- Lyon: Versus Flyquest We got to see a very different lyons than expected. This lyons was fast, chaotic, and all too willing to fight. Which makes sense given what we have heard in interviews and through voice comm look ins. Dhokla and Saint like to fight and push for that little bit extra in every play. Whereas Inspired gets the exact kills he expected and then takes the objective that was being fought over. Without inspired it seems Dhokla took on a more vocal role in shot calling. It also makes sense that it happens against Flyquest, who also plays that way. It’s very easy to get caught up in their pace when you already want to play that way. So now the question to me is, does the team keep going down this path while Inspired is gone? Or will they return to form next week? And if they do keep that pace until Inspired comes back how will the team reintegrate with Inspired? My expectations are that it won’t really matter since Inspired is coming back early enough in the season, but it might be a fun thing to keep an eye on.
- Team Liquid: With a 2-0 over Cloud9 They look like they picked up right where they left off from MSI. The team looks faster and more decisive than last split. They seem to be playing with a clearer game plan and understanding of how they want to playout the game. Which is a great sign for the rest of the split. Like I said last week, they really shouldn’t be worrying too much about regular season placement. Top four is all they need to avoid single elimination, the goal is to be top two at the end of playoffs. Getting their playstyle refined should be the goal of the split. I also believe that any team with Corejj has always looked best when he can have the go button and roam around the map. So this meta is great for them. But I do worry about what happens if we move back to an enchanter lane focused bot lane.
- Sentinels: A 2-1 score line against Dignitas is not a reassuring start to the season, but ultimately they do come out with the win. Their two wins did look very decisive so I won’t put too much stock into the loss. Sentinels should be circling their matches against Flyquest and Cloud9 on the calendar. These two regular season matches will provide them clear bench marks for their progress. I expect them to be able to beat Shopify and Disguised. Taking a win off of Lyons or TL would be great, but is not the priority. The season should be about getting themselves ready for Flyquest and Cloud9 in playoffs.
- Shopify Rebellion: They looked about how I expected in their win against Disguised. They seemed more cohesive than last split but with new team mistakes. I like that. I want to see them become a more single minded team as they go, which I think with Zeyzal they can. Having a louder and decisive shot calling voice is important. The next few weeks will be an interesting test for them as they will play Lyons, and then Sentinels. Another fun look forward for their schedule will be the two back-to-back game days where they play Cloud9 and Team Liquid in Mexico city. That will be a good test for them, not only against the upper half of the league but also the short turn around on the series means they are going to need to go in with a clear game plan for the weekend.
- FlyQuest: I am not going to hide my bias towards Flyquest, I am super interested in seeing them progress. They are focused on taking every fight they can and playing at a fast pace. I think this playstyle is great and sets them up well for playoffs and internationals if they make it. That’s of course the big question mark for this team. Do they make it as the third (or first?) seed to worlds. I doubt this loss against Lyons is going to shake them from their style, but as the season goes on if they continue to not quite get over the finish line I do worry if they will lose faith in their style before playoffs. I think even if it doesn’t work out this season, they should believe in their project and play the game their way.
- Cloud9: In their loss to Team Liquid I expected to see them swap players between games. Now I am curious if they keep Loki and Tactical as the starters for next week, or do they rotate between the different lineups as the season progresses. Personally I am more a fan of keeping a consistent roster that lets the five build up their team dynamic and confidence in each other. That doesn’t mean they have to go with Loki and Tactical for the rest of the season. But I do worry that they are going to be switching up the roster too much and they won’t find consistency until it’s too late.
- Disguised: They had their bright spots against Shopify, but ultimately the team feels like they are a step behind the rest of the LCS. They also seem to lack an identity. It doesn’t seem like the team has a clear game plan or shared understanding of how they want to play. The next few weeks for them should be focused on creating a cohesive and clear game plan that focuses on sound fundamentals.
- Dignitas: The summer of Palafox came and went very quickly in match one. I am honestly surprised that the team seemed as coordinated as they do. As mentioned last week I was concerned about how the team would come back into this split after Exyu’s comments. I don’t know if they fixed their behind the scenes issues. But the team did seem more together than I expected. Hopefully they can build on this and continue creating a more healthy and beneficial team environment as the season progresses.
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