Photo Credit: Riot Games and Orgs
With the coming of the 2018 NA LCS Spring Season in about a month, a lot of things have changed from the previous seasons. One of the biggest changes is that all the participating teams are now part of a franchise and paid a sum of $10 million to buy their spot in the NA LCS. With the addition of franchising in the NA LCS, many of these teams are now supported directly by big basketball teams from the NBA such as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors. With the move to franchising, the LCS scene has also begun to see traditional franchising practices such as drafting, trading, and talent grounds scouting.
The OG Four
The four most famous and largest esports brands in League of Legends, TSM, Liquid, Counter Logic Gaming and Cloud9 continue to retain their spots in the NA LCS. These teams have been around for years and some since the inception of professional League of Legends. Many of the team’s players return, however, several major roster changes have occurred during the off season, so be sure to keep updated on the players of each team.
The NBA’s Entrance
Three of the new NA LCS teams are directly tied to an NBA team while several more have received funding and partnerships from other NBA teams. The three teams in question are the Golden Guardians, under the Golden State Warriors, 100 Thieves, managed by Call of Duty personality, Nadeshot and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Clutch Gaming, backed by the Houston Rockets. One of the previous teams in the NA LCS, FlyQuest, has partnered with the Milwaukee Bucks to strengthen their organization and bring a stronger roster to the fore. Additionally, Echo Fox has always been the brainchild of ex-NBA player, Rick Fox.
The Green Wall Comes Over
As mentioned previously, 100 Thieves is managed by and partially owned by Call of Duty personality, Nadeshot. Before creating 100 Thieves, Nadeshot was part of the biggest and most famous Call of Duty teams, OpTic Gaming. With the franchising of the LCS, OpTic have also put together a team to add to their already long line of successes in esports.
Enjoy the new season of LCS, playing League of Legends, and prepare to celebrate the New Year with our Year End Special PCs.
