Rolling a birthplace decides your starting region, and once you’re a pro you can change regions by transferring overseas. Salaries differ by more than 3× between regions, and so do the spots available at international events. This article covers the traits of the seven regions and which players they suit.
Comparison at a Glance
| Region | Teams | Top team strength | Salary | Worlds slots |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LCK | 10 | 80 | 1.0× | 3 |
| LPL | 10 | 79 | 1.8× | 3 |
| LEC | 10 | 74 | 1.25× | 3 |
| LCS | 8 | 69 | 1.6× | 3 |
| LCP | 8 | 66 | 0.75× | 2 |
| CBLOL | 8 | 62 | 0.6× | 1 |
| LLA | 8 | 55 | 0.5× | 1 |
Strength values and team names are fictional settings made up within the game. Even at the same OVR, salary differs because the regional multiplier is applied.
🇰🇷 LCK: The Strongest, Most Structured League
Korea has the most birthplace options, with ten places including Gangnam in Seoul, Busan and Daegu. It is the only region whose ladder is split into the Challengers League (Youth) and LCK CL (Reserve), so its growth path is the clearest. Its top team strength of 80 is the highest and hardest to face, but with 3 Worlds slots and strong international strength it’s also a good place to chase titles. The salary multiplier is 1.0×, the baseline. It’s the safest choice for players going for score.
🇨🇳 LPL: The Powerhouse With the Highest Pay
Players born in Shanghai, China have good infrastructure (1.1) and start with evenly high Mechanics, Teamfights and Champion Pool. Its salary multiplier of 1.8× is the highest of the seven regions, and its top team strength of 79 is close to the LCK’s. With 3 Worlds slots and 3 EWC slots, it offers many international chances. Even a Korean-born player can transfer to the LPL once they reach OVR 74 or higher in the top division, and it’s the most efficient choice if you want to save money fast and build asset score.
🇪🇺 LEC: A Balanced Upper-Middle League
Players born in Copenhagen, Denmark start with high Vision & Macro and Mental, which suits Jungle and Support. Its top team strength of 74 is lower than the LCK’s and LPL’s, and the salary multiplier is 1.25×. With 3 slots each for EWC and Worlds, it offers plenty of international chances. It’s a good mid-level stage for growing by going head to head with strong teams.
🇺🇸 LCS: High Pay, Lower Strength
North America has a high salary multiplier of 1.6×, but its top team strength is 69 and with 8 teams competition is on the weaker side. It has 3 Worlds slots. With the same OVR it tends to be easier to go for the league title, and you can collect the title rewards (8 points for a league title, 8 for MVP) along with the high salary. Players born in Los Angeles start with high Teamfights and Champion Pool.
🌏 LCP: The Rising Asia-Pacific Stage
Hanoi (Vietnam), Taipei (Taiwan) and Tokyo (Japan) are the birthplaces in this region. Hanoi has a potential bonus (+2), and Tokyo has slightly better infrastructure at 1.05. The salary multiplier is a low 0.75×, but it has 2 slots each for Worlds and EWC, more than the lower regions. A good strategy is to build results here and then move to a higher-paying region.
🇧🇷 CBLOL · 🌎 LLA: Low Pay, High Potential
Players born in Brazil (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro) and Latin America (Mexico City, Buenos Aires) have weaker infrastructure of 0.85–0.9 but get a potential bonus (+1 to +2). Their salary multipliers are the lowest, 0.6× for CBLOL and 0.5× for LLA, and there is only 1 slot at every international event. Because these regions’ teams are weaker, winning the regional league tends to be relatively easy, but at international events you have to seize your one chance. If you start from here, a good strategy is to raise your OVR to 74 or higher locally, then take on the big stage through an overseas transfer.
Overseas Transfer Conditions
- Offers only come if you’re playing in the top division with an OVR of 74 or higher.
- No offer comes if the team you want to join is more than 4 above your OVR in strength. So to join a strong LCK or LPL team, your OVR has to be high enough.
- Overseas teams can show up in the season your contract ends, among transfer offers, and when you request a trade.
- If you return to solo queue without a team, you go back to your home region.
Recommendations by Goal
- Score (titles) focused: a strong LCK or LPL team, with many Worlds slots and high strength.
- Money (asset score) focused: transfer to the LPL or LCS and take advantage of the salary multiplier.
- Challenge focused: start from CBLOL, LLA or a Gangwon mountain village with a potential bonus and take the long road.
More Strategy Articles
The basic rules are in the Game Guide, and the full list is on the Strategy page.