With the World Championship’s Play-In stage often platforming storylines for some of League of Legends’ minor regions, day two’s series between 100 Thieves and Movistar R7 provided the most gripping story so far by hosting the perfect advertisement for 2025’s Americas merger.

The changes to the region are set to see a limited number of Latin American organizations be absorbed into North America’s LCS and Brazil’s CBLOL, with each of those leagues acting as conferences that will play out their own tournaments before coming together for cross-regional clashes multiple times throughout the year.

Image credit: Riot Games

For some NA fans who have seen the LCS’ health dwindle over the years, it seemed to signal the beginning of the end for their region. For some Brazilian fans who have seen the viewership and general interest around CBLOL grow over the years, they felt that their league was being stunted in an effort to prop up North America.

We are in for a treat next season

The match-up between 100T and R7 has — at least temporarily — offered a positive preview of what could be to come from the changes.

The scrappy three-game series saw constant action, throws galore, and made history with LATAM’s first-ever best-of victory on the world stage. It was a treat to watch as a neutral, and no doubt a heart attack-inducing spectacle for those attached to either region – what competition is all about. That top laner Summit, who has his infamously storied history with the LCS, was on the winning side for Latin America added to the drama.

Image credit: Riot Games

Part of the diminishing interest in the LCS, has been attributed to the league’s perceived lower quality of gameplay, something also now thought to be affecting its long-time rival in the LEC.

But such cross-regional matchups go a long way to quelling those issues by substituting the need for ‘elite’ gameplay with more unpredictable clashes amongst teams that would rarely face each other and may, therefore, be less prepared for, that can lead to bloodier, scrappier games which become just as entertaining, as was the case between 100T and R7.

The unknown of the relative strength between regions is another draw, one of the Worlds itself – albeit more intensely around the Korea versus China matchups. That unknown, coupled with a burgeoning rivalry that was ignited just hours ago, gives viewers the best bits of the Rift Rivals of old, but will add in the much-needed stakes of international qualification in future Americas playoffs that can prevent dead-rubber matches.

What it does rely on is at least a somewhat close level of competition. Neither the LLA nor CBLOL have historically produced teams that would be able to compete at the higher end of the LCS, meaning a joint playoff structure would’ve been dominated by NA more often than not. But the esports winter means that NA sides can’t throw money at the problem and may help to bring parity to the broader region, especially if the BR and LATAM orgs can attract more talent like Summit to their ranks.

Summit himself is looking forward to the 2025 changes, telling Esports.net that he’s excited about the merger. Música para los oídos.

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