esports
There’s no room for error in the upcoming LEC Summer Split; these players have it all to prove following on from the Spring Split – and it’s all on the line.
The League of Legends European Championship’s Summer Split has a long history of the unexpected. With the winning team automatically qualifying for the World Championship, anyone can achieve greatness – and we’ve seen that happen before under the EU LCS name, and this year marks the first time we’ll witness it under the all-new LEC banner. The break between Summer and Spring allows teams to put past problems behind them and bring in new players to re-fresh rosters. However, with so much on the line, will teams be able to capitalise on past success and defy expectations?
With the Summer Split kicking off on June 7, we delve into the teams that are looking to step up their game this Summer and what players will be key in making that happen.
Misfits: Kang ‘Gorilla’ Beom-hyun
The news of Korean support player Kang ‘Gorilla’ Beom-hyun moving from the LCK to the LEC was one of the biggest transfer shocks before the Spring Split kicked off. Not only was he leaving behind a region where he had seen success, but he was also separating from his long term bot lane partner, Kim ‘PraY’ Jong-in.
Gorilla joined Misfits Gaming, who after an average 2018 season, decided to rebuild their roster around ADC Steven ‘Hans Sama’ Liv and jungler Nubar ‘Maxlore’ Sarafian. No expense was spared to complete the line-up, with veterans Paul ‘sOAZ’ Boyer and Fabian ‘Febiven’ Diepstraten joining the team. Both players boast a long history in Europen League of Legends and have been considered top tier in their respective positions. On paper, the Misfits line-up had the experience and talent to rival any LEC team, however, the Spring Split saw a wealth of unfilled expectations.
Going into Spring Split, Misfits had a strong start. Many analysts argued that the roster could contend for a Top 3 finish and the first two weeks certainly relayed that narrative. The team saw strong success when they focused on snowballing through the bot lane, and in particular, Hans Sama. Unfortunately, that success didn't continue, and at the halfway point of LEC, Misfits stood in seventh place with a 4-6 record. Decisions were made by the team to bring back Hussain Moosvi as head coach as the team declared, ‘It is time for us to reset, refocus and reorganise’. However, it was too late, Misfits were unable to build around different playstyles and they continued to drop down the standings, ending the regular season with an 8-10 record. Misfits finished in eighth position missing out on attending playoffs.
This was the first time in Gorilla’s competitive career since 2014 that he was laning with a different player. On top of this new challenge, he also had a language barrier and cultural differences to deal with. It was key that both Hans Sama and Gorilla had to work hard in order to develop core bot lane synergy, and while this takes time, it was clear that there was some early development throughout the Split. During his time on Rox Tigers and Kingzone DragonX, Gorilla was a key part of his teams shot-calling. It will be interesting to see as his English continues to improve, how he can incorporate that into Misfits, who at times, look completely lost. Will Gorilla be the key to unlocking Misfits Gaming untapped potential? All eyes will be on the support and if he can help turn things around for his team heading into Summer.
G2 Esports: Luka ‘Perkz’ Perković
Luka ‘Perkz’ Perković made history when he announced he was officially swapping from the mid lane to ADC. While this wasn't the first lane swap in League of Legends, it certainly was the most unexpected. Perkz was considered one of the best in Europe during his role as a mid laner, and as a result, many thought he was taking a massive risk. The pressure to perform was on.
The start of the Spring Split saw G2 put on a dominating show by going undefeated nine games in a row. Joined in the bot lane by new signing Mihael ‘Mikyx’ Mehle, it was clear that Perkz had taken to his new role. Interestingly, Perkz has often strayed back to his mid lane routes by playing mage champions in the botlane. His ability to adapt and play both mid and bot champions has become G2’s secret weapon.
It can be argued that the addition of Caps to replace Perkz in the mid lane heavily contributed to the team's success. Before joining G2, Caps was the starting mid laner at Fnatic and often went head-to-head with Perkz. While a few years difference, there’s no doubt Caps was able to match Perkz in skill and ability; any other mid lane replacement could have left G2 with a sizeable skill gap.
