Giants Gaming and Schalke 04 will have the chance to re-qualify for the European League of Legends Championship Series (EU LCS) by reaching the promotional tournament.
One week after Giants clinched a spot in the promotional tournament by defeating Wind and Rain 3-0, Schalke qualified on Sunday with a 3-1 win against the Red Bulls. The two teams will join the bottom two teams of the EU LCS — already confirmed to be Ninjas in Pyjamas and Mysterious Monkeys — in the four-team promotional tournament that takes place in the coming weeks.
Ninjas in Pyjamas and Mysterious Monkeys are also the two newest teams in the EU LCS, as both joined this summer after Misfits Academy and Fnatic Academy qualified for the LCS. The Mysterious Monkeys roster is primarily made up of the former Misfits Academy players.
Both Schalke 04 and Giants were previously part of the EU LCS before being relegated. Giants suffered the fate in the spring split of this year, while Schalke 04 was relegated last summer, a disappointment to the organization that attempted to make a splash with the backing of the pro soccer giant.
The four teams play a double elimination mini tournament, as the two Challenger teams play the two LCS teams in a best-of-five. The winners advance to the final, with the winner of that best-of-five guaranteed a spot in the LCS. The losers of the first matches play a best-of-five, with the loser of that being eliminated. The final best-of-five pits the winner of the losers match against the loser of the winners match, with the winner qualifying to the LCS.
Cover photo courtesy of Riot Games