TSM CEO Andy “Reginald” Dinh Explains Decisions Behind 2022 LCS Spring Split Roster
The 2022 LCS Spring Split has been tough for TSM fans, as the team has struggled with a 1-8 record in the first round robin. Many people in the League of Legends community have been questioning the decisions made by the organization, so TSM’s CEO Andy “Reginald” Dinh recently shared the thought process behind the team’s moves for this new year.
Former TSM President Leena Xu and Possible Rosters for 2022
In discussions on the TSM subreddit, former TSM president Leena Xu made comments about the possible rosters that the team could have fielded for 2022. According to Xu, she and former TSM general manager Parth Naidu wanted to sign Jensen, Doublelift, and current Evil Geniuses support Vulcan. However, they were told that this combination was “not worth the cost,” and Xu eventually left after the offseason ended.
Reginald’s Response and Roster Cost
In response to the comments made by Xu, Reginald clarified that the decisions made were not solely based on costs. He confirmed that TSM spent around $5 million on their League of Legends team for 2022, with over $1 million going towards buyouts for their new support Shenyi and mid laner Keaiduo. Reginald also mentioned that the lineup with Jensen, Doublelift, and Vulcan would have cost a similar amount as their current younger roster.
“We also knew the above roster would lead to a more consistent performance, but thought it wouldn’t have the potential to dominate the league or go far at Worlds,” said Reginald. “We wanted to build over three years, not one. Parth recommended against this option [by the way], and I still agree. We don’t want to make safe bets to be in the top four in NA for one year and then rebuild again with veterans.”
Roster Building and Current Challenges
Reginald further explained that TSM built their roster through multiple scouting grounds across NA, Korea, and China. They also flew in 20 players for tryouts. The organization took a big risk on unproven talent for this year, but it hasn’t turned out as expected.
After a 0-3 superweek, TSM fans are understandably worried, and their concerns are turning into speculation about the team’s situation. Rookie support Shenyi was sent to the Academy team after two weeks in the LCS, and public scrutiny has become so intense that jungler Spica had to address criticisms raised against him on social media.
Spica clarified that no player played a part in deciding Shenyi’s benching and that they were never against his shotcalling style, which contradicts the current narrative being built around the team.
The Road Ahead
With four weeks remaining in the 2022 Spring Split, TSM faces an uphill battle if they want to challenge for the LCS championship this season. Looking even further into the future, the organization’s management will need to determine the direction of the roster if TSM wants a shot at qualifying for Worlds later this year.
TSM, LCS Spring Split, League of Legends, roster, Andy “Reginald” Dinh, Jensen, Doublelift, Vulcan, Leena Xu, Parth Naidu, Shenyi, Keaiduo, Worlds, esports