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New League of Legends Americas League Promotion System: How does it work?
Martin Arévalo-Östberg
18 Aug, 2024, 19:46
|Last updated: 9 Apr, 2025, 12:18
The Americas Tier 2 League is set to reshape the landscape of League of Legends esports in the Americas by offering an exciting new competitive pathway for rising stars.
The initiative, which will span North America, Brazil, and Latin America, serves as a critical tier in the development system, bringing together the best from these regions' Challengers and Academy leagues. With that in mind, the current Americas Challengers tournament gives us a small taste of what's to come for Tier 2 in the Americas.
The tournament aims to create more opportunities for emerging talent. By helping players showcase their skills on a bigger stage, the Americas Tier 2 League will prepare these young stars for the top-tier play, granting them the opportunity to earn a spot in the new Americas League and international competitions.
Americas Tier 2 League Structure and Format
North America and Brazil will retain their current academy leagues: the NACL and the CBLOL Academy. Latin America, in turn, will be restructuring into two leagues: Liga Regional Norte (LRN) and Liga Regional Sur (LRS).
The Americas Tier 2 system will support two conferences, each with two leagues, resulting in a total of four competitive leagues. The NACL and Liga Regional Norte (LRN) will compose the North Conference. Meanwhile, the CBLOL Academy and Liga Regional Sur (LRS) will form the South Conference.
Promotion Tournament
At the end of the competitive season, the top two teams from each of these leagues will face off in a promotion tournament along with the Guest Team of their respective Tier 1 Americas conference.
The promotion tournament will feature a double elimination bracket. Whichever teams emerges victorious at the end of each bracket will be promoted to the Tier 1 Americas League North and South conferences.
Fearless Draft is coming to Tier 2
One of the most interesting elements of the tournament is the use of the Fearless Draft format. The NACL and CBLOL Academy have already used the innovative system. Now, organizers will test it further during Split 1 of the Americas Tier 2 League.
The fearless draft system prevents teams from selecting the same champion twice in a series. This introduces a unique strategic component, requiring players to have deep champion pools and adaptability. It also guarantees that no two games will look the same, creating more variety and excitement in the matches.
A Unified Pathway Across the Americas
The Americas Tier 2 League is a collaborative effort between Riot Games and the three major regions in the Americas. The tournament will feature a consolidated competitive ecosystem uniting these regions, giving players from developmental circuits the chance to compete head-to-head.
Moreover, by aligning the developmental leagues under one umbrella, Riot hopes to foster greater collaboration between regions and ensure that top talent can be scouted and supported more efficiently. This is especially significant for Latin American and Brazilian regions, which have produced strong individual talents but often struggle to reach the same infrastructural support as North America in the LCS.
Whether you're a fan of North American, Brazilian, or Latin American esports, the Americas Tier 2 League promises to be an exciting event that could shape the future of competitive League of Legends.
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Image source: Riot Games
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