The 2018 season saw a shift in the NA LCS from a promotion and relegation system to a franchised league with ten permanent teams.
Of the final ten franchised teams, six were previously established in the NA LCS, while four new organizations joined the league.
In June 2017, Riot Games announced that the NA LCS would shift from a promotion and relegation system to franchised league with ten permanent teams beginning in 2018.
Each of the ten teams would have guaranteed spots, with the hope to encourage owners to make substantial investments, including the creation of training facilities and improvements in coaching, scouting, and player well-being.
Riot Games also raised the minimum salary for players to US$75,000, with an average annual income for League pros around $150,000.
[7] On September 29, 2017, Riot Games announced that the NA LCS would return to a best-of-one format for the 2018 season.
According to Riot, the change to a best-of-three format was aimed to increase fan engagement, but its incorporation of simultaneous dual streams to accommodate more games led to a drop in viewership.
[9] The top six teams from the regular season advanced to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament, which ran from March 24 to April 8, 2018.