The LTA North is back for Split 3, and fans are eager for fierce domestic competition to return to NA. As the final domestic tournament of the year, there's more than just a championship title on the line: The LTA's three spots at Worlds are waiting patiently at the end of the road, ready to be claimed.
A fresh format
Split 3 will be structured under a different format than previous LTA splits. The split will kick off with three weeks of best-of-three series before the elimination phase begins. During these first weeks, the "pick & play" system will allow teams ranked lowest in the standings to select their opponents from the teams above them. The eight LTA teams will be vying for a top-four spot for a seed into the upper bracket, while the lower-bracket-seeded bottom four teams won’t have the safety net of double elimination.
The elimination phase will feature a standard best-of-five bracket. Teams will compete until the LTA North champion is crowned. That team, and the South Conference champion, immediately get a guaranteed spots at Worlds.
This means that, after the LTA Conferences finish their domestic splits, the top three teams from each region will compete in the Cross-Conference Playoffs for just one final spot at Worlds — and to decide seeding.
Eight teams ready up
The LTA North’s eight teams are returning for Split 3, though for one team, 100 Thieves, this will be their last in the league. Of the returning teams, three are set to maintain their rosters exactly: the aforementioned departing 100 Thieves, last split’s runner-up Cloud9, and Shopify Rebellion.
Team Liquid and FlyQuest, two of NA’s top teams for several years now, are making slight adjustments: for TL, jungler UmTi is off the team, though their new jungler Ganbat "Yuuji" Ulziidelger was already seeing play last split as their sixth man. FlyQuest is adding a sixth man of their own, İbrahim "Gakgos" Samet Bulut, to the top lane alongside Gabriël “Bwipo” Rau.
The rest of the teams are bringing in new players entirely to fill roles on their team, like
Dignitas’ new Korean toplaner Kyeong "Photon" Gyu-tae. Two NA rookies are debuting this split after years in the Tier 2 and Collegiate ecosystems:
Frankie "Zamudo" Lin as Lyon’s new toplaner, and
Isaac "DARKWINGS" Chou as Disguised’s new mid.
With returning powerhouses like FlyQuest’s “best-in-the-west” core five, fresh talent, and a format full of best-of series, NA fans have plenty to look forward to in Split 3.
Header photo credit: Riot Games
