Cloud 9 and FlyQuest look good, but what happened to TL?
LCS Week 1 Impressions
With the first week of the LEC done, Cloud9 and FlyQuest look great and TSM and CLG managed to also get a 2:0 week - but other teams, especially Team Liquid, look pretty disjointed.
LCS fans have had a hard time for the last few months. First it was an unimpressive Worlds performance and rumors of reduced budgets and viewership, then despite some interesting roster moves the NA League was given a rather uncomfortable watching slot until just shortly before the starting date. In the end, though, the best teams in North America came through. The first week of the 2023 Spring Split would already give us some showdowns between the top teams and some games that would show if the would-be powerhouses can actually defeat the underdogs. Here's what we saw.
The Undefeated: Cloud9, FlyQuest, TSM and CLG
While it is only the opening week of the season, there's just something nostalgic about seeing old names like Cloud9, TSM and CLG fighting for the top spot. We certainly didn't expect to see some of those names there. Yet while Cloud9 confirmed our expectations of a top spot with a confident win against 100 Thieves and by manhandling Golden Guardians, FlyQuest's wins against Team Liquid and Dignitas showed they can be a lot scarier than we fgave them credit for. TSM and CLG, meanwhile, had some early struggles - especially TSM - but good drafts and teamfighting and some mistakes by their opponents let them close out the games.
EG and 100 Thieves Leave us Wanting More
In the middle of the table we see two teams that we expected much from, but a few weaknesses led to then dropping clutch games. 100 Thieves looked almost outclassed against Cloud9, while Evil Geniuses started strong against CLG only to muddle up the mid-game and end up outscaled and outfought in the key teamfights. We still think these can be very powerful teams, but we want them to show more.
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Mess-up and Missteps at the Bottom
Of the four teams that ended up scoring no wins in their opening week, two were not a big surprise - seeing Immortals and Golden Guardians struggle, though the teams had their moments. Dignitas came as more of an upset - the team had a lot of veterans and while some of them were seen as past their prime, we still expected bigger things of them. The biggest disappointment, however, was Team Liquid's result - while their squad was strong on paper, it showed some rather shocking lapses of coordination. We expect more of that team - the question if it will reach its potential or remain the next big NA disappointment.
Read More about the LCS:
- The LCS Receives New Timeslot After Huge Backlash
- Dash Is Still Part of LCS Broadcast in 2023 – LCS On-Air Talent Revealed
- LCS Spring Split Predictions
The LCS continues on Thusday, February 2nd from 11 PM CET. Don't miss it!