Americas Tier 2 Primer

TL;DR

• Promotion Tournament & Tier 1 Guest Slot

• Tier 2 Leagues and Teams

• 2025 Format

• Residency, Academy, & Affiliate, Team Policy

• Schedule

Back in September, we shared some of our plans for the updated Tier 2 system in The Americas and how this revamped structure would streamline the Path to Pro. Now, we’re excited to share more in-depth information about what fans can expect as we head into the 2025 season!

Promotion Tournament & Guest Slot

Starting in 2025, top Tier-2 teams will have the opportunity to qualify for the LTA and compete alongside the region's elite players. Through the new "Guest Slot," these teams can also gain access to international tournaments like First Stand, MSI, and Worlds. The top two teams from each Tier 2 league will face off in a Promotion Tournament against the current Guest Slot holder. Once a team secures this coveted spot, they’ll represent either the North or South LTA conference as Guest Teams for one year, with the chance to defend their position in the next Promotion Tournament.

This promotion to Tier 1 also grants Guest Teams from LTA North and South access to the Global Revenue Pool (GRP), providing market-aligned revenue support to help maintain competitive and sustainable operations.

The introduction of Tier 1 promotion is a crucial step for the future of Americas Tier 2 esports, and our 2025 format is designed to celebrate and support rising organizations. To maintain the integrity of this path to pro, Guest Slots cannot be sold or transferred.

Tier 2 Leagues and Teams

The Tier 2 leagues are divided into two conferences:

North Conference

• NACL (North America Challengers League): USA, Canada – 10 teams

• LRN (Liga Regional Norte): Mexico, Central America, Colombia (including other countries in the Caribbean) – 8 teams

South Conference

• CD (Circuito Desafiante): Brazil – 10 teams

• LRS (Liga Regional Sur): Chile, Peru, Argentina (including other countries in South America, excluding Colombia and Brazil) – 8 teams

To kickstart 2025, each league will include a combination of returning teams, newly invited teams, and open qualifiers to allow new organizations to join the launch of the new Americas Tier 2 ecosystem next year. The teams heading into 2025 are:

NACL: 10 teams

• Dragonsteel

• Cincinnati Fear

• Supernova

• Blue Otter

• Winthrop University

• CCG Esports

• Luminosity Gaming

• Qualifier Team #1

• Qualifier Team #2

• Qualifier Team #3

LRN: 8 teams

• Lyon Gaming Academy

• Fuego

• Peek Gaming

• Tomorrow Esports

• INFINITY

• Qualifier Team #1

• Qualifier Team #2

• Qualifier Team #3

CD: 10 teams

• Red Canids Kalunga Academy

• Vivo Keyd Stars Academy

• KaBuM! Esports

• LOS

• Rise Gaming

• Tropa Raizen

• IDL Esports

• FLAMENGO MDL

• Qualifier Team #1

• Qualifier Team #2

LRS: 8 teams

• WAP Esports

• Qualifier Team #1

• Qualifier Team #2

• Qualifier Team #3

• Qualifier Team #4

• Qualifier Team #5

• Qualifier Team #6

• Qualifier Team #7

To finalize the remaining Qualifier Teams in every league, we will host a one-time Qualifier Tournament for each league at the start of next year. We’ll share more information on the schedule, format, and how to sign-up in early 2025.

2025 Format

The Tier 2 season will be structured into two competitive splits, each focusing on different aspects, with Promotion Tournament taking place after Split 2:

• Split 1 - Fearless Draft: Every series will feature Full Fearless Draft with a single round-robin Bo3 regular season and double-elimination playoffs.

• Split 2 - Path to the Promotion Tournament: A shorter regular season using single round-robin Bo1 to focus on a more expansive double-elimination playoffs. The best teams from Split 2 Playoffs will qualify for the Tier 1 Promotion Tournament. Split 2 will not feature Fearless Draft to ensure parity between Tier 1 and Tier 2 heading into the Promotion Tournament.

• Promotion Tournament: The defending T1 Guest Slot team will have an advantage in the bracket but must still compete to re-earn their spot, ensuring no auto-requalification. Each promotion bracket will feature the top 2 teams from each respective Tier 2 league, maintaining regional representation. You can refer back to this article for full details about the Promotion Tournament.

Each competitive split will offer open opportunities for new organizations and players to vie for entry into Tier 2. Every Tier 2 league will include open qualifier tournaments creating a direct path all the way from amateur competition to Worlds! This also means that the lowest-performing Tier 2 teams each split will need to defend their spots in Tier 2 Promotion Tournaments. More details on how to sign up for these qualifiers, as well as the rules for Tier 2 promotion and relegation, will be shared early next year.

Residency Rules & Team Policies

Residency rules mirror those of Tier 1, setting caps on non-resident players. As outlined in our Americas Tier 1 update, this means that teams can up to 2 non-residents and 1 Americas non-resident player. Given the introduction of the Tier 1 Guest Slot, we’re also updating our policies for Academy and Affiliate teams:

• Academy Teams: Operated by Tier 1 organizations. They are allowed to compete in Tier 2 Regular Season and Playoffs but cannot qualify for the Tier 1 Promotion Tournament. To balance this, Academy teams also cannot be relegated. Each Tier 2 league is limited to a maximum number of Academy Teams. In the event that Academy Teams finish first or second in Split 2 Playoffs, the next highest placing non-Academy Team will qualify for the Tier 1 Promotion Tournament.

• Affiliate Teams: Operated by Tier 2 organizations with Tier 1 partnerships. These teams can qualify for Tier 1 but must dissolve their partnership if promoted.

To ensure that Tier 1 qualifying teams honor their qualification, all teams must be operated by a business entity upon qualification into Tier 2 with a commitment to compete in Tier 1 if promoted. College teams may also continue to compete in Tier 2, provided they adhere to the same policies.

2025 Schedule

The Tier 2 season aligns with the second and third Tier 1 splits:

• Split 1: March - June

• Split 2: July - September

• Tier 1 Promotion Tournament: October

With the introduction of a Tier 1 Guest Slot, this new Tier 2 system aims to create a clearer, more direct path for teams aspiring to compete in Tier 1, bringing fresh talent into the competitive spotlight across the Americas.

These changes represent the next evolution of our competitive ecosystem, so we couldn’t be more excited to see the highest stakes Tier 2 competition yet. Stay tuned in on lolesports.com and social media to keep up with the latest updates!