How will LoL’s Americas League work? LCS, CBLOL, LLA merger, explained

With the entire professional League of Legends scene shifting for the future, the LCS, CBLOL, and LLA have been unified under one banner called the Americas League.

This merger is the first of its kind for the North American scene and will bring about a ton of questions from the fan base—and luckily for you, we’re here to explain all the changes. With the LCS finally having its first year-over-year growth in viewership over four years, the CBLOL seeing incredible viewership, and the LLA showing increased signs of engagement in 2024, Riot Games has decided to merge these forces into a unified league that will increase the level of competition in the region and the excitement among fans.

There are, however, plenty of changes heading to the scene with such a significant move, such as league conferences, new featured teams, and an exciting guest team slot that can bring fresh, up-and-coming squads under the bright lights for the first time.

Here is everything you need to know about the new Americas League merger in League of Legends.

Which LoL teams will be joining the Americas League?

Riot will be splitting the new league into North and South Conferences that are made up of six existing partnered LCS teams, one integrated LLA team based on geographical alignment, and one guest slot open for promotion and relegation through the tier-two system.

There will be eight teams in each conference playing through the global three-split system, but these teams have yet to be chosen by Riot. But Riot will be explaining more of the process behind choosing these teams this fall. Because of the format, however, the LCS and CBLOL will be losing two partnered teams from their current list of organizations.

How will each Americas League split work?

In the first split, teams will play within their own respective conferences, working toward the cross-conference playoffs to decide the first champion of the new league. This champion will also head to the new, unnamed global tournament as the sole representative of the Americas League.

For the Mid-Season Invitational, on the other hand, the top team from each conference will be given a slot for a total of two Americas representatives at the tournament.

For Worlds, however, the league will host a regional championship featuring all the teams to determine which three organizations will be advancing to the final international event of the year, with at least one team from each conference chosen.

Promotion and relegation in the LoL Americas League

With the introduction of a guest team slot in each Americas conference, teams from the tier-two scene will have a chance to enter the tier-one system. In 2025, players from the North American Challengers League and the Liga Regional Norte will compete among each other before finally challenging the current guest spot holder for a chance to compete in the Americas League.

This promotional tournament will take place once a year and will give a shot for potential stars to make their mark. There will also be more updates on the tier-two system through the Americas League later this year.