Introduction: The S15 season has completely wrapped up, and it’s believed that the vast majority of players have been paying attention to the recent off-season period. With the new season drawing near, major regions have successively revealed their match timings, and an announcement from the LPL has sparked widespread discussion. Although the first stage schedule hasn’t been formally released yet, this notice has already leaked the timetable, indicating the first stage will officially start on January 8, 2026. The part-time referee recruitment has become a focal point among netizens, surprised by the strict requirements including two unpaid practice rounds and the demand for current students from 985 or 211 universities.

LPL New Season Start Date Unexpectedly Revealed

Most players are quite familiar with the LPL region. Once a top-tier global region, LPL has developed rapidly in recent years, with increasing team numbers but declining results, even losing to European and American teams frequently. In the recent World Championship, the number one seed BLG only reached the top 16, marking a low point for the LPL. During the winter transfer window, to improve the region’s quality, the organizers withdrew two teams. The departure of RNG disappointed many fans, given the large fanbase of this franchise.

All major regions are announcing their new season start dates. As the region with the largest fanbase, LPL has yet to make an official announcement, but a recruitment notice for part-time referees unexpectedly revealed the match start date. This is a recruitment for part-time referees for the League of Legends PC game, with work locations in Beijing, Suzhou, Shenzhen, and Xi’an home venues. The start date is clearly stated as January 8, 2026, aligned with the season schedule. Regarding pay, single matches in BO3 format pay 300 yuan, and BO5 matches pay 500 yuan. Overall, the salary is reasonable; free meals are provided on match days, and there are transportation subsidies for overtime work.

What confuses fans is that after passing the interview, recruits must complete two unpaid practice sessions before officially starting, meaning the officials get free labor twice. However, this is somewhat understandable since it’s a first-time role requiring assessment of adaptability. The hardest to understand is the last requirement: preference for current students from 985 or 211 universities. It’s unexpected that even a part-time referee position demands such qualifications, causing many netizens to joke that the highest degree on stage might be from the least conspicuous part-time referee, likely reflecting cheap labor.

Honestly, there’s no need to criticize the use of part-time referees as an amateur setup. The officials have professional head referees and referee team members, and these part-timers mostly handle miscellaneous tasks without making critical rulings. The organizers obviously can’t afford to pay a full salary plus social security during the off-season, so part-time work is the best option. Considering the pay, it’s quite decent — a BO3 match lasts about three hours, meaning an hourly wage of around 100 yuan, plus meals included. Many fans might find this appealing. The official screening process will also be strict.

Farewell Thoughts

If all goes as expected, the new season will kick off on January 8, with the full schedule yet to be announced officially. Everyone should view the part-time referee issue rationally — even LPL official commentators are paid per match. Apart from the final education requirement, everything else seems quite normal. The recruitment numbers aren’t large, so many highly educated fans will likely apply, and the officials will conduct their own selection.

What do all the viewers think about this matter?