League of Legends Americas Cup 2026: LTA vs LCS Meta Shift
Riot Games has officially unveiled the Americas Cup for 2026, a brand new cross regional tournament in League of Legends designed to create early season rivalries between North and South American teams.
The event will bring together the second and third place finishers from the LCS (League Championship Series) Lock-In and the CBLOL (Campeonato Brasileiro de League of Legends) Cup. It takes place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, at the Riot Games Arena in front of a live audience.
This five day competition features a double elimination bracket with four teams. The upper bracket’s opening round consists of Best of 3 (Bo3) series, while all subsequent matches including the grand final are Best of 5 (Bo5) for maximum entertainment.
The Americas Cup arrives in a tight window, it follows the conclusion of the LCS Lock-In which wraps up around early March, with registration closing March 1 and precedes First Stand’s start on March 16. The tournament aims to sustain the competitive fire sparked by last year’s LTA (League of the Americas) structure, now that the LCS has returned to standalone status after the LTA experiment ended.
Rather than traditional prize money, the rewards focus on player development. The winner secures a fully funded bootcamp in South Korea ahead of MSI, joining other qualifiers, the third-place LCS team from Spring Split, plus the second and third place CBLOL teams. This expanded bootcamp program building on the success of last year’s MSI preparations could see up to four LCS affiliated teams training in Korea, boosting regional competitiveness and international readiness.
Announced as part of Riot’s LCS 2026 season presentation, the Americas Cup emphasizes cross regional growth, fan engagement, and meaningful stakes beyond bragging rights. It also determines an additional Americas slot or advantage heading into first stand, bridging domestic leagues and the global stage.
With the LCS kicking off its revamped season on January 24, 2026 including a new three split format, roadshows, and fresh team dynamics this tournament adds another layer of excitement to the Americas scene. More details on the exact dates, participating teams, and broadcast plans will follow as the Lock-In concludes.
Since: October 29, 2025
