.League has confirmed the forty players who will make up its ten teams in 2026-27. Seven clubs retained all four contracts. Three used the draft to complete their roster: KADOKAWA Sakura Knights, Sega Sammy Phoenix, and U-NEXT Pirates.
Three draft picks in three different contexts
Wataru Shirinashihama joins Sakura Knights. Hinako Sano was selected by Sega Sammy Phoenix. Kōshin Asakura returns to U-NEXT Pirates four years after his previous contract ended.
Seven clubs return unchanged, so attention settles on the three teams that had to complete their quartet.
The format remains a three-stage competition
All ten teams play the regular season. The top six reach the semifinal series, then the leading four contest the final. A roster rule requires at least one change when the same lineup misses the semifinals in two consecutive seasons. It applies to the four players, not only the club name: a released player cannot immediately re-sign with that team for the following season. The sporting consequence falls on the roster without relegating the franchise.
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70 million yen for the champion
The champion is due to receive 70 million yen, ahead of 20 million for second, 10 million for third, and 5 million for fourth. The combined prize money for the top four teams therefore reaches 105 million yen.
The regular-season leader also receives 3 million yen. Four individual awards are announced: individual points, highest single-game score, fourth-place avoidance, and most first-place finishes. The team championship is decided after the semifinals and final.
A 300-match regular season
The regular season began on September 14, 2026, and ends on March 2, 2027. Each team will play 120 matches, for 300 matches in total.
The league keeps its two-table format. From September 21 to December 25, every matchday will contain four matches, two on each table. The top six teams then enter the semifinal series, with 20 matches per team and 30 in total. The four finalists will each play 16 matches.
ABEMA carries every match live on its Mahjong channel.
Aikawa and Asakura win on opening night
Megumu Aikawa (EARTH JETS) won the first match with +58.0 points. Kei Nakabayashi (U-NEXT Pirates) finished second on +3.8, ahead of Aiko Hinata (Shibuya ABEMAS) on -19.5 and Kazunori Takizawa (KONAMI Mahjong Fight Club) on -42.3.
Kōshin Asakura (U-NEXT Pirates) won the second match with +54.7 points. Yoshihiro Matsumoto (Shibuya ABEMAS) placed second on +7.4, Hisato Sasaki (KONAMI Mahjong Fight Club) third on -14.0, and Tomohiro Miura (EARTH JETS) fourth on -48.1.
After the two matches, U-NEXT Pirates stands on +58.5 points, followed by EARTH JETS on +9.9, Shibuya ABEMAS on -12.1, and KONAMI Mahjong Fight Club on -56.3.