American League Champion Series Recap
Ashley Crocker ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Writer
In preparation for the League of Legends World Championships, here’s a recap of the American League Championship Series (LCS) Season 3 highlights and what to expect at the Staples Center in Los Angeles this fall!
For the first time in the history of E-Sports (electronic sports), League of Legends has become an official sport, recognized by the United States government. This landmark achievement heralds the start of one of the world’s largest competitive gaming events: The League of Legends Championship series.
Fourteen teams will represent five different regions at the Championships. TSM Snapdragon, Vulcan TechBargins, and Cloud 9 Hyperx will be representing the North American LCS; Fnatic, Gambit BenQ, Gaming Gear Eu, and Lemondogs from the European LCS; MVP Ozone, NaJin Black Sword, and SK Telecom T1 from South Korea; OMG and Royal Club Huang Zu from China; and Mineski from the Philippines.
In the North American LCS, Cloud 9 Hyperx took the stage by storm. Entering the League before the Summer Split, they currently have a 25w – 3l record – the best split record ever. With MVP Meteos in the Jungle (the ganker, play starter, or tank) and AD Carry Sneaky (the damage), Mid Hai (the assassin, burst damage), Top Balls (the tank, or bruiser), and Support Lemonation (the utility), Cloud 9 Fans and the rest of the League of Legends community wait to see how these “newbies” will handle the world stage. Due to their success in the Summer Split, Cloud 9 secured a bye going into the championships, meaning they will not have to participate in the first round of the championship.
Second place team Team Solo Mid also hopes to make a good showing at the championship stage. Despite their mediocre Summer Split showing, their success in the Spring Split and the Summer Playoffs means they are not out of the game yet. Team captain Reginald as Mid, Top Dyrus, Jungler TheOddOne, AD Carry WildTurtle, and Support Xpecial have attended all three of the League of Legends Championships – and have experience working in their favor.
Finally, Vulcan TechBargains, finishing third in the Summer Split also have a promising chance at worlds. They are the only team that has claimed victory against Cloud 9 Hyperx, twice. Their team is comprised of Support BloodWater, AD Carry Zuna, Mid mancloud, Jungler Xmithie, and Top lane Sycho Sid. Mancloud holds a record of his own, having recently broken the North America and European record for the most kills in a split at 167 kills in 28 games.
North America has seen a strong showing at the Summer Split. However, no North American has ever made it past the 8th place bracket at Worlds. Being said, will this finally be North America’s year?
The League of Legends world championships begin on September 15th. The Group Stage series will take place from September 15-21. Following this will be the Quarterfinals, that span from the September 23 and 24, and the Semifinals that span from September 27 and 28th. The finals will take place on October 4th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. If you want to watch them live, tune in to Twitch.tv and find the League of Legends link.