Photo courtesy of Riot Games
The League of Legends transfer window is not yet finished, but already more than one transfer surprised us. Focus on the most significant changes in the off-season.
LEC loses talent to LCS
Every year, it's the same story and the LEC organizations seem to change nothing: many players cross the Atlantic to run aground in LCS. The word "fail" is of course not chosen at random: it is all too often unsuccessful for stars on the European scene to join the NA server. Reignover, Huni, YellowStar, Sven, Mithy,... The list of talents who miss the boat when leaving the old continent is far too long not to become a rule!
So why does this trend continue when the LEC clearly has a much greater success each year than the LCS? The money, you might say? When we see Huni's supposed salary at Dignitas, we think that the answer is probably very pecuniary.
This year, Mads "Broxah" Brock-Pedersenis leaving Fnatic for Team Liquid. We suspected the transfer of the Danish jungler but his departure for the LCS remains a shock — especially considering the international potential of Lee Sin's master. Kasper "Kobbe" Kobberup joins TSM, a big surprise for an AD Carry so loyal to Splyce and so often quoted among the best in Europe. We can also mention Daniele "Jiizuke" di Maurowho is going to play for Evil Geniuses after a disappointing season in Vitality.
Will this make LCS more competitive in international tournaments?
G2 Esports, the unchangeable roster
Double European champions, MSI champions, and World Championship finalists... Can we really consider G2 Esports' 2019 year as a failure? On the contrary, it is undoubtedly the best performance of a European team in League of Legends since the game's creation. Maintaining such a high-quality workforce with so many individual talents seems impossible after that. And yet, the Samurai have done so and are keeping 100% of their main players for season 10.
Of course, Hampus "Promisq" Abrahamsson is leaving. The favorite mascot of the tournament will no longer be able to strut around with the medals and cups won by his teammates... But for the rest, the team of Carlos "ocelote" Rodríguez Santiago will continue to make people talk about themselves, much to the delight of fans of beautiful games.
Forgiven is back
Since his departure from the LCS EU in 2016, the great return of Konstantinos-Napoleon "FORG1VEN" Tzortziou to the professional scene had been announced many times. So much so that we were beginning to lose faith in it — and yet, it's for 2020!
Indeed, Schalke 04 has decided to welcome the Greek player to replace Elias "Upset" Lipp(who went to play for Origen). Impossible for the moment to know if the one who considered himself "by far" as the most talented AD Carry in Europe still has the level to play in LEC but season 10 will soon teach us!
To accompany him, the German club also brought Erberk "Gilius" Demir back to LEC to play in the jungle.
LCK: T1 rebuilt again
After a quite correct 2019, no one expected T1 to dismantle and have to rebuild a workforce for the third consecutive season. And yet, Kim "Clid" Tae-min, Kim "Khan" Dong-ha and the legendary Kim "kkOma" Jeong-gyun made the incredible decision to leave the organization, forcing it to recruit replacements.
Kim "Kim" Jeong-soo will be the coach, Kim "Roach" Kang-hui will play at the top and Moon "Cuzz" Woo-chan in the jungle. In addition, the legendary Korean supporter, Cho "Mata" Se-hyeong, has decided to retire as a player to take on the role of head coach on the LPL side with RNG, adding to T1's distress for his 2020 squad. Will Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok still be able to lift mountains to save T1 from another season 8?
Changes on the coaches' side
The above example from Kim "kkOma" Jeong-gyun shows that things are also moving for coaches for 2020. At the LEC level too, with the departure of Joey "Youngbuck" Seltenpool to Excel. Will the 6-time European Champion and 2018 World Cup finalist coach give Excel the necessary boost to become a truly competitive team in LEC? The task will undoubtedly be difficult. As for Fnatic, he had to be replaced and it is surprisingly a beginner in the coaching world who will take the place of the 6-star general, in the person of Alfonso "Mithy" Aguirre Rodríguez — who recently retired from his Support role.
On the Vitality side, things are also moving forward with the departure of Jakob "YamatoCannon" Mebdi, who has not yet been welcomed by any other team. We hope that the fashion king will quickly find a team of his own size while the French organization has already found a replacement: the French strategist, Hadrien "Duke" Forestier (straight from Splyce).
The 2020 Spring Split window transfer officially begins on November 18! LCS, LEC, LCK, LPL — we gather all upcoming changes and transfers for the next League of Legends competitive esports season!
