| Most recent season or competition: 2024 LCS season | |
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| Formerly |
|
|---|---|
| Game | League of Legends |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Founder | Riot Games |
| First season | 2013 |
| Ceased | 2024 |
| Replaced by | League of the Americas |
| Owner(s) | Riot Games |
| Commissioner | Mark Zimmerman[1] |
| Motto | "Made by many" |
| No. of teams | 8 (Spring 2013–Summer 2014, Spring–Summer 2024) 10 (Spring 2015–Summer 2023) |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California |
| Continent | North America |
| Last champion(s) | FlyQuest (Summer 2024) |
| Most titles | Team SoloMid (7) |
| International cup(s) | |
| Related competitions | LEC, LCK, LPL |
| Official website | www |
The League Championship Series (LCS) was the top level of professional League of Legends in the United States and Canada. The esports league was run by Riot Games and had anywhere from eight to 10 teams. Each annual season of competition was divided into two splits, spring and summer, which concluded with a double-elimination tournament between the top teams. At the end of the season, the winner, runners-up and third-place team of the summer playoffs qualified for the annual League of Legends World Championship.
Established in 2013, the league was initially split into two regions: the European League of Legends Championship Series (EU LCS) and the North American League of Legends Championship Series (NA LCS). The NA LCS featured eight teams, which were determined via a promotion and relegation system. In 2015, the league expanded to ten teams. In 2018, the NA LCS shifted to a franchise system with ten permanent teams, which became eight after the 2023 season. Along with the new model, the league rebranded to simply the League of Legends Championship Series, aligning with the EU LCS's change to League of Legends European Championship, creating unique identities for major regions. The franchise era of the LCS has witnessed several team sales and rebranding efforts. The 2020 season introduced format changes and had to adapt to online play due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the LCS again rebranded to the League Championship Series. The 2023 season saw controversy with the LCS Players Association (LCSPA) threatening a player walkout over financial support for teams in the North American Challengers League (NACL).
The LCS merged with the Campeonato Brasileiro de League of Legends (CBLOL) and Liga Latinoamérica (LLA) in 2025 to form the League of the Americas, with the LCS becoming the new league's North Conference.
With the exception of some touring events, all games of the LCS were played live at the Riot Games Arena in Los Angeles, California. In addition to a small studio audience, all games were streamed live on Twitch and YouTube.
- ^ Geracie, Nick (December 12, 2023). "LCS Names MarkZ New Commissioner". Esports Illustrated. Retrieved December 14, 2023.