Team Coast’s Disbandment Imminent, Reveals Daily Dot Source
A reliable source close to the team has informed the Daily Dot that Team Coast is on the verge of disbandment.
The Departure of Key Players
Within the upcoming weeks, top laner Cristian “Cris” Rosales, jungler Dillon “WelcometoHeaven” Stayner, and mid laner Zachary “Mancloud” Hoschar will be leaving the organization. Support player Kevin “Konkwon” Kwon has expressed his unhappiness with the organization and is considering leaving as well. However, due to an active contract, his future lies in the hands of the team. The situation of AD Carry, Brandon “DontMashMe” Phan, with the team remains uncertain.
A Season of Struggles
Team Coast had a tumultuous Spring Split. Since their return to the LCS earlier this year, the roster has undergone frequent changes, which has been a recurring theme in previous seasons. Unfortunately, these changes have not yielded successful results. This season concluded with a 1-17 record, marking the lowest competitive record in the history of the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS). As a result, the team finished at the bottom of the standings and will be playing in the 2015 Summer Challenger Series.
A History of Rebuilding
This is not the first time Team Coast has faced relegation from the LCS. In the spring of 2014, the team disbanded entirely and its players moved to other teams. However, Coast management regrouped and formed a new team to compete in the 2014 Summer North American Challenger Series. This new team also experienced roster changes, including the addition of two Korean players and the departure of key players such as top laner Keenan “Rhux” Santos and jungler Lucas “Santorin” Tao Kilmer Larsen, who joined Team SoloMid. After failing to qualify for the LCS in the 2015 Promotion Tournament, Team Coast once again rebuilt and acquired European players to compete in the 2015 North American Expansion Tournament.
The Controversial Merger
As relegation loomed, Team Coast decided to merge with Challenger team Final Five in mid-March. The organization made suspicious roster changes, gutting the main LCS roster to strengthen Final Five’s chances of promotion. Key Coast players, Impaler and Sheep, moved to the Challenger side in exchange for Final Five’s support player KonKwon and Coast’s sub-jungler WelcometoHeaven joining the starting LCS roster. However, Final Five failed to qualify for the 2015 Summer Promotion Tournament, which resulted in a downward spiral for the starting LCS roster.
Uncertain Future
While the fate of the organization remains uncertain, it is likely that Team Coast will continue with their Final Five team since only one roster per organization is allowed in the Challenger Series. Team Coast has not responded to requests for comment at this time.
Team Coast, disbandment, LCS, Spring Split, relegation, roster changes, Final Five, Challenger Series