Perkz has proved his skills on both a domestic and international front, however, performing in the Summer Split will be critical for G2. Their ability to qualify for the World Championship will be the final test. After clinching the Spring Split, as well as MSI, there’s still the question of whether Perkz’s lane swap is the most successful in history. With Worlds taking place in Europe this year, there’s no better stage to showcase his and G2’s international dominance – and as a result, the pressure will be on.
Fnatic: Tim ‘Nemesis’ Lipovšek
Hailed as one of Europe’s most promising mid laners, Tim ‘Nemesis’ Lipovšek was a hot pick up during the pre-season. After lots of back-and-forth, the 19-year-old eventually found his home at Fnatic. The veteran organisation has fielded a long line of iconic European mid laners, including Enrique ‘xPeke’ Cedeño Martínez, Febiven and most recently Caps, so Nemesis seemed like a natural fit.
Nemesis comes from a strong challenger scene background with recent success in the LVP SuperLiga playing on Mad Lions. The team lifted back-to-back LVP SuperLiga trophies as well as the Iberian Cup and EU Masters Madrid. While impressive, Nemesis still had big shoes to fill with Fnatic having surpassed expectations at the 2018 World Championship.
Fnatic’s Spring Split was full of highs and lows. Despite Nemesis being the only new member, the team struggled to mantain their Worlds form. There was a mismatch of in-game chemistry and a clear lack of focus throughout. It opened up questions on how losing both the World Grand Finals and Caps had affected the dynamic as a team. Nemesis also struggled to find an identity within the team – and you could tell the pressure was on.
Whether it was an increase of communication or a change of strategy, Fnatic did manage to turn the Split around. In the lead up to the semi-finals, the team enjoyed a run of nine games undefeated. However, in a rematch of the legendary 2015 LCS Finals, Fnatic was knocked out of LEC Spring finals contention by Origen. The team's inability to adapt to the infamous Sona-Taric bot lane meta was their key downfall.
Going into the Summer Split all eyes will be on Fnatic to see how they developed during the offseason. Will they be able to make the World Championship, and will Nemesis continue the Fnatic mid lane legacy? After making it through the pressures of his debut Split, Nemesis still has plenty to prove – and we’ll soon see whether he can live up to those expectations.
Excel: Petter ‘Hjarnan’ Freyschuss
Petter ‘Hjarnan’ Freyschuss has a long history in European League of Legends, competing in teams such as Team Vitality and ROCCAT. In 2018, Hjarnan joined G2 Esports where they defied expectations and reached the World Championship quarterfinals. However, not satisfied with their worlds performance and the rotation of Perkz to ADC, Hjarnan was left looking for a new team. After a stint at Ad Hoc Gaming in the ESL Meisterschaft, Hjarnan was recently picked up by Excel and is making his return to the European top flight.
As the new kids on the block, Excel had a difficult start to the LEC season. They chose to build a full 10-man roster, fielding a mixture of veteran and rookie players. While Excel managed to take down some top-tier teams over the course of the Split, such as wins over Vitality and FC Schalke 04, they were unable to gain momentum, ending the Spring Split in ninth place with a 5-13 result.
Hjarnan’s move to Excel looks to be a solid one for the player and the team: he’ll be reunited with support player, Raymond ‘kaSing’ Tsang. The pair have a long history which started back in 2015 on H2K Gaming. While both players have gone onto play in different teams, their performance as a duo has always been highlighted. They rank in history among the likes of Martin ‘Rekkles’ Larsson and Bora ‘YellOwStaR’ Kim, meaning this duo’s assembly is to be taken seriously.
In addition to Hjarnan, Excel have also brought in coach David Lim and mid laner Son ‘Mickey’ Young-min. The new additions will be key in building upon a team that has yet to challenge the likes of G2 and Origen. With a core bot lane duo, an experienced coach and the introduction of an NA and KR experienced midlaner, could the Summer Split be Excel’s time to shine?