Riot Games Introduces EMEA Champions Queue for League of Legends

Riot Games revealed that League of Legends players in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region will soon have a dedicated EMEA Champions Queue (CQ) server, following in the steps of the North American CQ. Over the last year, the North American Champions Queue server was the center of many debates and discussions and players often pointed out how the pros were not making the best use of it. Now, starting 24th January alongside League of Legends EMEA Championship’s (LEC) Winter Split, players from the EMEA region will have the option to queue for Champions Queue. The EMEA Champions Queue server will enable players to practice League of Legends in a high-quality, solo queue-like environment. 

Riot Games announced, “EMEA CQ will kick off alongside the LEC 2023 Winter Split, allowing current LEC players and developmental players from some of our ERLs [European Regional League] to practice in an enhanced and competitive environment.”

Who can access the EMEA Champions Queue?

Initially, the EMEA CQ will consist of LEC and ERL players and also a few select professionals who might not be currently on a starting line-up. Additionally, former pros who still play at a high-competitive level will be allowed to play on the server.

The following is a detailed breakdown of who will have access to EMEA Champions Queue:

• LEC starting lineup players

• LEC registered substitutes (must be Grandmaster or higher in Solo Queue in the previous or current season)

• Accredited ERL starting lineup players

When does the EMEA Champions Queue start?

The EMEA Champions Queue will kick off on 24th January alongside the official LEC Winter Split, stated Riot Games. The first split of the EMEA LoL Champions Queue will run till 23rd February and will be active on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays in a single four hour block per day [22:00-02:00 CET]. Riot noted that the last hour of the queue will allow for off-role picks as it anticipates less available players during this time. 

The Champions Queue schedule for split 1 is as follows:

• Split 1 - 24th January to 23rd February

• Split 2 - 28th February to 31st March

• MSI Split - TBD

• Split 3 - 30th May to 30th June

• Split 4 - 4th July to 11th August

Some of the perks of playing on this dedicated server is that it comes with a private Discord server, a leaderboard system, and automatic lobby creation. Apart from the list of players mentioned currently, to enter the server, you will need an invite from Riot Games. The company noted that a Player Council shall be established a few weeks after launch and that it will vote on who has access to the EMEA Champions Queue.