EASL is set to confirm its Japanese representatives for the upcoming 2026-27 season in the coming weeks, following the finalization of the 2025-26 B.LEAGUE playoff bracket on Sunday, May 3. Of the eight teams that qualified for the postseason, four are familiar faces in EASL competition. Alvark Tokyo and Utsunomiya Brex are both fresh off the 2025-26 EASL season, Chiba Jets last featured in 2023-24, and Ryukyu Golden Kings made it three EASL appearances in a row after participating in 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26. 

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The eight-team bracket spans three rounds, including the championship series, with each round contested in a best-of-three format. The opening round runs from May 7 to May 11, the second round is slated to tip off on May 24, and the championship series begins on May 26. 

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The two teams that advance to the championship series will earn automatic EASL berths for the 2026-27 season, as has been the case for every EASL home and away season to date. 

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Among the EASL teams featuring in this year's B.LEAGUE playoffs, the Utsunomiya Brex, last season's EASL and B.LEAGUE champions, claim the highest seed at No. 2. The Chiba Jets, EASL's inaugural champions in 2023-24, earned the No. 4 seed. The Ryukyu Golden Kings, who finished third in the 2025-26 EASL season, take the No. 6 seed, while Alvark Tokyo, the No. 1 overall seed in EASL's 2025-26 regular season, slot in at No. 8.

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In terms of the first round matchups: 

• No. 1 Nagasaki Velca vs. No. 8 Alvark Tokyo 
• No. 2 Utsunomiya Brex vs. No. 7 Nagoya Diamond Dolphins 
• No. 3 Seahorses Mikawa vs. No. 6 Ryukyu Golden Kings 
• No. 4 Chiba Jets vs. No. 5 Gunma Crane Thunders 
  
  

Stay up to date with the B.LEAGUE playoffs and every team advancing through the rounds by following EASL on social media at @eastasiasuperleague on Instagram, Facebook and Threads, and @EASLOfficial on X. More qualification announcements are coming soon.