North American LCS will break away from League of the Americas and return as its own region in 2026

LTA Commissioner Mark “MarkZ” Zimmerman made a huge announcement during the League of the Americas season-ending show. The LCS will return as a standalone region in 2026, breaking away from the unified Americas structure after just one year.

The announcement came complete with a nostalgic tribute video celebrating North American League of Legends history. When the classic LCS theme music hit, fans knew something big was happening. The familiar branding and anthem marked more than just cosmetic changes—they signal a full return to regional independence.

LTA Commissioner MarkZ announces that LCS is back as a independent region in 2026, Full details 9/29 at 10 AM PDT + Beautiful tribute video for the history of NA League of Legends
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This reversal comes after Riot merged North American and Brazilian leagues into the League of the Americas for 2025. The LTA split teams into North and South conferences, with limited cross-conference play throughout the season. Now, after just one year of the experiment, both regions will go their separate ways again.

The term “independent region” carries weight in competitive League of Legends. It means North America will once again have its own league structure, separate from Brazil’s CBLOL. More importantly, it likely means separate qualification paths and slots for international tournaments like Worlds.

For context, the LCS launched in 2013 and became North America’s premier League competition. The league switched to franchising in 2018, bringing stability but also seeing several legacy organizations depart in recent years.

In 2018, Riot introduced franchising to the LCS and promised it would bring more stability by increasing salaries, forming a better amateur scene, and increasing investments via sponsorships. 5 years later, the amateur scene is dead, the region is filled with imports, and teams are looking to leave.
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The 2025 merger into LTA was supposed to strengthen the Americas ecosystem, but fan response has been mixed at best.

The waiting game begins

Full details won’t drop until September 29 at 10 AM PDT on Riot’s official channels. That’s when we’ll learn about team counts, competitive formats, and crucially—how many Worlds slots each region gets. The broadcast lineup, venue plans, and what happens to Latin American players are also mysteries for now.

The move matters because regional identity drives fan engagement in esports. Separate leagues mean distinct storylines, rivalries, and most importantly—clear paths to international glory. After a year of shared branding and confused competitive structure, North American fans are getting their league back.