The Latest LCS News: Cloud9 Faces Tough Competition for the Title
Major fireworks went off in the LCS last week as Cloud9, North America’s dominant team, suffered an unexpected loss to Team Liquid. This loss suggests that Cloud9 may face a real challenge for the LCS title. However, it’s not just Team Liquid in the mix. TSM and FlyQuest, who both struggled earlier in the summer split, have put up impressive 2-0 records, showing that there are multiple teams ready to compete for the top spot. This change of events is a welcome development considering the concerns about whether any team could challenge Cloud9 and prepare them for higher-level competition at Worlds.
Standings and Rankings
To evaluate how far Cloud9 has fallen back, we asked our League analysts to rate each team from one to ten points. Surprisingly, Cloud9 hasn’t moved much:
| Rank | Team | Points | Rank Change |
| 1) | Cloud9 | 40 | — |
| 2) | Team Liquid | 36 | — |
| 3) | TSM | 30 | — |
| 4) | FlyQuest | 26 | +1 |
| 5) | Golden Guardians | 22 | +1 |
| 6) | Evil Geniuses | 20 | -2 |
| 7) | 100 Thieves | 17 | — |
| 8) | CLG | 11 | — |
| 9) | Dignitas | 9 | — |
| 9) | Immortals | 9 | — |
Overall, there hasn’t been much movement in the standings. Some teams, like Liquid and TSM, have figured things out and are making a comeback. However, others, like CLG, have continued to struggle throughout the split.
The Challenges Faced by Each Team
CLG, Dignitas, and Immortals:
CLG is not a bad team, but their team dynamic has been strange, especially since parting ways with coach Tony “Zikz” Gray two years ago. Dignitas has picked up unexpected wins, but it hasn’t made much of an impact. Immortals has given their young players a chance, and mid laner Insanity has shown promise, but they still have work to do.
Golden Guardians, Evil Geniuses, and 100 Thieves:
We’ve been waiting for these teams to impress us, but they keep faltering. Evil Geniuses, in particular, has struggled to hold onto late-game leads. Both 100 Thieves and Golden Guardians need to improve their control over minion waves to succeed in the playoffs.
TSM and FlyQuest:
TSM and FlyQuest have been making progress by posting clean 2-0 victories. FlyQuest faced tougher opponents, including Liquid and Golden Guardians, and their jungler Santorin has been exceptional in controlling objectives. TSM, on the other hand, has been consistently winning against lower-ranked teams, and their upcoming match against Cloud9 will be a true test of their progress.
Cloud9 and Team Liquid: The Battle for the Title
Despite their recent struggles, Cloud9 is still considered the top team in the league. They’ve faced some inconsistencies in the bot lane as they experiment with different champion combinations, but they are still the class of the league. Team Liquid, on the other hand, blew their chance against FlyQuest before their important matchup with Cloud9. However, players like CoreJJ have shown improvement, and it will be interesting to see if Team Liquid can hold off Cloud9 and secure the first seed heading into playoffs.
All photos via Riot Games.
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Related keywords: LCS, esports, Cloud9, Team Liquid, TSM, FlyQuest, CLG, Dignitas, Immortals, Golden Guardians, Evil Geniuses, 100 Thieves, League of Legends, playoffs, standings, rankings.