Upcoming Roster Change in Major Competitive Gaming League Sparks Excitement
One of the biggest leagues in the world of competitive gaming is about to undergo a major shakeup, and it seems that European players are at the heart of it. Velocity, the American team that made it into the prestigious North American League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) last season, has decided to make a clean sweep of their roster after a disappointing performance.
The stakes are high in the League of Legends community, with around 30 million users playing the game every month. The finals of the LCS last season garnered a massive 32 million viewers and awarded a prize of $1 million to the winning team, SK Telecom T1 K from Korea.
In announcing the roster change, Velocity’s manager, Brad “I am Guitar” Cordry, acknowledged the difficulties the team has been facing. To keep the brand alive, Cordry outsourced the team’s offseason competitions to fellow North American team, Denial.East. However, this was always meant to be a temporary solution, and rumors started swirling last week about a potential move by European team Evil Geniuses to acquire Velocity’s spot in the LCS. These rumors gained credibility after members of Evil Geniuses were seen playing on North American accounts and there were hints of backroom deals that had taken place during the preseason.
Further evidence of this potential move came from player streams and vlogs which showed the new roster in action. Former Evil Geniuses players Mitch “Krepo” Voorspoels, Stephen “Snoopeh” Ellis, and Peter “yellowpete” Wüppe would be joining Velocity, along with North American challenger players Tyson “Innox” Kapler and Eugene “Pobelter” Park. These players have already been spotted scrimmaging against other North American teams, strengthening the belief that the roster change is in progress.
This potential move has surprised many fans, as Evil Geniuses had a strong performance in the European LCS last season and boasted a popular roster with talented players like Voorspoels and Ellis. However, if the move does take place, Evil Geniuses’ European LCS team would still include existing members Henrik “Froggen” Hansen and Mike “Wickd” Petersen, adding Ilyas “Shook” Hartsema, Erik “TabzZ” van Helbert, and a fifth member who is yet to be determined.
It is worth noting that this potential move may challenge the league’s current rulebook, as it states that no owner can own or control more than one team. The purchase of Velocity by Evil Geniuses’ owner, Alex Garfield, would violate this rule. However, J.T. Vandenbree, the head referee, has clarified the situation and stated that Alex would have to not own both teams.
While the community waits for confirmation of this major roster change, all eyes are on the upcoming Battle of the Atlantic, sponsored by Riot Games. This showmatch will feature the top teams from North America and Europe competing against each other, as well as challenger teams vying for a spot in the LCS for the 2014 season. Both Evil Geniuses and the rumored new Velocity team have matches scheduled for this tournament.
competitive gaming, esports, League of Legends, LCS, roster change, European invasion, Velocity, Evil Geniuses, North American teams, Battle of the Atlantic