Riot Games unveils Americas Cup ahead of First Stand

Riot Games has unveiled the Americas Cup, a new cross-regional esports competition designed to bring together teams from across the Americas before the First Stand international tournament. This announcement represents Riot Games' continued effort to expand the League of Legends esports ecosystem with new competitive opportunities.

The Americas Cup serves as a precursor to First Stand, which marks the beginning of the 2026 international competitive calendar. This new event demonstrates Riot Games' commitment to creating more interconnected regional and international competition structures, building on the strategic reforms announced for the 2026 season.

As part of broader changes to LoL Esports in 2026, Riot Games is restructuring the financial model for regional leagues while maintaining robust prize pools for international tournaments including First Stand, Mid-Season Invitational, and Worlds. The Americas Cup fits into this vision of a more sustainable and development-focused global esports ecosystem.