Source: KeSPA

The Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA) officially announced on the 30th that the 2026 LoL KeSPA CUP, the only short-term League of Legends (LoL) cup tournament in Korea to be broadcast exclusively on Disney+, will begin on July 20.

Following the successful collaboration established last year, the LoL KeSPA CUP will continue its exclusive partnership with Disney+ this year. By streaming on Disney+ for the second consecutive year, the KeSPA CUP aims to provide a new viewing experience for esports fans while demonstrating the potential for expanding esports content across platforms. All matches of the 2026 LoL KeSPA CUP, held both online and offline, will be available to watch on Disney+.

The 2026 LoL KeSPA CUP will feature all 10 teams from the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK). The tournament will run for approximately one month, from July 20 to August 18, with matches held every Monday and Tuesday. The preliminary rounds through the first round of the final Stage 2 will be held online from July 20 to August 11. The second round of Stage 2 and the final championship match will take place offline at the Daejeon Esports Arena in Yuseong, Daejeon, on August 17 and 18, respectively.

The tournament is divided into preliminary and final stages. In the preliminaries, the participating teams will be split into two groups of five and compete in a three-day single round-robin format, with the top four teams from each group advancing to the finals. The finals consist of Stage 1 and Stage 2. Stage 1 will follow a modified Swiss format, starting with matchups between teams that placed similarly in the preliminaries, and will span four rounds to determine which teams advance to Stage 2. The final stage, Stage 2, consists of three rounds, each played as a best-of-five series to determine the ultimate winner.

In addition to the prize pool, the Korea e-Sports Association plans to make a donation to Save the Children in the name of the participating teams and the association. The funds will be used to support medical expenses for children from vulnerable backgrounds. To allow esports fans to participate in this charitable cause, the association will also introduce individual donation programs and various events. This year's tournament is particularly meaningful as it takes the form of a charity event, extending the passion of esports into social value.

The 2026 LoL KeSPA CUP is hosted by the Korea e-Sports Association, co-organized by the Korea e-Sports Association and the Daejeon Information & Culture Industry Promotion Agency, exclusively broadcast by Disney+, and sponsored by Logitech G. The total prize pool is ₩52 million.