LoL - LTA Cross Conference: 100 Thieves and FlyQuest eliminates paiN Gaming and Leviatan Esports

100 Thieves and FlyQuest confirm their status as favorites, eliminating paiN Gaming and Leviatan Esports with two clean sweep BO3s. Midlaner Lim "Quid" Hyeon-seung was named MVP of the first series, while jungler Kacper "Inspired" Słoma led FlyQuest to victory, earning the MVP title as well.

The LTA Cross Conference kicked off with the North's first seed, 100T, facing off against South's fourth seed, paiN Gaming. Despite a strong early game from the Brazilians, who built over a 2k gold lead, a well-executed fight at the drake—led by 100T’s midlaner Quid on Yone—allowed them to turn the game around and secure a hard-fought victory. Game two was also quite close, with the gold graph swinging between both teams, and the Brazilian players proving they were ready to compete. However, the gap between the North and South regions remains noticeable.

Both games were heavily in FlyQuest’s favor, as they dominated Leviatan from start to finish in the BO3, solidifying their status as a top NA team and a title contender. The Argentine squad struggled to execute their game plan, especially against the relentless pressure from FlyQuest’s Polish jungler. Inspired was everywhere on the map, impacting his teammates' lanes regardless of his champion choice. Whether playing a supportive style (0/0/19 on Sejuani) or a carry role (7/0/10 on Lillia), he once again proved that he is a reliable force and one of the best junglers in the West.

With these elimination BO3s, paiN and Leviatán are officially out of the LTA Cross Conference, once again raising questions about the viability of the format. The two NA teams will now face each other in the semifinals on February 22 at 11 AM PST, also in a BO3. This guarantees that at least one team from the North Conference will make it to the grand final of this first-ever LTA edition.