Changes seemed inevitable. Since January, the inaugural split of the LTA has been widely scrutinized, generating both extensive commentary and frustration among many fans and analysts. Last Friday, Max Zimmerman, Commissioner of the newly unified American league, addressed the mounting criticism. “There was a ton of discussion around LTA Split 1, we are going to talk about it all, as well as adjustments, ahead of Split 2 but after First Stand,” he assured on X.
The primary grievance directed at Split 1 concerns its highly compressed format. Teams from LTA North and LTA South played significantly fewer matches than their counterparts in other regions. Ahead of First Stand, for instance, LTA champion
Team Liquid had competed in just 17 games—nearly half as many as Korea’s Hanwha Life Esports, which had played 33. More strikingly, Liquid had only experienced a single best-of-five series throughout the split, facing 100 Thieves in the grand final of the Cross Conference. In contrast, all playoff matches in other regions were contested in a BO5 format, and in the LPL, the entire split followed this structure.
This disparity presents a considerable challenge for
Team Liquid upon entering the international stage. Not only has TL played fewer matches overall, but it also arrives far less accustomed to managing the
Fearless Draft, a format introduced across all major regions in preparation for First Stand. While teams like Top Esports and HLE have gathered substantial data—HLE played four BO5 series that ended in 3-2 scorelines—TL has yet to experience a fourth game under Fearless Draft conditions. The LTA final, indeed, concluded in a swift 3-0.
As it stands, only the final is expected to be played as a BO5. However, the issue surrounding the Fearless Draft may resolve itself, as this system is not currently planned for the remaining international tournaments of the year. According to
South Korean media outlet Naver, Riot Games is reportedly considering extending Fearless Draft beyond First Stand. This potential shift may have prompted Max Zimmerman to reevaluate the LTA's format.
