Ground Zero Gaming joins LCP for 2026 season, replaces TALON

Riot Games has finally announced the team that will replace TALON Esports in the League of Legends Pacific Championship (LCP): it will be the Australian organization Ground Zero Gaming (GZ).

Ground Zero Gaming is considered as a PCS team

According to the official announcement by Riot Games, the team was selected considering operational stability and competitive readiness for long-term sustainability. Following the review of multiple proposals, the choice ended up being GZ, a team that moved from the LCO to the PCS in 2025.

The team will replace TALON Esports, which was removed from both League of Legends and VALORANT following financial issues and delayed payments. Given Ground Zero Gaming’s identity as a PCS team, this means that they must field players from Taiwan and Hong Kong, and could potentially pick up the former TALON lineup. At the current time of writing, however, it’s still unclear who Ground Zero Gaming will have in their 2026 roster.

Nonetheless, the addition of Ground Zero Gaming confirms the eight teams that will be competing in the LCP 2026 Season Kickoff, which starts on January 16. The winner of the tournament will then represent the region at the first international competition of the year, First Stand, which will take place in São Paulo, Brazil. To stay updated with the latest rosters, check out our LCP Roster Tracker.