Over the last two weeks, we have seen a flurry of activity as teams shuffle their lineups in preparation for the 2018 League of Legends season. The franchising model in North America has brought even greater attention and more talent to the region, while the lack of something similar in Europe has thrown that region into chaos. Some of the biggest teams in the EU have yet to sign full rosters and some of the top talent has fled the region as a result. That will make Europe the weakest of the major regions this season, and is something to keep an eye on going forward. Now, let’s take a look at some of the key moves so far.
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League of Legends Roster Additions
Peanut moves to Longzhu Gaming
Many people consider Peanut to be the best jungler in the world, but he never fit in with SK Telecom T1 and the team’s dynamics. As the meta shifted in the summer, Peanut had a hard time adapting his playstyle to fit the team’s needs and was constantly subbed out for Blank as a result. It wasn’t a surprise to see him and SKT part ways this offseason and both sides handled things professionally, understanding that this was for the best.
Peanut’s move to Longzhu makes that team even scarier heading into 2018. Longzhu was the best team in Korea in the Summer Split and was the favorite going into Worlds after hammering SKT in the Summer Split Finals. The team fell apart in the Quarterfinals against eventual champions Samsung Galaxy and knew that it needed to make a change in the offseason.
Peanut will replace Cuzz, who was way too aggressive at times and would overextend to put his team at a disadvantage. While Peanut can certainly be a little too aggressive, he has also proved to be able to support his lanes and might be the best jungler in the world mechanically speaking. Peanut is already integrating with Longzhu at the KeSPA Cup and they will have a chance to beat his former team SKT in the Semifinals.
IgNar heads back to Korea
One of the breakout stars of Worlds was IgNar, who looked to be one of the best engage supports in the world in China and almost helped lead Misfits to what would have been a shocking upset over SKT in the Quarterfinals. IgNar was one of the two stars of Misfits and his play in both the laning phase and in team fights was extraordinary, giving them advantages that few expected them to have.
The current situation in Europe has meant that he and other imports are looking to go back to their home regions, and he wasted little time in returning to Korea. He will be the support for a retooled BBQ Olivers team that is looking to get out of the cellar of the LCK.
G2’s bottom lane joins Team SoloMid
The move that really showed the state of European League of Legends was this one. Team SoloMid went out and signed the bottom lane of the team that has won four straight domestic titles and looks ready to finally make some noise on the international stage. Doublelift was certainly an improvement over WildTurtle, but he made too many missteps and never really gelled with his teammates on TSM. Biofrost got a little bit of a raw deal as Zven and mithy came over from G2 as a package, but quickly landed on his feet by signing with Counter Logic Gaming.
There’s no question that having Zven and mithy in the bottom lane, and Mike Yeung in the jungle, makes TSM the overwhelming favorite to repeat as North American champions. The real test will come when they play at the Mid-Season Invitational.
At BookMaker Sportsbook, our team of writers breaks down every betting matchup on the wagering board. eSports are exploding in popularity and we at BookMaker have you covered for all of your betting needs. From League of Legends to CS:GO, BookMaker has all of the eSports betting lines you can hope for. Open an account and get in on the action today!
