LCP welcomes Aussie org Ground Zero Gaming for 2026

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Ground Zero Gaming, an Australian esports team, will join the League of Champions Pacific (LCP) in 2026 after PSG TALON was removed from the league.

Riot Games has confirmed that Australian esports organization Ground Zero Gaming will compete in the League of Legends Championship Pacific (LCP) starting in 2026.

Ground Zero Gaming enters the LCP

With PSG Talon recently leaving the LCP, a spot became available. After a search, Ground Zero Gaming has been selected to join as a guest team.

Riot Games explained that when choosing the new team, we used the same approach as before. This meant finding a group that truly embodies the values of our sport and region, and that is also well-prepared and stable for long-term success. We also focused on creating a team that’s both diverse and highly competitive, with good representation from different regions, to ensure the LCP remains exciting for everyone.

Making it to the LCP is a major achievement for Ground Zero Gaming and all our fans. Building on our success in the LCO and our experience at the PCS, we’re excited to continue our League of Legends adventure and challenge the best teams in the region. We’re ready to compete right away.

–
Beau Melia, founder and CEO of Ground Zero Gaming

GZ is confirmed as one of the five teams invited as a guest for the 2026 season. They are the sole team representing the Oceania (OCE) region at the Kickoff event. However, their team last year was primarily made up of players from Taiwan, with no players from Australia.

With the team undergoing a rebuild, League of Legends fans in Australia are looking forward to seeing new players represent the organization in future competitions. The League Championship Pacific (LCP) 2026 Kickoff starts on January 16th, and eight teams will battle it out for the chance to be the region’s representative at First Stand 2026.

TALON’s exit across the Riot esports ecosystem

Talon Esports has been removed from competition in both League of Legends and VALORANT. In VALORANT, Talon had a team from Thailand. Because of the same issues that led to this decision, Riot Games chose FULL SENSE, another esports organization from Thailand, to take Talon’s place in the VCT Pacific league.

FULL SENSE ended up acquiring TALON’s full roster, and the Pacific region kept its sole Thai team.

PSG Talon’s team for the LCP featured players from Taiwan, a country with a strong presence in the league – 25% of all players at the LCP 2025 Season Finals were Taiwanese. Because of this, finding replacements for Talon in both the LCP and VCT Pacific required careful consideration.

Thumbnail graphic via Ground Zero Gaming. For more League of Legends, stick around Xpsp!

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2025-12-22 20:11