
- 7pm CT – EG vs. Immortals
- 8pm CT – Golden Guardians vs. 100T
Friday, July 7
- 4pm CT – C9 vs. EG
- 5pm CT – Liquid vs. Golden Guardians
- 6pm CT – Dignitas vs. NRG
- 7pm CT – TSM vs. 100T
- 8pm CT – Immortals vs. FlyQuest
Week 5
Thursday, July 13
- 4pm CT – NRG vs. Liquid
- 5pm CT – 100T vs. FlyQuest
- 6pm CT – Golden Guardians vs. C9
- 7pm CT – Dignitas vs. EG
- 8pm CT – Immortals vs. TSM
Friday, June 14
- 4pm CT – EG vs. 100T
- 5pm CT – TSM vs. NRG
- 6pm CT – C9 vs. Dignitas
- 7pm CT – FlyQuest vs. Golden Guardians
- 8pm CT – Liquid vs. Immortals
Week 6
Thursday, July 20
- 4pm CT – Dignitas vs. FlyQuest
- 5pm CT – NRG vs. EG
- 6pm CT – Liquid vs. 100T
- 7pm CT – Immortals vs. C9
- 8pm CT – Golden Guardians vs. TSM
Friday, July 21
- 4pm CT – 100T vs. Immortals
- 5pm CT – EG vs. Golden Guardians
- 6pm CT – C9 vs. Liquid
- 7pm CT – FlyQuest vs. NRG
- 8pm CT – TSM vs. Dignitas
Week 7
Thursday, July 27
- 4pm CT – Immortals vs. Golden Guardians
- 5pm CT – FlyQuest vs. EG
- 6pm CT – C9 vs. 100T
- 7pm CT – TSM vs. Liquid
- 8pm CT – NRG vs. Dignitas
Friday, July 28
- 4pm CT – 100T vs. TSM
- 5pm CT – EG vs. C9
- 6pm CT – Liquid vs. FlyQuest
- 7pm CT – Golden Guardians vs. NRG
- 8pm CT -Dignitas vs. Immortals
Week 8 (superweek)
Wednesday, August 2
- 4pm CT – Dignitas vs. 100T
- 5pm CT – Golden Guardians vs. Liquid
- 6pm CT – NRG vs. C9
- 7pm CT – FlyQuest vs. TSM
- 8pm CT – Immortals vs. EG
Thursday, August 3
- 4pm CT – Golden Guardians vs. Dignitas
- 5pm CT – FlyQuest vs. Immortals
- 6pm CT – 100T vs. NRG
- 7pm CT – EG vs. Liquid
- 8pm CT – TSM vs. C9
Friday, August 4
- 4pm CT – Immortals vs. NRG
- 5pm CT – EG vs. TSM
- 6pm CT – C9 vs. FlyQuest
- 7pm CT – Liquid vs. Dignitas
- 8pm CT – 100T vs. Golden Guardians
LCS Championship
- Bracket stage expected to begin Aug. 10
- Lower finals on TBD in New Jersey
- Grand finals on TBD in New Jersey
