In a significant development, the LCS will be joined by South American teams for the upcoming 2025 season, resulting in the departure of two more teams from the league. NRG and Immortals will bid farewell to the LCS, following in the footsteps of Evil Geniuses and Golden Guardians who left last year, reducing the number of teams from 10 to 8.
Image Credit: Robert Paul/Riot Games
NRG and Immortals Bid Farewell to LCS
The latest season of competitive play has already seen major shake-ups, with C9 parting ways with a star player due to behavioral issues, and now, the departure of two more teams from the LCS for the 2025 season.
According to LCS insider Travis Gafford, IMT and NRG will no longer be part of the league for the upcoming season. This news comes at a time when Riot Games is restructuring the league with the introduction of the new Americas League, bringing together LCS, LLA, and CBLOL into one consolidated region, while still maintaining separate conferences for LCS and CBLOL teams.
Surprise Exit of NRG
While Immortals have faced challenges in maintaining competitiveness in the league, the decision of NRG to leave the LCS comes as a surprise to many. NRG made a comeback to the league last year by acquiring Counter Logic Gaming’s slot and even claimed the Championship title. Despite their success, NRG has opted to exit the League of Legends scene, aligning with Riot’s plan for each conference to operate with six teams.
As the league moves forward with these changes, the remaining six organizations (100 Thieves, Cloud9, Dignitas, FlyQuest, Shopify Rebellion, and Team Liquid) are set to continue their participation, unless new acquisitions come into play.
