Following Riot’s decision, most LCS teams swiftly announced their intention to drop their North American Challengers League (NACL) rosters. The LCSPA stated that this move would lead to approximately 70 players, coaches, and managers losing their jobs, highlighting that the majority of current LCS players emerged from the official farm system. The association also noted that the cost of NACL rosters accounted for a small percentage of an average LCS organization’s League-based salary costs.
The LCSPA has presented several conditions to Riot, including the implementation of a promotion and relegation format between the LCS and NACL, as well as a revenue pool commitment of $300,000 per NACL team per year for player salaries.
Aletaha addressed the LCSPA’s requests in the blog post, expressing concerns about the sustainability of such subsidies for the NACL. However, Riot has agreed to provide a one-time payment of $300,000 to the organization operating the NACL to support the season and assist teams.
