100 Thieves faced a disappointing defeat in their inaugural match of Worlds 2024 against Movistar R7, likely representing the sole surviving LLA team amidst League of Legends’ Americas restructuring. This loss underscores that Riot Games made a critical decision in dismantling the LCS, despite the potential drawbacks.
To start, the job losses linked to the teams that have been cut, particularly concerning the number of teams that will be excluded from CBLOL and the LLA, are unfortunate. The esports industry is notoriously challenging for maintaining a livelihood, and Riot’s significant reduction of both leagues will only exacerbate this difficulty.
It’s unfortunate that the situation reached this point, and the sentiment among South American fans—who feel their leagues have been unduly punished for the failings of the LCS—is valid.
However, combining the three regions into a more extensive North and South American conference is likely to result in a substantial increase in viewership and heightened competition. While most teams from South America may struggle against the likes of Team Liquid and FlyQuest, the LCS had primarily become a two-team competition by its final stages.
Immortals will not be missed, as they lingered at the lower end of the LCS for most of their tenure. Dignitas and Cloud9 both had talented rosters that ultimately failed to synergize. Shopify Rebellion’s debut has been a continuous disappointment, and NRG’s departure was anticipated, especially considering it was reportedly always planned, despite their successful 2023 run.
100 Thieves is a young roster, with River being the only player with international tournament experience. It will take time for them to mature, but they are developing their roster effectively. They are not underperforming; they merely need more experience.
In contrast, Rainbow7 boasts a roster filled with seasoned veterans. Summit, unsurprisingly, continues to be one of the top laners in the world in terms of laning skills. Ceo and Lyonz make up one of the most formidable duos in LLA history, excelling since the beginning of 2023.
Oddie, whose career began in 2013, stands alongside famous players like Faker in terms of longevity, bringing the veteran leadership essential for a jungler.
Summit (Left) and Oddie (Right).
Though mid laner Keine was initially seen as a weak point—having been without a team for the earlier part of 2024—he has emerged as a star for R7 after stepping in for Lava. Similar to the trend seen in the LCS, both Summit and Keine are Korean imports, with Lava being an import prior to his replacement.
The LCS isn’t the only league that leans heavily on imports.
If we disregard the labels of LCS and LLA for these two teams, 100 Thieves’ defeat to Movistar R7 wouldn’t have seemed like an upset. A roster of fresh talent was outmatched by a team of veterans at the peak of their region. So why is this being portrayed as a major, unexpected outcome?
In fact, many analysts, creators, and even casual fans expected 100T to secure the win—not due to Rainbow7’s team composition compared to 100 Thieves, but because there’s an inherent bias toward major regions being perceived as stronger.
The Death of the LCS Has Been a Long Time Coming
The harsh truth is that the LCS has been in decline for some time. The situation with Srtty remaining in free agency—despite dominating the region in solo queue for years—and Cloud9 overspending on a roster lacking synergy clearly demonstrates the deeper issues plaguing the LCS. A top-four LCS roster could have been constructed at the start of 2024 for less than half of what C9 likely spent on Jojo alone, with a culture of excessive spending causing the league’s top teams to cannibalize themselves.
For the record, I believe that 100 Thieves’ strategy of developing future talent is the right approach. The current trend of overspending on big-name players significantly contributes to our current predicament. The esports environment has reached this crisis point because multiple organizations are competing to win, but only one trophy exists—how can a league sustain itself under these circumstances?
What Disguised Toast shared with me over a year ago still resonates; LCS teams generally lack knowledge in content creation and effectively marketing their players. Winning alone is insufficient for generating revenue and building fanbases in esports.
Sniper is a talent that 100 Thieves has nurtured over the years, possessing a vibrant personality that adds value both on and off the rift—he’s the type of player to build around.
South American fans exhibit a level of passion for esports that is often lacking among North American audiences. Their teams recognize this; several leading organizations in South America enjoy followings that overshadow those of their North American counterparts. The region has a deeper understanding of leveraging their passionate fanbase to not only survive but also thrive.
One major concern with the transition to this new structure was the fear that North American teams would overwhelm their South American counterparts, leading to one-sided competition. However, those who followed the Americas Challengers 2024 realized that Tier 2 teams from the LLA and CBLOL were able to compete on equal footing or even outperform NA teams, with paiN Gaming’s academy team besting the North American representative in Fear x Starforge.
The LCS underwent significant positive changes throughout 2024, making its closure a poignant loss. Nevertheless, this transition could represent a pivotal moment for competitive League of Legends. It could ignite a renewed rivalry among the remaining teams, fostering better viewership and a higher level of competition across the Americas.
While many LCS fans may have felt despair over 100 Thieves’ defeat, I felt a sense of hope.
Hope that Mark Zimmerman and the rest of the Riot team can successfully implement this change for the better. Establishing a more sustainable ecosystem for the surviving teams could serve as a robust foundation, allowing both regions to evolve into something superior to what we previously experienced.
Ultimately, for progress to occur, the LCS had to come to an end.
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