League of Legends developer, Riot Games, recently announced the creation of the new North American Challengers League.
The esports League of Legends scene has seen phenomenal growth in 2022, especially for the North American Tier 2 League. This new initiative by Riot Games is in response to increasing interest from aspirational and semi-pro standouts. These competitive players have been seeking new avenues to level up their opportunities. Accordingly, Riot has created the North American Challengers League to promote upward mobility for new talent.
North American Challenger League Overview
- North America’s current Academy and Proving Grounds tournament structure will be replaced by the new North American Challengers League (NACL).
- The NACL will consist of ten Fixed Teams (the ten former “Academy” teams) and six Provisional Teams (formerly “Amateur” teams). These 16 teams will compete in two seasonal splits (Spring and Summer) that culminate in double-elimination playoffs.
- Provisional Teams will qualify for the NACL through a promotion and relegation system. After each split, the bottom four Provisional Teams and the top four teams from the open NACL Qualifiers will compete in the NACL Promotion Tournament. This will fill the final four NACL spots. Fixed Teams won’t be eligible for relegation.
- To promote upward mobility for new talent, all NACL player contracts listed on the GCD will be subject to a Notification of Interest System. Consequently, this allows LCS organizations to officially state their interest in a player under contract with another organization.
North American Challenger League Schedule
Beginning in 2023, the North American Challengers League (NACL) will replace the Academy and Proving Grounds competitions. This new league will be organized into Spring and Summer Splits (each with its own playoffs) that run parallel to the LCS Spring and Summer splits. In each split, all NACL teams will battle through a single Round Robin of best-of-two matches, the results of which will establish seeding for the playoffs. Furthermore, all NACL teams automatically qualify for the NACL Playoffs, a double elimination bracket with a mix of best-of-three and best-of-five matches.
North American Challengers League Teams
The NACL will feature 16 teams — ten Fixed Teams (the ten former “Academy” teams attached to each LCS organization) and six Provisional Teams (formerly known as “Amateur” teams). Significantly, for the inaugural NACL split in Spring 2023, all LCS organizations are guaranteed a spot for their Provisional Teams. Furthermore, if there are not enough LCS Provisional Teams to fill the six-slot allotment, the NACL will consider applications from other teams — INTERESTED ORGANIZATIONS CAN APPLY HERE Accordingly, the deadline to submit is Nov. 15, 2022, at 8 pm PST.
Qualifier and Promotions
After the NACL Playoffs for Spring and Summer, the NACL Promotion Tournament will pit the bottom four Provisional Teams against the Top 4 NACL Qualifier teams (on points) to fill the four vacant slots in the NACL. Basically, the NACL Promotion Tournament format is a Double Elimination Bracket — best-of-threes in the Upper Bracket Round 1 and Lower Bracket Round 1, best-of-fives in the Upper Bracket Round 2 and Lower Bracket Round 2. Note: Fixed Teams won’t be eligible for relegation.
Provisional Team players are eligible to be on the Global Contract Database if they meet the same salary requirements as NACL Fixed Team contracts. Specifically, contracts for Provisional Team players are limited to two years maximum. Provisional Teams are required to field a seven-player roster, a head coach, and a manager
Contracts
Additionally, all NACL player contracts listed on the GCD will be subject to a new Notification of Interest System. The notification will help promote the upward mobility of developing talent. LCS organizations may then submit a Notification of Interest to the league. The notification will state their interest in a player under contract with another organization. The player must be informed by their contracted organization upon receipt of the notification.
Riot Games is expected to release the full NACL ruleset in the weeks to come.
