Changes in the League of Legends Off-season
The off-season in League of Legends is a time of uncertainty and change for professional teams worldwide. With the recent roster overhauls of Team SoloMid and Counter Logic Gaming, it’s hard to predict the top team in the North American League of Legends Championship Series (NA LCS) for 2016. Cloud9 has announced new support and jungler tryouts, and owner Jack Etienne has been teasing fans with tweets about the new team members. The new players have been revealed as Rush and Bunny FuFuu, formerly of Team Impulse and Gravity Gaming respectively.
Rush: The Prodigy
Rush is considered the strongest mechanical jungler the NA LCS has ever seen. He was relatively unknown in the west before his debut, but he had reached rank #1 in Korean solo queue. This is a big deal because many professional players are on the top of the Challenger rankings. Rush beat players on teams like SK Telecom T1 and Edward Gaming multiple times.
Once Rush joined TIP, he showcased his talents to the west in an explosive fashion. With the help of Impact, a former World Champion and top laner, TIP became a force to be reckoned with. However, TIP faced setbacks when their mid laner was suspended. Now, Rush is transitioning to Cloud9. The main question is whether or not Cloud9 will have a repeat performance of the 2015 Summer Split.
Bunny FuFuu: The Rising Star
Bunny FuFuu, the new support for Cloud9, is known for his exceptional Thresh play. He has been praised as one of the best supports in North America. In his first professional split, Bunny FuFuu mainly excelled on Thresh but struggled on other champions. However, he improved in the summer split and diversified his champion pool. With the help of LemonNation, a seasoned support, and Hai, a brilliant shot caller, Bunny FuFuu has the potential to become the best support in NA.
The Future of Cloud9
Cloud9 has had a rocky year, but they are making changes to maintain their reputation as a top team. The organization is introducing Rush and Bunny FuFuu to the team to improve their performance. However, there are concerns about whether or not Cloud9 can function without Hai. Hai will initially rotate between the jungle and support positions to help Bunny FuFuu adjust to shot calling. The team’s ultimate goal is to avoid the slump they faced when Hai left the team previously. Cloud9’s new roster will have the chance to prove themselves at IEM Cologne.
Sources: Oracle’s Elixir and Games of Legends (statistics), Riot esports Flickr (images)