Rise from Relegation: Dignitas and Giants Gaming Surprises in the LCS
In the League Championship Series, surviving relegation is rarely the end to your struggles.
A trip to relegations usually doesn’t bode well for your chances in the following season. But in the League Championship Series (LCS), Dignitas and Giants Gaming, two teams that almost fell out of the LCS two months ago, are both sitting at or near the top of the standings with 3-1 records.
Granted, both teams have faced relatively easy schedules. Each has two wins against the only two winless teams in each of Europe and North America. But one of the reasons those teams are winless is their failure to overcome what was supposed to be easy prey.
At the start of the season, Dignitas and Giants Gaming were favorites to suffer relegation yet again. However, their start to the season has indicated that these teams may not be as weak as last year’s versions.
Dignitas
The American side was one game away from falling out of the LCS, barely surviving their relegation series against Team Fusion 3-2. But they’ve looked better than ever to start the Summer Split.
They lost their opening game to Counter Logic Gaming, but quickly recovered by decimating Cloud9 in a surprising upset. Then, this week, they followed up by securing two victories over Team Dragon Knights and Team8, two of their primary competitors in avoiding relegation.
Unlike Giants Gaming, Dignitas entered the Summer Split with the same five-man roster they took into Spring. Their jungler, Andrew “Azingy” Zamarripa, has been the catalyst for Dignitas’ early season success. He has a 7.0 KDA, placing him tops on his team and in the top three among all junglers in the LCS.
Of course, there are warning signs that Dignitas’ success won’t continue. Zamarripa’s seeming inability to play more champions and his past inconsistency certainly don’t breed confidence. However, the team has made changes by replacing Zamarripa with former Winterfox jungler Shin “Helios” Dong-jin. This move adds much-needed leadership to the team and could help them continue their success.
Giants Gaming
Across the Atlantic, Spanish team Giants Gaming is also off to a strong start with a 3-1 record. Learning from their experience last split, where they narrowly avoided relegation, Giants Gaming is tied for third in the standings and playing well.
Giants Gaming made a roster swap in the offseason by bringing in Swedish player Oskar “G0DFRED” Lundström. This move has paid off, as the team has been capitalizing on plays made by their star mid laner Isaac “PePiiNeRo” Flores and securing objectives as a result. Lundström also brings leadership to the team, which has improved their communication and overall performance.
In order to continue their success, Giants Gaming will need other players to step up around PePiiNeRo. If they can accomplish this, they might just make it to the playoffs.
While it’s still possible that Dignitas and Giants Gaming end up in relegation again this season, their strong starts give them a boost in avoiding it. Both teams have made improvements and are challenging for playoff spots, surpassing expectations.
Photo via Riot Games/Flickr
esports, League Championship Series, Dignitas, Giants Gaming, LCS, relegation, Summer Split, jungler, success, roster, Winterfox, Helios, leadership, communication, playoffs