LTA 2025 power rankings: Old giants staying strong in refreshed competition

Competitive League of Legends is back in the Americas. Teams will compete in a unified competition called LTA, but they’re still separated into two conferences–North and South. For the majority of the season, the rivalry will remain domestic, leading into an LTA championship in the second half of the year.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves and focus on the domestic competition for now. Like each year, we will see new and returning faces in both American regions. To get a better understanding of who’s the favorite and who are the underdogs, we compiled a power ranking for both subregions. 

LTA North

The leading trio

FlyQuest

It was easy to name the strongest team in the North American part of LTA—FlyQuest. For anyone who followed League’s esports scene in 2024, especially in its final months, this won’t be a surprise. FlyQuest stunned international audiences at Worlds by showcasing solid and confident gameplay, fueling resources into their star players like Massu and Inspired. They did so by playing their own aggressive game, regardless of who the opponent was. If they maintain this fearless approach in 2025, LTA North should be their domain. However, they must be wary of other domestic contenders eager to retake the throne.

Team Liquid

Team Liquid are arguably FlyQuest’s most dangerous challenger. Like FlyQuest, they retained their 2024 lineup, an extremely talented bunch. On paper, they are the team to be afraid of in LTA North despite losing in the 2024 LCS Championship final and at Worlds to their domestic rivals.

Their roster includes prodigy jungler UmTI, who is at the frontline of Liquid’s firepower alongside APA and Yeon. The trio still has tons of space to grow and become North American superstars and have the best environment to do so by working alongside former Worlds champions Impact and CoreJJ.

The sky is the limit for Liquid, but they are their own biggest enemy. Throughout 2024, they were unable to close games or gave up early leads due to their indecisiveness and fears. If they work on their internal issues, they can compete for the domestic crown and on the international stage.

Cloud9

Speaking about the crown, three teams will be leading the race to conquer LTA North this year. The third contenders are Cloud9. The organization is the most successful in the history of the LCS alongside Liquid, but it hasn’t hoisted a trophy since 2023. 

Prodigy top laner Thanatos left South Korea and joined C9’s ranks in 2024. The player has been called one of the region’s best talents in recent years, and he might be C9’s new jewel crown. Thanatos isn’t the only new rookie, though, with another hyped prospect, Loki, filling the mid lane.

The new duo will be supported by the veteran trio of Blaber, VULCAN, and Zven, with the latter going back to ADC duties for C9. The organization has a history of making risky signings work, and that’s why we expect them to once again shake the competition in North America. 

Middle of the pack

100 Thieves

Amid off-the-Rift turmoil in the wake of exit rumors, 100 Thieves are back for another year of North American League. 100T are looking to right the wrongs of their 2024 World Championship campaign which saw them become the first then-LCS team not to make it out of the play-in stage at Worlds, losing to the organization that is now Lyon in the LTA. 

100T decided to keep the majority of their Worlds roster intact, only replacing Tomo with a former LCS champion with the returning FBI. The veteran ADC will look to bring his experience to the roster and hopes to progress from their third-place finish at the end of the summer season. If this is to be their final season in League, they need to go out with a bang. 

Shopify Rebellion

Shopify Rebellion have made much-needed improvements to their roster and in the business world as well. The organization recently announced that Ludwig and MoistCr1TiKaL have recently become co-owners, marking a new era for Shopify in League. 

On the Rift, the team did a major overhaul to its roster. Fudge is finally off the C9 bench and looking to return to form as one of the best top laners in the region. The overall theme of this 2025 Shopify team is returning players to their past selves, and this will be the case with the NRG duo of Contractz and Palafox. If Shopify have played their cards right, then they have picked up multiple players who have performed at the highest level in North America. 

LYON

LYON is the LLA representative competing in the LTA North next season as part of the Americas merger. The roster is packed with veteran talent, but whether the roster makes sense or not is a different matter. Licorice finds himself outside one of the main North American organizations for the first time in his career as he looks to prove that he still has it on LYON. 

One of the more exciting moves from LYON is Oddie, one of the greatest players to grace Latin America. This is a tenured veteran who has competed in multiple international events, won several domestic titles and will not be phased by the prospect of going up against the best in North America. 

Underdogs

Dignitas

Dignitas has been a consistent presence in the North American League scene but has struggled to deliver significant results in recent years. However, their 2025 roster might make it work with their mix of experience and unproven potential, and the Fearless Draft format may provide the perfect opportunity for this team to carve out a unique identity in the new league. 

Players like Srtty, who has shown flexibility in top lane picks across his career, could thrive in a format that rewards innovation. Similarly, Tomo and Isles in the bot lane have worked together before and could leverage their synergy to execute unconventional strategies. However, the team’s success will hinge on how Keine in the mid lane and LirA in the jungle can handle their matchups since inconsistent performances from these key roles could leave Dignitas vulnerable against more polished teams.

Dignitas enters the LTA North as an underdog, and while their lineup has potential, their history suggests they will need to work hard to compete with the region’s top teams. If they can overcome early coordination issues and lean on their veterans in clutch situations, they could emerge as a dark horse in the race to the LTA championship.

