North American League of Legends fans woke up to shocking news yesterday. Both Cloud9 and Team Liquid have been eliminated from Worlds 2025 contention. This marks the first time since 2012 that neither organization will compete at the World Championship.
The elimination became official when Cloud9 lost their final qualifying match to Shopify Rebellion in the LTA North postseason. Team Liquid had already been knocked out earlier in the playoffs. For 12 straight years, at least one of these teams carried NA’s hopes on the international stage. That streak is now dead.
This collapse comes at the worst possible time for NA fans. The new League of the Americas (LTA) format only gives North America two Worlds slots in 2025, down from the three they usually had. The LTA South champion already claimed one guaranteed spot, leaving just two berths for all of North America to fight over.
Cloud9 has been NA’s most consistent Worlds performer since joining the league in 2013. They qualified every single year from 2013 to 2019, and again from 2021 to 2023. Their 2018 semifinal run remains NA’s best Worlds performance ever. Missing back-to-back years in 2024 and 2025 is uncharted territory for the organization.
Team Liquid’s Worlds streak was shorter but just as impressive. After years of fourth-place finishes as Curse, they dominated NA from 2018 to 2021 with four straight LCS titles. Their 2019 MSI run where they beat Invictus Gaming shocked the world. TL made Worlds six times between 2018 and 2024, becoming NA’s other reliable international representative.
The new kids on the block
With the old guard out, FlyQuest, 100 Thieves, and Shopify Rebellion are battling for North America’s two precious Worlds slots. FlyQuest has looked like the strongest North team all year and seems locked for one spot. The second berth will come down to a slugfest between 100 Thieves and Shopify Rebellion in the Regional Championship.
The timing stings even more because NA looks weaker than ever. Fans pointed out that Cloud9 nearly lost to challenger team DSG earlier in the playoffs. Both organizations somehow managed to miss Worlds in the same year when the competition has never been easier. The World Championship starts October 14, and for the first time in over a decade, NA fans won’t see either of their most beloved teams on stage.
