NA LCS Summer Preview Part 2: Making Changes
Read part one here.
Team Dignitas
Dignitas has struggled with mediocrity for quite some time now. Consistent finishes outside the top three have called for some major changes. The addition of Cruzerthebruzer and Goldenglue didn’t have the desired effect Dignitas was looking for. Now, they’ve added a solid buff to both of their solo lanes. Hailing from the now-defunct Coast LCS team, ZionSpartan and Shiphtur are sure to make a huge impact on Dignitas. But are these changes too late?
It’s clear that North America has turned the dial to 11 this split. With more teams in contention for a top-three spot than ever before, Dignitas may end up having an even harder shot at breaking out of their seemingly everlasting dry spell. In the top lane, Zionspartan is a clear improvement over cruzer, but it’s unclear how noticeable it will be. The crux of Dignitas’ changes will be Shiphtur. For some time now, the team has lacked presence in the mid lane - it will be essential for him to preform.
Team Curse
Upgrade acquired! In the middle of the offseason madness, Curse snagged a massive upgrade to their bot lane. The acquisition of Xpecial, who is hands down a top-two support in North America, may be just what Curse needs to overcome some of their biggest struggles. The inconsistent support role on Curse has been a open wound for some time now, and Xpecial is the cure.
Many underate Cop’s ability as a AD Carry, but he has constantly proven himself as someone who can get the job done, even with a constantly fluctuating support. In the mid lane, Voyboy struggled for weeks with his play, clearly not adapting to the mid lane as quickly as many hoped. As Curse works out the kinks and get the bot lane rolling, they could contend for top four towards the end of the split.
Evil Geniuses
It seemed like the Evil Geniuses would be the only team with Cloud 9 to escape the roster change maddness, until it was announced today that Altec would be taking Yellowpete's spot on the team. It’s not clear how this change will affect the team in the long run, but the swap was definitely needed.
On the whole, Evil Geniuses just doesn't match up individually with the swarm of new talent entering the LCS. Unless some dramatic turnarounds happen between now and the final week, it looks like EG will be heading to relegations yet again.
Cloud 9
It’s safe to say that Cloud 9 is one of the most dominant western teams of all time. Their unraveling of the North American landscape is something that no North American team has ever done before. What makes this team so beautiful is that they aren’t carried by one or two individual players - rather, working as a collective has been the key to their greatness. Cloud 9 knows what works, they didn’t have any need to change anything in the offseason.
This is Cloud 9’s time to prepare for the World Championship and make up for their disappointing match versus Fnatic last year. If there is any North American team that will make waves in an upcoming international tournament it will be Cloud 9.
Image Credit: Riot Games