Disguised

After competing in the NACL for two years, this new team now faces the daunting task of adapting to the more intense and competitive Tier 1 environment. 

The addition of Abbedagge in the mid lane brings a spark of hope, as his veteran leadership could anchor the team. The Fearless Draft format could work to their advantage and let them experiment with unconventional champions that might become signature picks. That said, ScaryJerry and huhi form an intriguing bot lane duo of youthful potential and veteran savvy that will be worth keeping an eye on.

Team Disguised has an opportunity to carve out a niche as an unpredictable opponent, both in and out of the Rift. However, their success will depend on how quickly they can adapt to the higher level of play and how effectively they can exploit the surprises that Fearless Draft enables.

LTA South

The ones to beat

PaiN Gaming

PaiN Gaming come into the LTA South 2025 season as the team to beat. After making history with their groundbreaking performance at Worlds 2024, they are carrying the hopes of their massive fanbase and the reputation of being the region’s most iconic organization. Known for their strong roster synergy, they boast a balanced lineup, with dyNquedo and TitaN standing out as some of the best in their roles. 

With a long history of success and the spotlight firmly on them, paiN Gaming has the skill and experience to maintain their dominance in the region. Their journey in 2025 will be as much about living up to expectations as it is about setting new benchmarks for South American League.

Vivo Keyd Stars

Vivo Keyd Stars enters the 2025 season with a mix of regional talent and international experience that pose them as a scary contender to beat in the region. The standout addition is Trymbi, a former LEC support who brings invaluable knowledge from arguably one of the world’s most competitive leagues. His presence could help elevate the team’s performance, particularly in high-pressure matchups, and introduce new strategies to the region.

The rest of the roster features a blend of developing talent and proven players who have shown the ability to compete at a high level. If they can build strong cohesion and effectively integrate their playstyles into one solid team, Vivo Keyd Stars could once again confirm itself as the powerhouse in the LTA South.

LOUD

LOUD returns in 2025 as one of the most popular and successful teams in LTA South. Their roster features some of the most experienced and skilled players in the region, with tinowns leading the charge as arguably the best mid laner in the conference. Their consistent presence at the top of the standings over the years and their ability to deliver under pressure make them a blind favorite to conquer the first split of the LTA South.

Their history of success and the trust they’ve built with their fans make them a team that thrives on momentum—and if they can build it, LOUD might become an unstoppable force. If this team can channel its signature style of calculated, proactive aggression on the Rift and capitalize on the raw skill of its players, it will remain a dominant force in the LTA South.

Middle of the pack

Isurus Estral

Isurus Estrali is coming in at a unique position in the LTA South, given they are the guest team for the 2025 LTA South season, and they will have to compete in the promotion tournament at the end of the season to keep their place in the league. With that amount of pressure on the line, they have put together a squad capable of not only staying in the league but challenging for the title.

Historically, Korean imports have favored well when coming to Brazil, and this is what Isurus is hoping to happen with the acquisitions of Burdol and Mireu—the latter has been competing in Europe for the past year, while Burdol has been playing in both the LCK and LPL.

FURIA

Although Korean imports have a history of doing well in the CBLoL, this wasn’t the case for FURIA, who had a disappointing 2024 campaign. The Brazilian squad bombed out in 9th place in Split One and while there were improvements in Split Two, it wasn’t enough to push them towards international competition. This year, FURIA is going with an all-Brazilian lineup, keeping Tutsz, Ayu, and JoJo. This is again expected to be a middle-of-the-pack roster, and they will have to overachieve considerably if they wish to attend one of the international events this year.

Leviatan

Like LYON in North America, Leviatan is the LLA representative in the 2025 season. Lev will have their work cut out for them if they wish to be competitive in the LTA South, and they have put together a decent roster that will have to punch pretty hard if they want to make a dent in the top teams. One of the key stars of this team is Ceo. The ADC was part of the R7 squad that eliminated North America’s 100 Thieves from the Worlds 2024 Play-in stage. Ceo will have to perform more miracles if they are to compete for a championship this year.

The underdogs

Red Canids

RED Canids did fairly well in 2024, barely missing out on Worlds by placing third in the second Split’s playoffs. Throughout the year, they represented a similar level. They were never bad but always lacked something to earn the most important victories.

Without any major changes to the lineup for 2025, it’s tough to imagine RED Canids rapidly transforming to the competition’s giants. They might’ve lost a bit of steam after missing out on hot transfers. Luckily, the wait to see them back in action isn’t long anymore, and we’ll be able to see what potential progress they have made. 

Fluxo

Fluxo is betting on fresh blood this season by introducing four new members to its roster, with Fuuu being the only player left from the previous lineup. To be fair, these are all but no names, with the quartet of Hidan, Drakehero, Marvin, and Guigs dominating last year’s academy season with paiN Gaming Academy. But will there be enough fuel and cold blood to withstand the pressure of LTA South? You can guess our expectations based on the placement on this list.