LCS, CBLoL, and LLA Become Americas League in 2025

Key insights

6 takeaways

01
Riot Games is consolidating its global League of Legends esports ecosystem from eight leagues down to five for the 2025 season.
02
The LCS, CBLoL, and LLA will merge into a single 'Americas League,' which will be divided into Northern and Southern conferences.
03
The Southern Conference will be based at Riot Studios in São Paulo and will feature six existing CBLoL teams, one LLA team, and one tier-2 guest spot.
04
Riot is currently negotiating with existing teams from the LCS, CBLoL, and LLA to determine which organizations will continue in the new system and which will be moved to a new tier-2 relegation/promotion structure.
05
The 2025 season will feature three splits: Split 1 will qualify teams for a new global tournament in March, Split 2 will determine two slots for the Mid-Season Invitational, and Split 3 will qualify three teams for the World Championship.
06
The new tier-2 system will require teams to compete at the start of the season to secure a spot and defend that position at the end of the season to maintain their status.

Summary

Riot Games is restructuring its global League of Legends esports ecosystem for 2025, consolidating eight existing leagues into five. A primary component of this initiative is the creation of the Americas League, which merges the North American LCS, the Brazilian CBLoL, and the Latin American LLA into a unified structure. This reorganization is part of a broader strategic effort to streamline global operations and optimize the competitive landscape.

The new Americas League will be divided into two distinct geographic conferences. The North Conference, based at Riot Studios in Los Angeles, will feature six existing LCS teams, one team from the northern region of the LLA, and one tier-2 guest spot. The South Conference, based at Riot Studios in São Paulo, will similarly consist of six existing CBLoL teams, one team from the southern region of the LLA, and one tier-2 guest spot. Each conference will operate with a total of eight teams.

To support this transition, Riot is implementing a new tier-2 relegation and promotion system, requiring teams to compete for their league spots at the start of each season and defend them at the end. The 2025 competitive calendar will feature three splits: the first will determine qualification for a new global tournament in March, the second will award slots for the Mid-Season Invitational, and the third will serve as an Americas Regional Championship to qualify teams for the World Championship. Riot is currently engaging with existing teams to determine their participation in this revised model.