The Piltover Post

After the Liga Latinoamérica was sacrificed to create the League of the Americas, only for the merger to be reversed a year later, the LLA remained a casualty. Many of the region’s players found themselves struggling to find a home. They were either left as free agents for the 2026 season or took roles in tier 2 competition. A handful transferred successfully to North America or Brazil. One of the lucky ones, Pedro Luis “Lyonz” Peralta, found a home with LYON, one of the teams that joined the LTA North division. After a rollercoaster year with the former, Lyonz found himself signing on with Disguised for LCS 2026. I sat down with him to discuss the changes over the last year, what they mean for him as a LAN player, and his thoughts on moving forward.

Q: As one of two remaining LLA players, do you feel a lot of pressure to represent Latin America and prove that you belong in the LCS after you lost your home region?

A: I don’t think that I felt more pressure, but for sure, I want to do well this year, especially because a lot of players from Latin America are not competing right now. It feels really important for the ones who are playing to do it well.

Q: A lot of South American fans were left disappointed when their league was dissolved after the League of the Americas (LTA) was formed, and rightfully upset when those changes were reverted after one year. What do you think Riot needs to do to bring their passion to the LCS?

A: I think our position as LATAM players is kind of weird now, because in CBLOL people will choose Brazilian players and in LCS people will choose NA players, so we don’t have that much oportunities, and I think it would be great for Riot do something for the region.

Q: With your first year in North America completed last year, who do you feel taught you the most about LCS culture and navigating being in a different country? What was the hardest part about transitioning for you?

A: I was used to being in a different country because the LLA was in Mexico, but I think it was great to have the opportunity to play this split with Oddielan, Pointless, and Khynm. We learned together, but the hardest part is always the same: we leave our families and friends.

Q: You mentioned in previous interviews that you changed your name to Lyonz because you were a huge fan of LYON as an org. Do you think you’ll keep it moving forward in the future, or are you interested in making changes?

A: Yeah, I originally changed my name to Lyonz because I was a fan of LYON, but I think right now I just feel attached to this name, so I will not be changing it.

Q: Who inspires you to continue to compete? Do you think you’ll eventually transition into coaching roles when you retire from playing, or do you have a plan to leave esports entirely and focus on another career path, like Chime, who is in law school, and Revenge, who is studying to become a neurosurgeon?

A: I always like the competition. I’m not really ready to decide quite yet. I’m open to coaching, but I’m not completely discounting school either.

Q: What are your personal goals for the year? Are there any secret pocket picks fans should be looking for?

A: My personal goal is to compete at the World Championships and then show the people, and myself, that I belong in the LCS and can play at the top level. There are some picks that I would like to play, but it will depend on the draft, haha.

Q: Let’s take a moment and say something to your Spanish fans and the LLA community.

A: Para los fans solamente decirles los mismos de siempre, se agradece el apoyo, son una razón muy importante por la cual sigo compitiendo, les agradezco que siempre estén y prometo trabajar lo más duro que pueda para tener representación latina en los torneos más importantes del año.

Translation: To the fans, I just want to say the same thing as always: thank you for your support. You are a very important reason why I continue to compete. I appreciate you always being there, and I promise to work as hard as I can to represent Latinos in the most important tournaments of the year.