Season 6 in the North American League Championships Series was something special. Two teams dominated play in both spring and summer, reaching a new level of skill. The North American team even made it to the final of a major international tournament sponsored by Riot.
As we gear up for Season 7, took a look at the NA LCS landscape and ranked the teams for the upcoming Spring Split. With roster changes and a new meta, it’s difficult to predict the rankings, but we’re going to give it a shot.
This upcoming season could be the best yet, with strong teams keeping their rosters intact and new exciting talent entering the scene.
TSM
We start with TSM, the team that ended Season 6 on top. They dominated most of last summer and were untouchable. With talented players like Soren “Bjergsen” Bjerg and Dennis “Svenskeren” Johnsen, they dominated the mid lane and the jungle. The big question for TSM is who will replace Doublelift as their late game shot caller. We believe Vincent “Biofrost” Wang should take on that role. They also have an experienced lane partner for Biofrost in Jason “WildTurtle” Tran. However, the team needs to work on controlling vision and winning contested objectives. They’ll also need stronger initiations that involve all five players. If TSM can deliver on these improvements, they have the potential to make their disappointed 2016 season a thing of the past.
Best Case: Semifinals at Worlds
Worst Case: Semifinals in the NA LCS playoffs
Cloud9
Cloud9 showed their strength by making it to the bracket stage at Worlds last year. Their integration of Jung “Impact” Eon-yeong improved throughout the summer split and they are expected to be even stronger this year. However, their new jungler, Juan “Contractz” Garcia, needs to step up to provide better initiation and map control. Shot calling will also be crucial now that Contractz doesn’t have the experienced Hai Lam by his side. Coach Bok “Reapered” Han-gyu has done great work with this team, but it remains to be seen if they can continue their improvement.
Best Case: Contractz becomes the solution and they perform well in the bracket stage at Worlds
Worst Case: Meteos returns and they struggle to make it to the LCS playoffs
Team Dignitas
Dignitas is a team with a lot of potential, although there is also a lot of risk. Their focus on the solo lanes, with players like Kim “Ssumday” Chan-ho and Jang “Keane” Lae-Young, could give them an advantage. However, communication will be crucial, especially with two new Korean players. The jungle requires special synergy with the team, and Dignitas will need to work on their communication to succeed. Ssumday and Chaser have the potential to be a strong top/jungle duo, but it may take some time for the team to fully gel.
Best Case: They make it to the LCS finals in their first year together and compete for a Worlds spot
Worst Case: Communication issues persist and they struggle, falling to the relegation zone
CLG
Counter Logic Gaming has some major question marks, especially with mid laner Choi “HuHi” Jae-hyun. The mid lane is becoming more important in a jungle-focused meta, and CLG needs some mid-lane pressure to explore new strategies. They will rely on their well-preparedness and early-level strategies, but HuHi needs to step up. The competition has also improved, making it difficult to rely solely on mid-lane pressure.
Best Case: HuHi performs well and they have multiple winning lanes
Worst Case: HuHi struggles, competition levels up, and they miss the playoffs
Team Liquid
Team Liquid has a lot of potential, with star players like Chae “Piglet” Gwang-jin and Kim “Reignover” Yeu-jin. With their new coach, Matt Lim, who is highly regarded for his work last year, the team should have better communication. However, the mid lane is a question mark. It’s unclear who will start and whether they can perform well on the LCS stage. This is a team with the talent to win, but they need to find a solution for the mid lane.
Best Case: Reignover and Piglet perform well and they break the fourth-place curse, making it to Worlds
Worst Case: They struggle in the mid lane and fail to find a solution
Immortals
With Immortals, the win condition is not immediately obvious. They have a talented jungler in Joshua “Dardoch” Hartnett, but other areas of the team have question marks. The top laner, Lee “Flame” Ho-jong, hasn’t been at his best for some time, and the bot lane is a mystery. Additionally, there’s the potential for Dardoch to self-destruct.
Best Case: Flame and Dardoch click, they compete for a playoff spot, and fans have something to hope for
Worst Case: Dardoch self-destructs and the team struggles
Phoenix1
P1 is a difficult team to rank. With the addition of Ryu Sang-wook and No “Arrow” Dong-hyeon, they should have an easier time integrating their new Korean players. Ryu has played in Europe since 2014, and the AD carry position is easier to integrate communication-wise. The biggest question is whether Arrow and Adrian can develop synergy. Adrian has done great things for Immortals in the past, but his duo lane was not always strong. It remains to be seen if they can work together effectively.
Best Case: Inori and Ryu perform well, Arrow is one of the top ADCs, and the team makes it to the LCS semifinals
Worst Case: Arrow and Adrian struggle to work together, they struggle in macro and late games, and head to the promotion tournament
Echo Fox
Echo Fox has two star solo laners in Jang “Looper” Hyeong-seok and Henrik “Froggen” Hansen, but beyond them, the roster is a mystery. It’s unclear how the team will coordinate and if they can play well together. Froggen has a preference for farm fests, but Looper needs someone to start fights with him. Coordination will be key for this team.
Best Case: Looper and Froggen perform exceptionally well and the team makes a surprising run at the playoffs
Worst Case: The lack of coordination and talent prevents success in the promotion tournament
Team EnVyUs
Team EnVyUs started strong in their first LCS split but struggled later on. They will need to regain their footing in 2017 and play more patiently around their top laner, Shin “Seraph” Wu-Yeong. The addition of jungler Nam “lira” Tae-yoo adds another Korean player to the mix, making communication crucial. The team will need to figure out their playstyle and stick with it.
Best Case: They avoid relegation and the duo lane follows the Koreans’ leads, with Seraph and Ninja carrying
Worst Case: Mistakes pile up, lack of talent prevents success, and they face relegation
Fly Quest
Fly Quest is a new team with a lot of uncertainty. However, they have Hai, whose shot calling is invaluable. The team will rely on Hai’s shot calling to secure late-game victories. The problem is that it’s unclear who Hai is working with, and it’s difficult to find winning matchups on this roster. Fly Quest will need to overcome these challenges to find success in the LCS.
Best Case: Hai’s shot calling leads to consistent victories, they perform well in the regular season, and make it to the playoffs
Worst Case: Lack of LCS-level talent becomes apparent, and they face relegation
*All photos via Riot Games*