Demacia Cup Upgraded to 28 Teams and an $115,000 Prize Pool
In the first Demacia Cup, Invictus Gaming took home the title. The tournament featured the seven LPL teams, including the recently promoted LGD Gaming. LMQ iBuyPower was also invited, but forfeited due to a decision to compete in the United States for a chance in the North American LCS.
In addition to overhauling their LSPL format, Tencent has decided to beef up the Demacia Cup. 28 teams will be invited for a chance at ¥ 720,000 ($115,191) total prize pool. This prize pool is larger than for LPL or LCS.
Eight teams from LPL, 16 teams from LSPL, and four teams outside the leagues are invited. The format will be a best-of-three knockout bracket. The top four LPL teams, Invictus Gaming, Edward Gaming, World Elite, and OMG receive a first round bye. Best-of-threes will take place every Monday until the finals, at which point a best-of-five will decide the first place team.
This large tournament will create an opportunity for LSPL and LPL teams to face off. This, in conjunction with the decision to increase seeding into LPL from LSPL, is intended to improve the overall level of competition among Chinese teams and bolster the scene.
The tournament begins June 9th at 15:00 China Time (0:00 PDT) with a best-of-three between Young Glory and the much-anticipated new roster of Star Horn Royal Club. More details will be revealed as they are available.
