Sentinels to join League Championship Series in 2026

On Oct. 10, League of Legends Esports announced that Sentinels will be officially joining the League Championship Series (LCS) as a permanent team. This begins in the 2026 season, during which Sentinels will take over the Provisional Guest Team slot. Sentinels’ joining is marketed to usher in a new era of competition in North America for the LCS. 

The LCS is returning to an independent league model in 2026, meaning it will no longer be unified under the LTA structure. Each league will operate a distinct season, crown its champion, and have its own distinct path for international competition. Previously in 2025, the League of the Americas (LTA) was implemented to raise competitiveness across the region; it was part of a broader revision of the global business model of LoL Esports.  

The independent league model confirms the LCS’s participation in next year’s worlds event. As for the upcoming League of Legends Worlds, play-in stages are just around the corner on Oct. 14. Riot Games delayed the release of the upcoming League of Legends Worlds music video to edit out professional player Gabriël “Bwipo” Rau, who is under fire for making sexist comments during a livestream. The entire international event concludes on Nov. 9.