LEC Commissioner Artem Bykov on expanding the LEC without changing its core

Four years ago, taking the League of Legends European Championship (LEC) outside Berlin felt like a major undertaking for Riot Games. In 2026, the league is staging six arena shows outside Riot Games Arena Berlin while continuing to run its competitive formats from its home studio.

For Artem Bykov, LEC Commissioner, that transformation is one of the clearest examples of how quickly the league has evolved since he joined Riot Games.