The Dignitas Difference

On March 25th, Dignitas announced that Scarra, the long-time mid laner - and some would argue, their heart and soul - was going to be benched for rookie GoldenGlue. The move, to many, signified that Dignitas was throwing in the towel on the split. In a way, they were. For a sporting team, it’s never easy to admit to a problem area, especially to the public. However, with Dignitas sitting at a disappointing 9-13, the struggles were obvious. If things were to continue, they faced potential relegation. Even after the swap of Scarra for GoldenGlue, they went 6-6, and just barely avoided it. Dignitas’ problems all revolved around the middle lane, and they carried that baggage into the offseason with no clear answers in sight.

Looking Elsewhere

At the same time, another team was going through their own trials. Team Coast, originally Good Game University, have one of the rockiest histories in the LCS. Their debut season saw an impressive playoff run where they rode a low seed into a second place finish. The following split, they had no such luck, ending in seventh and having to qualify again in the promotions. Heading into the year, nobody was really sure how Team Coast would perform. Would they be able to re-live the glory days of the previous spring? Or would they again fall out of the LCS? The answer came all too abruptly, as Coast was knocked out of promotions in the spring by the very team they picked to play against, CompLexity. Coast was finally cast adrift into the sea. But one team’s flotsam is another team’s plunder. Dignitas, knowing fully well that Shiphtur was one of the best players on Coast, saw an immediate answer to their mid lane woes. Not only did Shiphtur represent a clear, experienced solution, but top laner ZionSpartan was also up for grabs. While it meant letting go of solid top laner Cruzer, the pair’s synergy would serve both of them well as they settled into their new team. On May 2nd, 38 days after Scarra moved to the coach position, Dignitas announced they would be picking up both free agents to solidify their roster.

A New Era

A reborn Dignitas hit the region hard, and with Scarra now being able to focus on his new coaching role, the team is completing at their highest level ever. Never have they had a more explosive start. Now tied with LMQ in first place with a 6-2 record, Dignitas are looking to be one of the top teams of the split. After finishing in fifth place last split, the new Dignitas are an exciting, welcome sight to see. So how exactly has Dignitas turned the corner so quickly? ZionSpartan and Shiphtur are of course experienced adds, but let’s not forget that they were part of a team that ended the season in dismal fashion. In the promotions, the pair combined for a 4.85 KDA, but still fell 3-1 to CompLexity. They played well, but they still lost. Now on Dignitas, that story has been completely flipped on its head. Just take a quick look at Shiphtur’s combined record so far for the split: 41/3/38. Yes, you read that right. In eight games, Shiphtur has died three times. He has never died more than once in a game. His season KDA right now? 26.33. To put that in perspective, XiaoWeiXiao, who has twice gotten the MVP nod this split, is at 8.45.

Keep ‘Em Guessing

Their new home is doing wonders for these ex-Coast members, and the Dignitas difference is clear. Scarra’s coaching ability is already shining bright, and with him whispering deadly strategies in the ears of Shiphtur and crew, Dignitas will only get better as the season progresses. Evidence of his hand at work is easily visible in the changes made by the team. One great example is ZionSpartan, whose wide range of champions continues to draw regular bans, especially Jax. But his broad range is keeping other teams guessing, and his playstyle on these champs has gotten a lot better. Zion’s Irelia, for example, was heavily used in last split’s playoffs - and against Dignitas themselves no less. But in those three spring games, he ended up with just a 2.0 KDA. Fast forward to Week 2’s game against LMQ, who are now tied with Dignitas and appear equally as strong. ZionSpartan, on Irelia for the first time since the playoffs, racked up 4 kills, 7 assists, and not a single death. His lane opponent, Ackerman, was held without a single kill or assist.

Looking Forward

The transformation of these players, along with the continued improvement of the rest of the Dignitas squad, has truly been astounding. Now, the team sets its sights on a place they’ve sadly never been—the NA LCS playoff finals. With Cloud9 struggling right now, and with Dignitas having proven they can more than stand equal with LMQ, they’re looking like strong favorites to get a bye into the semifinals once the playoffs come around. Another win there, and the team will finally have a chance at the title. Key to this run will not only be the continued dominance of Shiphtur and ZionSpartan, but also the guiding hand of Scarra. But with each passing week, as the new players to the team settle in that much more, and with their Scarra refining his coaching methods, Dignitas is bound to keep playing in new, exciting, and unexpected ways. This isn’t a team that will sit idly by and watch the season slip away.

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