Youthful League of Legends Star Danny Becomes LCS Champion
On April 24, 18-year-old League of Legends player Kyle “Danny” Sakamaki took home the LCS championship trophy after his team, Evil Geniuses, dominated 100 Thieves with a 3-0 victory in Houston. This victory not only marks a special moment for Danny but also holds the potential to ignite a “new era” in the North American league.
In the post-game conference, Danny expressed his hope for more young players in the League community to follow in his footsteps and urged them to persevere.
Danny’s Rise to Success in the NA League
Despite his relatively short time in the NA league system, having joined in mid-2020, Danny has quickly earned his place among the best players. He spent four months playing for Zenith Esports, an amateur lineup, before joining Evil Geniuses’ “Prodigies” program. In May 2021, he was promoted to the team’s starting lineup, replacing Matthew “Deftly” Chen, and was later named Rookie of the Year.
Danny hopes that his journey can serve as a blueprint for aspiring LCS stars, proving that there are opportunities to succeed both in the Academy and the LCS itself by demonstrating consistent performance over time.
Setting a Path for New League Players
As the star AD carry formerly known as Shiro advises, new League players should never give up on their dreams and keep pushing forward. Danny and his teammate Joseph “jojopyun” Pyun have been trailblazers, setting the stage for other hopeful LCS players, particularly those from North America. The rapid success of these young players, alongside fellow domestic star Philippe “Vulcan” Laflamme, has astounded even Danny himself.
Reflecting on his personal growth, Danny said, “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how far I’ve come. After that, I started thinking about our results, because it matters a lot in terms of my confidence that I went from being an amateur League of Legends player all the way to actually winning the LCS. I finally get to say it. It’s nice.”
Ahead to the 2022 Mid-Season Invitational
Danny and Evil Geniuses do not have much time to celebrate their remarkable achievement. They now face a potential five-week sprint in the 2022 Mid-Season Invitational. As the representative of North America, their eyes are firmly set on the trophy as they embark on the org’s first international event as an LCS team.
They are slated to compete against Europe’s G2 Esports, the 2019 MSI champions, and LCO champs Order, who recently secured their first-ever League title.
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