The LoL offseason calendar (2026-27)

When contracts end, when the market opens, and what to check at each point.

In one line

Contracts expire on 16 November (UTC). In Korea that is the morning of 17 November, and the transfer market opens right after. In 2026, Worlds runs 15 October to the final on 14 November (Riot's official schedule), so the expiry date lands right after the final. 371 players have contracts ending that day (172 in the six major leagues).

2026-27 calendar

When	What	Note
29 Aug – 13 Sep 2026	LCK playoffs and final	Final on 13 September
23 Sep – 2 Oct 2026	Asian Games esports	LoL final on 2 October
15 Oct – 14 Nov 2026	Worlds	Riot's official schedule · final on 14 November
16 Nov 2026 (UTC)	Contracts expire	17 November in Korea
mid-Nov – early Dec	Signing announcements	The busiest three weeks of the year
early Jan 2027 (expected)	Roster lock	Exact date follows league announcements
mid-Jan 2027 (expected)	Season starts	In 2026 it began on 14 January

Dates can change; always confirm against official league announcements.

Terms

Free agent: contract finished, free to negotiate with any team. This site marks players whose contract ends in 2026 or earlier as free agents for 2027.
Under contract: signed beyond 2027.
Import (Non-Resident): a player from outside the league's region; leagues cap how many can play.

What to check, and when

Now: see who is expiring. The list is already fixed by contract.
Around 16 November: the change log shows the sheet moving, sometimes before announcements.
During the announcement wave: compare with what other fans predicted in the fan rankings.

VALORANT runs on a different clock: its market opens after Champions in mid-October, about a month before LoL. See the VALORANT free agent list and change log.