LCS Spring Split 2023: Teams, format, prize pool and more

The League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) officially kicks off on January 26. North America's finest will be battling it out across two months of gruelling competition. The winner will get the opportunity to represent their region at the 2023 Mid-Season Invitational.

Here is what is to come in the 2023 LCS Spring Split. Including the teams competing, the split's format, the prize pool and much more.

All ten teams from the 2022 season will be returning for the 2023 LCS Spring Split. The Summer Split champions Cloud9 will unveil their championship-winning banner at the Riot Games Arena. C9 earned this prestigious honor after taking down 100 Thieves in the Summer Split playoffs grand finals.

Cloud9 will not be short of contenders to their throne, however, 100 Thieves' new roster sees the return of Yiliang "Peter" "Doublelift" Peng. The veteran ADC retired from League of Legends in 2020 following a poor showing at Worlds with TSM. The return of North America's best ADC sees a reunion with former TSM teammate in Søren "Bjergsen" Bjerg.

Other contenders to Cloud9's throne are the likes of Team Liquid and FlyQuest, who both respectively have imported top Korean imports such as 2022 World Champion Pyosik (TL), ADC superstar Prince (FLY) and the return of the 2022 Spring MVP in Summit.

Summit only lasted one split in the LCS following a horrific showing in the playoffs with Cloud9. Summit would depart from North America immediately following his acceptance of the MVP award at the grand finals. The Korean Top Laner returns to NA following a short stint in the LPL with FunPlus Phoenix.

As has been the case for the longest time in the LCS, the split is separated into two parts - the regular season and the playoffs. The ten teams will compete across eight weeks of regular season competition before the top six teams battle it out in best-of-five competition to crown the Spring Split champion.

The ten teams compete in a double round-robin which spans eight weeks. Every match will be a best-of-one. The top six teams qualify for the playoffs. The top four teams will compete in the upper bracket while the fifth and sixth-placed teams will start their playoff campaign in the lower bracket.

Although Riot has not confirmed the format plans for the playoffs, it is expected to remain unchanged for the 2023 Spring Split. Six teams will compete in a double-elimination bracket. Every series will be a best-of-five and the winner will qualify for the Mid-Season Invitational.

The ten North American teams will be competing for a share of the $200,000 prize pool. It has not been confirmed how the 2023 Spring Split prize pool will be distributed. The only guarantee is that the team that wins the Spring Split will earn qualification to MSI. This article will be updated once the prize pool distribution has been confirmed.

Fans will be able to tune into the LCS Spring Split via Riot Games' official LCS YouTube and Twitch channels.

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