Riot’s new League of Americas region explained

Teams from the LCS, LLA, and CBLOL will all be smushed together into one region as the League of Americas in 2025.

As previously reported, the League of Americas will bring the LCS, LLA, and CBLOL together in 2025. Riot hopes this will grow these regions’ fanbases and “improve competitive play.” In other words, will teams from the Americas finally make it far at Worlds? Maybe 2025 will finally be their year.

“We believe it’s time to take a bold step forward and create something that can grow and evolve. The League of the Americas is designed to blend innovative competition with the rich heritage of these beloved brands, uniting the strengths of our uniquely passionate communities in a way that’s never been done before,” Riot stated in an official press release on the changes.

League of Americas region format revealed

The creation of the League of Americas brings some interesting structural changes for teams in 2025.

The first is the top-tier teams that will compete in this league. While some of the involved regions initially were part of a franchise model, Riot explained that the partners have “evolved significantly,” which has led them to discuss which teams will be included in 2025. The tier one teams will be revealed after the 2024 season concludes, but expect teams that Riot believes share its vision and are capable of achieving big things.

League of Americas will have both North and South conferences. They will both have identical formats and calendars to create “consistency and fairness.” While both conferences will compete in different arenas, they will come together at a LAN event twice a year to compete for spots in global tournaments.

There will be three splits, a change from the spring and summer splits that fans are used to. Riot wrote that “each split is designed to have its own identity and purpose.” Here’s how Riot is envisioning it.

• First split – A kick off where teams can introduce themselves and their region in the Fearless Draft. This split will end with both conferences sending their top teams to a showdown
• Second split – This will be a “traditional format,” with each conference competing separately. The top teams from each conference will earn a slot at MSI
• Third split – This final split will have “aggressive formats” every week, concluding with the top team from North and South earning a spot at Worlds 2025. The third and final slot is up for grabs, with both conferences clashing at a regional championship roadshow in an attempt to get the spot. This event will take place somewhere in the Americas every year

Tier two will also be getting some big changes in 2025, as Riot hopes to “strengthen the connection” between tier one and tier two. Organizations from tier two will be able to earn a one-year slot in the Americas league. Riot provided an article focused on tier two here.

“As we near the conclusion of the 2024 season and turn our focus to Worlds, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the community for your unwavering support and passion. There’s still so much more to reveal in the coming months, including detailed insights into the format, the tier one teams, and other exciting developments for the Americas league,” Riot concluded.