Riot Shuts Down LCS and Creates the LTA

LCS is being replaced by the New League of Legends Americas League LTA

The League of Legends esports landscape is set to transform with the announcement of the League of Legends Championship of the Americas, known as the LTA. This pan-American league, divided into North and South sections, brings together established teams, guest organizations, and an innovative three-split format aimed at fostering competition and elevating the sport’s appeal in the Americas. This announcement comes immediately before the LoL Worlds 2024 Grand Finals between T1 and BLG.

The LTA’s structure, which emphasizes diversity and regional representation, is designed to increase the accessibility of the competitive scene, ultimately aiming to boost interest for major organizations across North and South America. Each region’s league will be populated by a combination of permanent teams, guest teams, and special partner teams with designated rankings and opportunities throughout the splits.

LTA North: The Contenders and Their Role

The LTA North division features renowned teams like Cloud9, Team Liquid, FlyQuest, Shopify Rebellion, and Dignitas, who were part of the final League Championship Series (LCS) split. Joining them is the newly formed Lyon Gaming, a LATAM Partner team that emerged from a merger between Six Karma and Movistar R7. Additionally, North America’s 100 Thieves has taken on a “Provisional Guest Team” role following its sale of its LCS franchise slot to Riot Games. While 100 Thieves remains in the LTA, it will not participate in the Promotion Tournament scheduled for 2025.

Another addition is the team Disguised, an independent organization that previously competed in North America's tier-two competition, the NACL. Disguised, as a guest team, must participate in a Promotion Tournament, facing off against competitors from the NACL and the Latin American Regional Network (LRN), to secure its slot for future seasons. NRG and Immortals, two prominent names in the LCS, were not named among the LTA North participants, confirming speculation about their withdrawal from the competition.

LTA South: A Mix of Local Champions and International Competitors

LTA South, replacing the CBLOL league, introduces a robust lineup of Brazilian organizations including Fluxo, FURIA, LOUD, paiN Gaming, Vivo Keyd Stars, and RED Canids, alongside Leviatán, a prominent LATAM organization. The Argentine team Isurus, a two-time World Championship qualifier, joins as LTA South’s guest team. To retain their place in the league, Isurus will compete in a Promotion Tournament at the season's end against teams from CBLOL Academy and the South Regional League (LRS).

Missing from the LTA South lineup are previous CBLOL franchises LOS GRANDES, Liberty, INTZ, and KaBuM! Esports, which will not participate this season. Exploring the LTA’s Unique Three-Split Format The LTA's structure is divided into three competitive splits, with each offering unique formats and boosts. This three-split system is aimed at enhancing engagement and ensuring teams have multiple avenues to prove their capabilities.

Split One: The Introduction to LTA’s International Competition Split One serves as the initial test for teams in both the North and South conferences. A double-elimination, best-of-three tournament will determine the top representatives for an international competition hosted by Riot Games. The format’s "fearless mode," which limits champion reuse in a best-of-series, forces teams to demonstrate depth and strategic adaptability across matches. The best four teams from each region then face off in Brazil, culminating in a best-of-five series to crown the winner of Split One.

Split Two: Conference-Based Competition and MSI Qualification Split Two is structured as a double round-robin, best-of-one tournament within each conference. The top six teams from each region progress to a double-elimination playoff, with champions from both the North and South crowned as the conferences’ Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) representatives. This split will focus on consistent performance and rewards the top competitors with entry into the MSI, allowing them to compete against global teams.

Split Three: The Innovative 'Pick and Play' System Split Three introduces a new "Pick and Play" feature, giving teams weekly opportunities to select their matchups. The matchups are based on rankings from Split Two, with lower-ranked teams given the chance to challenge higher-ranked opponents, fostering a competitive environment where teams can strategize directly against their toughest competitors. The bottom four teams in each region face elimination until only three teams remain. Top teams from both regions will qualify directly for the Americas Regional Championship, and the leading seeds gain automatic entry to the 2025 World Championship.

This format, with its multi-tiered structure and competitive opportunities, aims to increase audience engagement, offering high-stakes matches every week while providing teams the flexibility to improve and adjust over multiple splits.

How the LTA Boosts Competition in NA and LATAM

The creation of the LTA brings a fresh and calculated approach to the North and South American League of Legends scene. By incorporating guest and provisional teams alongside permanent partners, Riot Games is ensuring the league has a rotating cast of competitors, boosting the stakes and dynamic of the competition. The three-split format, including “Pick and Play” and the fearless mode, introduces an additional layer of strategic depth that appeals to both fans and analysts alike.

With LTA’s diversified structure and innovative approach, this league has the potential to elevate the competitive level and broaden the appeal of League of Legends across the Americas. As the seasons progress, the flexibility within the tournament format will likely encourage more teams to reach their peak performance, and the unique “Pick and Play” system will allow underdog teams to showcase their skills on a grand stage. This revitalized format is set to strengthen League of Legends’ rank in the global esports hierarchy, appealing to both seasoned fans and new viewers in the region.

 

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