Looking Back at the 2013 Spring Split

After a sensational world championships and an intense series of qualification matches, the stage was set for a historical change in competitive League of Legends. 16 teams across Europe and North America would compete in the first ever League of Legends Championship Series--professional players putting on epic performances week after week. Only a year later it seems like the LCS has always been a part of our lives. As the 2014 spring split nears its conclusion, it's time to take a moment and reflect on how things have changed in year two of the LCS.

Old vs New

As the 2013 season progressed in Europe, a clear line of separation developed between the four established teams (Evil Geniuses, Fnatic, Gambit Gaming, and SK Gaming) and the newcomers (Copenhagen Wolves, GIANTS! Gaming, Dragonborns, and a revamped Against All Authority). The 10-week split was not enough time for these rookie teams to grow into contenders against teams led by the likes of Alex Ich, Froggen, and xPeke. However, one name rose to prominence, and one team was able to survive the first relegation series, the Copenhagen Wolves and their mid lane dynamo, Bjergsen. When Bjergsen became eligible to play, CW went from a fumbling newcomer to a potential challenger seemingly overnight. While the rest of his team has since left the professional scene, Bjergsen's impressive play has landed him a spot on one of the most prominent teams in the world, North America's Team SoloMid. Over in North America, the same line divided the old favorites (Counter Logic Gaming, Team SoloMid, Dignitas, and Curse) and the unknowns (Vulcun, Good Game University, MRN, and Complexity). Both GGU and Vulcun survived through the full 2013 season and, despite early struggles, are still battling for playoff spots now as Team Coast and XDG.

Moving and Shaking

The champion pools for nearly every role have grown and evolved over the last year. Champions who previously stuck to the jungle like Dr. Mundo and Shyvana have moved into the top lane while new picks like Lulu and LeBlanc have made their presence known in the middle lane. AD Carry players have seen an almost complete overhaul of potential choices, with two new top notch carries (Lucian and Jinx) introduced since last season. With new items, a revamped jungle, and brand new masteries, the champion pools of junglers and support players have evolved as well. Supports are able to provide more power on champions like Morgana and Annie, while junglers have moved away from strictly playing tanks, and towards playmakers like Elise and Pantheon.

Memorable Moments

When the best players in Europe and North America are clashing week after week, there are bound to be some fantastic plays. Here are a few samples of what we got to see last year. 1:10:47, WildTurtle's Pentakill - Team SoloMid has long been one of the most popular teams in the world. After early struggles, the team made a difficult decision to temporarily bench their AD Carry, Chaox, in favor of the relatively unknown WildTurtle. The soon-to-be star player entered his first professional match on Caitlyn, and quickly became the talk of the league by picking up a Pentakill. 57:35, Alex Ich's Pentakill - Alex Ich regularly reminds us why he cannot be given Kha'Zix. From 5-on-5 teamfight to an ace in three seconds, Alex Ich leapt from champion to champion exploding each opponent faster than the shoutcasters could commentate. 46:00, Froggen's Backdoor - While his team lost a fight at top lane, Froggen worked his way through the enemy base until their nexus was exposed. The enemy team quickly recalled to defend, but Froggen picked up two kills before triggering his Zhonya's Hourglass. As his enemies waited out the invulnerability, super minions destroyed the nexus, giving EG the victory. XPeke's Backdoor - As IEM Katowice approaches, we should all take a moment to remember where we were when xPeke taught SK Gaming the importance of banning Kassadin. SK had just reversed a game winning push by Fnatic into a brilliant defense, and began to push out for the win. Rather than return home to defend, xPeke teleported back into SK's base and began hitting their exposed nexus. SK sent Kev1n to defend, a full health Olaf against a flashing red Kassadin: a simple task. Dodging axe after axe, xPeke riftwalked around the nexus taking it lower. HyrqBot returned to base and tried to help defend. One more brilliant Riftwalk gave xPeke the final shot and down went SK Gaming.

Moving Forward

Many of the names have changed, and the metagame has evolved. Teams like Counter Logic Gaming have begun to return to their former glory, while others like Evil Geniuses struggle to reclaim their identity. New names have risen to the top of the ladder, while some are nothing more than a memory. Although much about the game and those who play it are different from last year, much has remained the same. The passion of the fans, the production quality, and the unforgettable matches remain. The future of the LCS looks bright, and I for one can't wait to see what comes next.

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