Archive:Leaguepedia Articles/Taking the Pulse of the LCS - Week 5 - Summer Split

I am Adel Chouadria, aka: Hype Algerian - a passionate Frenchman who is on a mission. My passion is for anything connected with League of Legends: the game, the tournament scene, the gossip...you name it. My mission, and I choose to accept it, is to elevate the heart rates of my fellow LoL fans by dishing out the skinny, the dirt, and the hype on last week’s fait accompli and this week’s fates in the balance of the North American and European LCS.

It’s all aboard the musical chairs in the European LCS!

It only took one team to provoke the domino effect across the teams in the European LCS, and it was Ninjas in Pyjamas which took the trailblazer mantle. In the name of increasing their chances of victory, 3/5s of the roster got replaced, setting a precedent in the LCS. They have since met resounding success.

Inspired by the act, Lemondogs treated their team chemistry issues by firing the main cause of discord within the lineup, wewillfailer. They would bring on board a very positive player and a Support who has a flair for playmaking: mithy. They, as well, are making a push for the top seat in the EU LCS.

Fnatic’s early struggles, combined with the urge to get results, led them to part ways with nRated and switch YellOwStaR to the Support position. He has always been the one keeping tabs on timers and being the eyes of the team and it only made sense for him to go for the change. In the meanwhile, puszu has been brought on board to fill Rekkles’ place until the latter turns 17. The results speak for themselves.

One of the only three teams without a roster change this split, Evil Geniuses, are now following suit. The Shacker acquisition and Snoopeh stepping back temporarily are the things people would remember, but the more significant move was to pluck nRated out of his very short-lived free-agency. EG now have the tools to do a turnaround and, maybe, reverse their fate as they are currently last with both SK Gaming and MeetYourMakers.

League of Legends eSports on the path to mainstream recognition

Riot Games and the US Government have sent a strong message: League of Legends is here to stay. With the US Government’s official recognition of League of Legends professional players as athletes and the Season 3 World Championship Finals taking place in the storied Staples Center, the world of eSports may be on the verge of an uprising.

The US Government’s decision to acknowledge professional League of Legends players as athletes comes with significant perks, with Shiphtur already reaping the benefits. The pros are now awarded special visas that will allow them to pursue their dreams within the North American LCS as well as compete in events held in the United States without much of a hassle.

Additionally, the Season 3 Finals will meet its crowning moment in the Staples Center, home of the Showtime Los Angeles Lakers and “Lob City” Los Angeles Clippers. The symbolic significance behind this is massive.

All of this may be a consequence of the ever-expansion of the League of Legends player base and the ever availability of professional players and tournament streams, which draw non-player spectators as well. The constantly growing number of players (over 30 million active players worldwide) suggests that the League of Legends scene is not a bubble, but a wave that may resonate across the boundaries that prevented video games from going mainstream.

Casualties of the Week:

⁠⁠ALTERNATE aTTaX (0-2): Alternate may be the only team that has made roster swaps but did not improve as a result, but their dilemma is different from the other teams. Whiteknight has been called on to be the stalwart for ATN’s chances at remaining at the top as both ForellenLord (Week 4) and Creaton (starting Week 5) went through events that prevented them from attending the LCS. They have slid from a very comfortable first place to a much less comfortable one as Gambit Gaming are looking to seize that spot alone.
⁠⁠TSM (1-2): With the recent drama surrounding their showing at MLG, the tone was set for their last week to be rather shaky, and it was. Reginald’s switch only served him to get first pick, but the results show that his teammates are still getting used to it. Things won’t get easy for them, as their next matchups include Cloud 9 (the Unstoppables) and Team Coast (a direct contender for 5th place).

Teams of the Week:

⁠⁠Cloud9 (3-0): This team may have been a regular in this area of the article recently, and they are not going to disappear anytime soon. Not even a strong Vulcun team could stop them, despite coming very close to. C9 know how to recognize their strengths and adapt whenever necessary. They are not here to play: they are here to win.
⁠⁠Ninjas in Pyjamas and ⁠⁠Lemondogs (2-0 both)

I'm Feeling

Thank you for your video, Sky. VES maplestreet really needed it. Reginald needed it as well, but not as much – Dyrus already has his back.
If you had seen EG nRated’s reaction when he discovered EG Yellowpete’s prior declarations during Grilled, you would know how much impact League of Legends had on him – and how much this opportunity matters to him.

Not feeling

Tough break for Creaton. His finger giving way at a rather inopportune moment, leaving him unable to play his favorite game for a while. Get well soon!
Why did you have to do that, Pheilox? There is no rational reason behind this.

Comedy bits

In Soviet Russia… wait, that’s not Soviet Russia. Still, Jungler carries AD Carry in Evil Geniuses.
Still on the same topic, it seems that yellowpete really needed some shut-eye.
Whoever you are, “VES Chaox”, thank you for giving me a chuckle.
Since when are CRS Cop and Edward members of Gambit Gaming?

Leaguepedia’s Infographs for Week 5

Pulse Control

“We (Vulcun) have added a new sub to our roster, pls welcome the dashing @ROBERTxLEE”– Vulcun Gnomesayin

“I am going to auction my 2011 IEM China MVP Hoodie next Tuesday for the Ebay Charity Auction pic.twitter.com/x0Cs4NDfGx” – CRS SaintVicious

“Scrim scores today: 5-2 against Vulcun and 1-2 against C9” – Counter Logic Gaming

“I really appreciate the clarification of role names from Riot. It streamlines casting, and I will probably start using the terms soon.” – @ggCMonteCristo

“This week of practice sucked, not enough scrims” – C9 LemonNation

“kinda excited to see how nuts the crowd goes for @oceloteWorld at Tenerife this week” – CST NintendudeX

“There's way too many mosquitos on Tenerife omfg. Also I'm hella sunburned. Pool 1 Wickd 0 - Mosquito 1 Wickd 0. Hopefully I will have better luck tomorrow then we play against Fnatic” – EG Wickd (1 2)

Written by Adel Chouadria - @HypeAlgerian

Edited by Irena Pencheva - @Curlychan

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