Riot Games doubles down on grassroots push with expanded Pilipinas Open Wild Rift tilt

MANILA, Philippines — Riot Games Philippines is expanding its grassroots Wild Rift ecosystem in 2026 with an overhauled Wild Rounds: Pilipinas Open. This serves as the country's pathway to Smash 2026 in South Korea while introducing new programs aimed at creators and community leaders.

The publisher unveiled a year-round roadmap that moves beyond a single tournament, combining community competitions, a national championship circuit, and creator-focused events designed to give more Filipino players a chance to participate regardless of skill level.

"The Philippines is one of the countries that have a considerable Wild Rift player base globally. This is a very clear indicator that we want to invest resources, we want to invest our time, our bandwidth to serve our core mobile gaming players here," said Joel Guzman, Wild Rift APAC Regional Publishing Product Lead.

At the center of the roadmap is Wild Rounds: Pilipinas Open, which features two splits before culminating in a national championship. The winning team will earn the right to represent the Philippines at Smash 2026 in South Korea this November -- Wild Rift's global community celebration -- while competing for a share of a P1-million prize pool.

Rather than focusing solely on high-level competition, Riot Games said it wants to create more entry points for the broader community through influencer-led tournaments and a dedicated creator track.

"We're really thinking beyond a single tournament. Instead, we've built a year-round competitive and community ecosystem," said Lara Antonio, Wild Rift APAC regional community lead.

The creator track, scheduled from August to September, will feature alternative game modes such as ARAM and 2v2, while community tournaments will continue running throughout the year.

Antonio said the goal is to make organized play more accessible to everyday players.

"We definitely wanted a path that was much more accessible for everyone, even casual players. We don't want them to ever feel too intimidated by too much of a professional scene," Antonio added.

Alongside the expanded tournament ecosystem, Riot Games also introduced the Wild Rift Partner Program and the Philippines-exclusive Nexus Elite Program, which brings together creators, community leaders, casters, cosplayers and former professional players to help grow the game's local community.

"Ultimately, everything that we shared today is designed around one goal, which is to create a healthier and more vibrant Wild Rift ecosystem in the Philippines," Antonio said.

The Wild Rounds: Pilipinas Open is currently underway, with Split 1 running through July and Split 2 registrations set to open on July 6. The tournament will culminate in September, with the country's representatives then advancing to Smash 2026 in South Korea in November.