Since the partnership system was first revealed, a handful of teams in North America have become finalists in the process -- while a greater number have let go of their rosters and suspended participation in the esport. In the American league, organizations hoping to participate at the highest level are reportedly competing for just eight to 10 slots. Evil Geniuses and Version1 have both advanced to the next phase of the application process, according to spokespeople for the two teams. XSET co-founder and COO Marco Mereu declined to specify what the organization had heard from Riot, citing a nondisclosure agreement, but said he was "not disappointed." Other organizations, including Sentinels, TSM, Cloud9, NRG, Gen.G and The Guard, have also moved ahead in the application process, according to a report by Dot Esports.