LCS Roster Round-up: TSM sub out Biofrost for Treatz, GoldenGlue signs with EG
Last week of the LCS saw a lot of pressure cooker situations boil over for teams as the bottom half of the table made necessary changes to put wins together, and middle-of-the-pack teams are starting to fall behind on the meta. Team SoloMid were decimated last weekend by a struggling 9th placed Immortals, and their read on the meta has been less than perfect since the start of the Summer Split. Because of those lingering issues in champion select and mid-game decision making, TSM have opted for a substitution for Week Six of the LCS with Treatz stepping in via TSM Academy, and Biofrost stepping down to the Academy Support position for the foreseeable future.
Elsewhere around the league, GoldenGlue was recently spotted as a new member of EvilGeniuses, according to the Global Contract Database. This one week contract is reportedly a short term deal seen as an interim substitution for Jiizuke as EG figures out how to configure their roster to close out the Summer on a strong note. The return of GoldenGLue to the LCS also means the return of the ‘SwoleBros’ jungle-mid duo of Svenskeren and GoldenGlue, EG face tough competition this week with Cloud9 and Team Liquid on the calendar for Week six.
Read Also: LCS Power Ranking
Tumultuous TSM?
Since the start of the Summer Split, the fairy tale remarriage of DoubleLift and Bjergsen has not gone off without a hitch. Week one’s performances saw TSM completely outclassed as they were refusing to adapt to the meta and suffered avoidable defeats based on their dated approach to champion select, and a lot of their issues that have lingered since that horrid start continue to trickle in.
TSM’s Top laner BrokenBlade voiced his frustrations with lack of focus in champ select, and cited that as the reason for week five’s loss to Immortals. More than once this season, TSM have completely abandoned the game plan they have worked all week for in an attempt to surprise their opponents, and playing LCS level games with brand new strategic options at the last minute is hardly ever a recipe for success.
Furthermore, TSM’s star power from 16-17 seasons has not carried over into the 2020 season with the same level of grandeur. Spica in the Jungle is a long shot away from the Svenskeren heroics he was pulling off in big moments during TSM’s last championship runs, and the decaying gulf of class between Doublelift, Bjergsen and the rest of the LCS is quickly dwindling as other teams start to develop a signature style.
At the moment, it seems like TSM are lacking definitive direction and most of their decision-making comes from rushed last-minute shot-calling by the most vocal proponents on their team. Without a strong sense of leadership or direction, TSM’s 2020 season could be yet another filled with little playoff aspirations or even a chance at Worlds if the current run of form continues. Making roster swaps so late into the season, even if only temporary, doesn’t help their case either.
GoldenGlue, Huni to start for EG next week
The signing of Huni in between splits this year was one of the few roster moves made during Free Agency, but the dominoes are finally falling in the right place as the introduction of GoldenGlue makes him eligible to compete on the roster. With the two import player limit, EG were locked in between deciding on a North American mid laner or ADC to make room for their new super talent in the top lane, but now the pieces are in place for Huni to finally make his debut.
Currently, Evil Geniuses are in a three-way tie for fourth place as they are locked in alongside FlyQuest and Counter Logic Gaming with a 5-5 record. However, their three-pronged carry threat of Svenskeren, Huni, and Bang could prove to be the move that gets them over the hill once synergy starts to take place. Huni and Bang are both former SKT T1 alumni that are more than ready to lead this team to prominence in the North American region. With Svenskeren sharing the love between top and bot pressure, there is a serious chance for this team to make a turnaround as long as GoldenGlue can excel on his pocket pick mage champions like Zoe, Syndra, and Malzahar.
When it comes to the other teams jostling for sole possession of fourth place, EG have the most upside against the likes of CLG and FlyQuest, who have suffered head-scratching defeats after making roster moves that haven’t panned out for the better. FlyQuest seemed to make a slight resurgence with the addition of Mash at ADC, but the rest of the team hasn’t followed suit. Playoff series wins rely mainly off of variance in playstyle and ability to have more tools in your teams arsenal when facing off against an opponent.
The dynamic team signings EG have surrounded themselves with in the past season, they have what it takes to finally get over the hump and reintegrate their team into the World Championship slots, but their toughest test against the #1 and #2 seed next week may throw a monkey wrench in their plans.
Image Credits: LoL Esports