The Equal Esports Cup, a League of Legends tournament designed for women and non-binary competitors in the EMEA region, is officially returning for its third consecutive year. This initiative continues to promote inclusivity within the esports community and is set to feature 12 teams battling for supremacy.
The top two teams from the competition will earn the chance to face off in a live grand final at Gamescom, one of the world’s largest gaming events, held in Cologne, Germany.
Tournament Schedule and Organizers
The 2025 edition of the Equal Esports Cup is scheduled to run from July 1st through August 24th. The tournament is being hosted through a joint effort by SK Gaming, the Esports Player Foundation, and German telecommunications company Telekom. Riot Games will once again serve as the official partner for the event.
Major Format Overhaul for 2025
This year introduces a significant format update. The traditional round-robin structure has been replaced with a more dynamic grouping system. Instead of a single league table, the 12 participating teams will be divided into two groups of six.
Each group will engage in a best-of-two round robin, with the top three squads from each group progressing to the playoff stage. All matches will utilize the Fearless Draft mode, a standard across top-tier League of Legends tournaments. The six qualifying teams will then face off in a double-elimination playoff bracket composed of best-of-three series.
Team Lineup and Qualification
The competition will consist of eight directly invited teams, while four additional spots will be earned through open qualifiers. As of the latest announcement, five teams have already been confirmed: G2 Hel, SK Gaming Avarosa, Team Vitality French Bees, Solary Académie, and Galions Pearl (previously known as Team GO Aurora). The identities of the remaining three invited teams have yet to be revealed.
In the 2024 edition, the championship was claimed by NNOwO, who delivered a stunning reverse sweep against G2 Hel in the final. That win secured them €5,000 from the total €10,000 prize pool. Other participants included Team GO Aurora, Chester Gaming, NORD Polaris, Vitality Rising Bees, MAD Lions KOI Female, SK Avarosa, Team BDS Valkyries, and Solary Academy.
Viewing the Tournament
All matches will be available to watch live on the Equal Esports Cup’s official Twitch channel, providing fans with full access to every moment of competition.
The Equal Esports Cup joins the growing list of initiatives like the Milk Cup, aimed at expanding competitive opportunities for women and non-binary individuals in the esports landscape throughout 2025.
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