Welcome back to another year of the NACL, the path to pro for North American League of Legends players. Here’s everything you need to know.
At the end of 2024, Riot Games made huge announcements about the North American Challengers League (NACL). With the merger between North and South, many changes need to be made to the NACL. Here's the information you need about these tier 2 leagues.
NACL Qualifier format
The upcoming NACL Qualifier offers teams a one-time opportunity to compete for three open spots in NACL Split 1. This massive tournament will feature 64 teams from all over the continent in double-elimination brackets in best-of-three (Bo3) games. The top two teams from the winner’s bracket will battle in a best-of-five (Bo5) showdown for their chance to join the major league, while the third team will secure their spot through the lower bracket.
Like the major regions, the NACL will adopt the Fearless Draft mode, which means they cannot pick any champion already played during that match. No adjustments will be made this year, which means that in Bo5 games, we can see 50 champions banned if the matches get to their fifth game.
The three winners will have the chance to compete against the elite players on the LTA North or South and even get the opportunity to participate in international events like The First Stand, Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), or LoL Worlds. The top two teams from each tier 2 league will face off in the Promotion Tournament against the current Guest Slot holder. Once a team secures this coveted spot, they’ll represent either the North or South LTA conference as the Guest Teams for one year, with the chance to defend their position in the next Promotion Tournament.
The Qualifiers will happen on the weekends. Here is the schedule:
- Week 1: March 1 and 2
- Week 2: March 8 and 9
- Week 3: March 15 and 16
NACL Split 1 teams
Here are all of the teams participating in the NACL Split 1. Cincinnati Fear announced they were ceasing League of Legends before the tournament, which means they will no longer be part of the participating teams. In that spot, it will be playing Pulse Star. The three remaining spots for qualifiers will be maintained.
Liga Ace will be the tournament and broadcast operating partner for the NACL.
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Schedule overview
The NACL Split 1 returns on March 26. It will feature a seven-week regular season, with teams competing in a single round-robin format using Bo3 matches. The top six teams will advance to the Playoffs, while the bottom two teams will face relegation in the NACL Promotion Tournament.
In the Playoffs, teams will play Bo5 matches. However, this year there will be a small change after the player's feedback on the late-time games. Riot Games will shift the NACL Split 1 show days to Wednesday through Friday to better accommodate East Coast players and fans.
NACL Split 1 will once again include a dedicated qualifier tournament, allowing aspiring teams to challenge the bottom NACL teams for their spots in the league. Additional details about the NACL Split 1 Qualifier will be announced later this year.
Where to watch?
You can watch the NACL Split 1 matches on the league's official YouTube and Twitch channels.
That's all for now. Stick around for more League of Legends news and updates on esports.gg.
