Hello Lumia Island survivors!

Following the Kkueburakkeo Masters Season 9 Finals in Busan, our Season 9 Esports circuit has officially come to a close. Now, as we enter 2026, we are ready to kick off Season 10. Since this is the first "Season 10" in the history of Eternal Return Esports—spanning from Early Access to the official launch—we are determined to make it a landmark season filled with more thrilling matches than ever before.

The most critical point for Season 10 is that it marks the final "Eternal Return Masters" where KEL players can compete. Starting next season, KEL and Masters will officially be separated. While KEL players may still join the Masters during their off-season, those tournaments will be categorized separately as "Super Masters (Tentative Name)." We are incredibly excited to see which team will claim the final victory of this 10-season journey!

Here is a brief overview of the Season 10 Esports plans.

§ Eternal Return Masters Season 10

Eternal Return Masters Season 10 begins on Friday, February 13th. 
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The Masters Season 10 Finals will now be held  in the Daejeon eSports Dream Arena on Friday, April 10th and Saturday, April 11th.

§ Rule Changes: Weather, Checkpoint Scores, and Default Skins

Purple Fog is bringing big changes to Lumia Island. With its Corrupted Mutants heavily impacting gameplay, we expect the new sub weather to have a much stronger influence on matches. To adapt, we are changing the Sub Weather selection from full random to conditional random. Once a Sub Weather appears, it is removed from the pool, ensuring every Sub Weather appears at least once every 4 rounds. 

The team with the highest score among those in Checkpoint status will still choose the next round's Main Weather.

The Checkpoint system is the heart of ER Esports, keeping teams competitive until the very end. However, as teams are scoring higher in recent matches, too many are hitting Checkpoint at once. To give leading teams a better chance to pull ahead, the Checkpoint threshold is being raised from 65 to 70 points.
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In Checkpoint matches, we often see a "group project" dynamic where non-Checkpoint teams target those who have already reached the threshold. To give Checkpoint teams more room for strategic play, we are implementing the "Display Enemy Players as Default Skins" option from the 10.2 update. Since player numbers and team colors are already randomized in tournaments, forcing default skins will make it impossible to identify specific teams even with the same character compositions, allowing for more strategic "mind games" during picks.

We’re looking forward to seeing how these changes shift the flow of the matches, and we hope you’ll check it all out in the upcoming Season 10 Esports circuit!

2026 Asia Esports Tournament

Eternal Return will participate as an official title in the "2026 Asia Esports Tournament," where national representatives will compete in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do. This is an international event hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and organized by KeSPA.

 To help overseas players perform at their best, we will provide a one-week bootcamp in Korea, including high-level scrims and ranked game support. Selection processes vary by region, so stay tuned for the corresponding announcement.

§ Esports Profile Icons

Starting this season, we’re introducing seasonal Esports Profile Icons. There are three icons in total: Esports Community, Esports Participant, and Esports Winner. All three share a similar design aesthetic, as our goal is to allow everyone in the esports scene to feel a sense of shared identity and connection within the game.

 The "Esports Community" icon will be the most widely available; you can earn it through Drops by tuning in to major matches (such as Finals) throughout the season.

The "Esports Participant" icon is dedicated to the players. You can earn this by competing in the Main Stage or higher of any official tournament, regardless of the region. We encourage you to test your skills in official matches across different regions to claim yours!

Finally, the "Esports Winner" icon is a special privilege reserved for those who take home a trophy. This icon covers a broad range of champions—for example, it will be awarded to winners of Masters Phase 1 or Phase 2, as well as winners of regional tournaments like the JAPAN CUP.

Season 10 of Eternal Return Esports is a deeply meaningful milestone for us.

We are constantly striving to deliver the most enjoyable and thrilling tournaments to our viewers. At the same time, the players and team officials who make these events shine are doing their absolute best to create unforgettable memories for the fans. To honor that dedication, we will do everything we can to make this season a rewarding experience for both our viewers and participants alike.

As always, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the fans who continue to support Eternal Return Esports. 

We’ll see you soon in our upcoming events!

Sincerely, 

Eternal Return Esports Team