The League of Legends Japan League (LJL) is the top level of professional League of Legends competition in Japan. The league franchised prior to start of the 2019 season and had eight teams under partnership (which became six in 2024).
Before 2024, the spring and summer champions qualified for the Mid-Season Invitational and World Championship respectively. However, in 2024, the top three teams from each LJL split were seeded into the Pacific Championship Series (PCS) playoffs and competed with other PCS teams for a chance to represent the larger region at international events; LJL teams would no longer qualify directly to MSI and Worlds. Since 2025, the LJL is a second division to the League of Legends Championship Pacific (LCP).
Each annual season of play is divided into three splits, Forge, Storm and Ignite, which then conclude a with playoff tournament known as the LJL Finals. The winner of the LJL Finals qualifies for the LCP Promotion Tournament for the opportunity to qualify for the Asia-Pacific tier one league.
Format Regular season
Open Qualifiers
Prior to each split, up to sixty-four teams participate in open qualifiers. Depending on the number of teams entered, up to eight groups of eight are held, single round robin best-of-ones. The top sixteen teams compete in a single elimination bracket, with all matches being best-of-threes. Depending on how many spots need to be filled, loser's playoffs will be held after the qualifying round, also best-of-threes, to determine the remaining spots.
Forge
The best teams from the prior season still existing (plus the remaining open qualifier teams) participate in a sixteen-team Swiss stage. All rounds in the Swiss stage are best-of-ones, with the prior season's best teams seeded ahead of the open qualifier teams. The best eight teams advance to the playoffs, with the quarter-finals and semi-finals being best-of-threes and final being a best of five.
Storm
Top 4 from the Forge split, plus an LCP academy team and top top seven or eight teams from open qualifiers (depending on the performance of the LCP academy team), participate in a three-set "Storm Swiss" stage, consisting of best-of-ones. During the first two rounds of each set, teams face the teams with the same records. In the third round, as only 3 teams can have a 2–0 record and 3 teams can have a 0–2, one 1–1 team will be randomly drawn into the 2–0 group, while another 1–1 team will be randomly drawn into the 0–2 group. Teams receive points for each set separately based on that set's win-loss record: 5 points for a 3–0 record, 3 points for a 2–1 record, 1 point for a 1–2 record and none for a 0–3 record. The best six teams after accumulating points of the three sets advance to the playoffs, with the quarter-finals and semi-finals being best-of-threes and final being a best of five. The top 2 teams earn a bye to the semi-finals.
Ignite
Top 4 from the Storm split, plus an LCP academy team and top top seven or eight teams from open qualifiers (depending on the performance of the LCP academy team), participate in a "Bounty" stage, lasting 6 rounds and consisting of best-of-ones. Teams earn 10 points plus triple the number of wins of their opponent per win (maximum of 25 points) and 4 points per loss. These points will be added into the championship points for LJL Finals. After each round, the lowest-ranked teams choose their opponents for the next round. The best six teams advance to the playoffs, with the quarter-finals and semi-finals being best-of-threes and final being a best of five. The top 2 teams on points earn a bye to the semi-finals.
LJL Finals
The top six teams in championship points, earned from the regular season, participate in the LJL Finals, a double-elimination bracket. The top four teams start in the upper bracket, whilst 5th-6th start in the lower bracket. All matches are best of fives. Winner qualifies for the League of Legends Championship Pacific Promotion Playoffs and has a chance of entering the LCP as a guest team.
Teams
Notable As of 2025 season: Team IDBurning Core ToyamaBCTDetonatioN FocusMe AcademyDFM.AQT DIG∞QTDREJECTRCV3 EsportsV3VARREL YouthVLYYang Yang GamingYYG
Former 7th heaven DetonatioN RabbitFive Okinawan Tigers Pentagram SCARZ Unsold Stuff Gaming Rascal Jester FENNEL AXIZ Crest Gaming Act Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Gaming DetonatioN FocusMe AXIZ Crest Spirit Quartz Gaming
Past seasons Year Split 1st 2nd 3rdTier 1 era (2014 - 2023) 2014 Winter Rascal Jester Ozone Rampage Okinawan Tigers Spring DetonatioN FocusMe Rascal Jester Ozone Rampage Summer DetonatioN FocusMe Ozone Rampage Rascal Jester Grand Final DetonatioN FocusMe Rascal Jester 2015 Season 1 DetonatioN FocusMe DetonatioN RabbitFive 7th heaven Season 2 Ozone Rampage DetonatioN FocusMe 7th heaven Grand Final DetonatioN FocusMe Ozone Rampage 2016 Spring DetonatioN FocusMe Rampage Unsold Stuff Gaming Summer Rampage DetonatioN FocusMe 7th heaven 2017 Spring Rampage DetonatioN FocusMe Unsold Stuff Gaming Summer Rampage DetonatioN FocusMe 7th heaven 2018 Spring Pentagram DetonatioN FocusMe Unsold Stuff Gaming Summer DetonatioN FocusMe Unsold Stuff Gaming PENTAGRAM 2019 Spring DetonatioN FocusMe Unsold Stuff Gaming Crest Gaming Act Summer DetonatioN FocusMe V3 Esports Crest Gaming Act2020SpringDetonatioN FocusMeSengoku GamingV3 EsportsSummerV3 EsportsDetonatioN FocusMeSengoku Gaming2021SpringDetonatioN FocusMeV3 EsportsRascal JesterSummerDetonatioN FocusMeRascal JesterAXIZ2022SpringDetonatioN FocusMeSengoku GamingRascal JesterSummerDetonatioN FocusMeSengoku GamingFukuoka SHG2023SpringDetonatioN FocusMeSengoku GamingFENNELFukuoka SHGSummerDetonatioN FocusMeFukuoka SHGSengoku GamingTier 2 era (2024 - present)2024SpringFukuoka SHG(PCS 2024 Spring Playoff #2)DetonatioN FocusMe(PCS 2024 Spring Playoff #7)V3 Esports(PCS 2024 Spring Playoff #10-11)SummerFukuoka SHG(PCS 2024 Summer Playoff #2)DetonatioN FocusMe(PCS 2024 Summer Playoff #5-6)Sengoku Gaming(PCS 2024 Summer Playoff #10-11)2025ForgeREJECTVARREL YouthSpirit Quartz GamingBurning Core ToyamaStormREJECTQT DIG∞DetonatioN FocusMe AcademyBurning Core ToyamaIgniteREJECTBurning Core ToyamaQT DIG∞DetonatioN FocusMe AcademyLJL FinalsQT DIG∞REJECTDetonatioN FocusMe Academy
Notes
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