Riot Games has announced an opening weekend round of April Fools-themed festivities for its LTA Split 2 attendees, featuring live music, food, and free gifts. Some attendees will be able to get free in-game content via on-premise giveaways, and events include a rubber duck hunt based on the new “Pengu Garen” April Fools-themed skin and silly player portraits. Onsite teams include 100 Thieves, Cloud 9, Dignitas, FlyQuest, LYON, Shopify Rebellion, Team Liquid, and more. The League of the Americas (LTA) North Split 2 event starts on April 5 at the Riot Games Arena in Los Angeles. Links for purchasing tickets and booking can be found here.
Per Opening week annuncment:
- 100 Thieves – 100T will be selling Jerseys and giving out free “jokes” for fans!
- Cloud9 – Shift your gears into overdrive and stop by the Cloud9 Kia booth for a chance to win Kia-exclusive freebies and merch! Join us for unforgettable memories and rewards.
- Dignitas – Baron secured? Maybe. Swag secured? Definitely. Jump into the Dignitas Baron Throw Challenge and show us what you’ve got. Score some sweet Dignitas gear, sip on Rahm Roast and learn about Root, and bask in the glory—or the throw. Either way, it’s a win.
- DSG – Coming soon!
- FlyQuest – FlyQuest is working with Stray Cat Alliance for a CAT ADOPTION EVENT. Cuddle with some kitties while learning about Stray Cat Alliance who are building a no kill nation, one stray at a time. As part of CatQuest, FlyQuest will be covering the adoption fees of every cat adopted at this event. Take home a cat, grab your 2025 Uniform Jacket, and cheer on FlyQuest for Split 2.
- LYON – LYON brings its hometown flavor in the form of a taco food stand, along with activations featuring fair-style games where fans can win goodies.
- Shopify Rebellion – Swing by the Shopify Rebellion booth and sip on some complimentary healthy boba courtesy of Amino Avenue (we have vegan options)! Aaaaaaand don’t miss out on Brazil’s very own Ceos’ debut in the LTA North as he’ll be joining the whole team for a meet and greet with free postcards for signings!
- Team Liquid – Team Liquid is excited to be back for Split 2 of the LTA! We are starting the split off with a variety of carnival style games. Play for a chance at some exciting prizes! And while you’re at it, come collect our latest Blue Stickers and have a photo op with our adorable mascot, Blue! We can’t wait to see y’all there!
Fearless Draft
Fearless Draft is a reworking of the LoL drafting system designed to encourage teams to adapt and utilize players with different skill sets and experience. Teams can no longer pick champions who’ve participated in previous best-of-series. Teams must then pick from other players as their champion pools become exhausted. Riot Games has said that due to resounding support from fans and team discussions, it has made the decision to keep the new drafting system. Fans and players should expect to see more unpredictable and challenging matches as teams are forced to change things up with ever-changing rosters. Conference winners will be crowned Conference Champions and earn a spot at the Mid-Season Invitational, to be held later this year in Vancouver.
Per Riot Games:
“Starting in Split 2, Fearless Draft will be implemented across regional leagues and will continue through the rest of the competitive season, including global events. MSI and Worlds will maintain their original formats, with Worlds incorporating Fearless Draft into all best-of-3 and best-of-5 matches while keeping the Swiss Stage as a best-of-1 format.”
Updated Match Structure
- Weeks 1-3: Positioning Phase – A single round-robin Best-of-1 format, where results will be used to create two groups of four teams and serve as tiebreakers
- Weeks 4-6: Group Stage – Teams are divided into groups using a snake draft system and compete in Best-of-3 series within their respective groups.
- Week 7: Cross-Group Battles – The top two teams from each group compete for playoff seeding, while the bottom two teams fight in elimination matches.
- Fearless Playoffs – The top six teams advance to a full Best-of-5 (Bo5) playoff bracket to determine the ultimate champion.
