Last year, Riot Games announced that a major change was in store for
LoL in the Americas. The longstanding North and South American leagues, the
LCS,
CBLOL, and LLA,
would all be joined together under one new name: the LTA, or League of the Americas. The North American LCS would become the “
LTA North,” while the Brazilian and Latin American regions would compete as the “
LTA South.” Now, after a year of ensuing fan outcry, this controversial change is no more. At first reported by Thiago "
Djoko" Maia and later confirmed by sources to Sheep Esports,
Riot Games has decided that the iconic LCS and CBLOL brands will return in 2026.Both the LCS and the CBLOL names had been in use for over a decade, and had become irreplaceable to North American and Brazilian fans alike. They represented a history of competition, and were tied to each region’s individual character. In fusing the two regions into one, despite the promise of regular cross-conference play, both sets of fans were left largely feeling worse off for the change. This was reflected in some of the passionate statements put out by members of the community, like long-time interviewer
Travis Gafford, who
petitioned Riot Games to "admit the LTA rebrand failed" and quietly change back à la HBO MAX. Similar feelings
were expressed by CBLOL devotees, like Bruno "LeonButcher" Pereira, a journalist and former caster, who wrote of the painful loss of his beloved league. Now, the wishes of so many community members like them are set to be granted.
The initial change towards the LTA name did not come without reason. For one, the LCS, once Riot’s flagship league, had arguably been trending downwards over the last several years. Viewership numbers, for example, have struggled to reach anywhere close to the sky-high peaks of years past. But in contrast, with the explosive rise of
LoL fandom in Brazil, CBLOL’s numbers had been steadily trending up, consistently drawing in more watchers than their neighbors up North. In fusing the two regions, Riot may have seen an opportunity to help out the struggling LCS with an influx of Brazilian fans. And yet,
the LTA North's numbers have fallen further still anyway. Whether NA's high viewership can make a return, as the LCS name is doing, is yet to be seen.
Beyond the return to legacy brands, sources told Sheep Esports that additional changes are planned for 2026. Due to the high level of confidentiality, none were willing to share details, but they did indicate that an announcement regarding these changes is expected tonight at the LTA 2025 Championship Finals between FlyQuest and Vivo Keyd Stars. When contacted by Sheep Esports, Riot Games declined to comment.
