The roster shuffle season came to a close recently, and just like the other regions, some teams came out ahead. Others? Not so much. Here we'll look at the European League Championship Series and the 10 teams competing.
G2 Esports
Grade: A+
G2 Esports had dominated the scene in its rookie LCS season in 2016, and it had seemingly bolstered its roster with Jesper "Zven" Svenningsen and Alfonso "mithy" Aguirre Rodríguez in the summer split. Its prowess in the European circuit did not translate on the world stage, but mithy was fully aware of the difficulties lying ahead for G2 Esports.
The organization's decision -- to extend offers to the roster that had finished last in Group A of the 2016 World Championship -- seemed as a no-brainer, but it needed to foster growth on a psychological standpoint. Weldon Green's hire may decisively solve that problem, and allow the squad to reach heights unheard of for a western team.
As the level of play rises in its region, the roster is hard-pressed to stay dominant, especially as other teams have a legitimate claim to the No. 1 spot in Europe. However, considering its pre-existing synergy, its level of play and dedication and its latest coaching hire, it is the team to beat during the spring split and beyond.
H2k-Gaming
Grade: A very cautious B+
H2k-Gaming has lost much of its players to free agency. The squad's emblematic mid laner, Yoo "Ryu" Sang-wook, has moved to the NA LCS, and Konstantinos "FORG1VEN" Tzortziou-Napoleon opted to step out at least for the spring split. Ales "Freeze" Knezinek also left the squad, returning to the North American circuit as a member of Tempo Storm's League of Legends squad.
The organization bounced back from those setbacks and signed former Fnatic mid laner Fabian "Febiven" Diepstraten, ex-SBENU AD carry Sin "Nuclear" Jeong-hyeon and Choi "Chei" Sun-ho from Jin Air. In terms of talent, the squad has maintained its level to some extent, but it faces communication issues on the short run in regards to its Korean bot lane duo. To that effect, H2k acquired the services of Son "StarDust" Seok-hee, a Korean ex-StarCraft II pro whose journey through the European circuit had earned him a regional WCS title in 2014.
The new acquisitions are unlikely to overshadow the short-term losses, but H2k may be on the path back to the World Championship -- provided it can contend with G2, Splyce and others, and provided it has learned lessons from its defeat in the 2016 World Championship semifinals against Samsung Galaxy.
Splyce
Grade: A
Splyce's offseason lasted no more than two weeks, and the most surprising aspect was its length -- almost too long, given its predictability. In the most unsurprising string of news during the offseason, the players and Jakob "YamatoCannon" Mebdi returned to the organization for one more year. As such, the squad can continue its process -- that of self-improvement for the players, and refinement in terms of macro play.
Armed with experience on the world stage and with experience during clutch situations (regional matchup vs. Unicorns of Love), the squad's sole tests moving forward are time and meta-game changes that would drastically transform the way the game is played, away from its comfort zone. To Splyce, the rising level of competition in Europe serves as a benchmark, with international competition in sights should it outlast Fnatic and H2k -- or overcome G2.
Unicorns of Love
Grade: B
The Unicorns of Love have adopted a tenet since its arrival in the LCS: there must always be a roster change. Sometimes, change is deliberate as shown in its jungle signing -- Andrei "Xerxe" Dragomir over Kang "Move" Min-su. Sometimes, it just happens, and the organization scrambles to find a solution, as Samuel "Samux" Fernandez's recent signing attests. As other organizations bolstered their rosters in the offseason, UoL may have to establish itself as playoff contenders very early into the season.
Despite that, UoL have managed to reach the playoffs -- and the regional qualifiers for the World Championship -- since its promotion to the LCS, and this season might be no different. As communication is unlikely to pose a problem, UoL's true test resides in its ability to maximize the output of its players within its system, under the leadership of Fabian "Sheepy" Mallant, Kiss "Vizicsacsi" Tamas and Zdravets "Hylissang" Iliev Galabov.
As the 2016 LCS summer split showed, inexperience may hamper the squad in its early stages. Fabian "Exileh" Schubert has undergone the transition from challenger to pro, and he may relate to Xerxe on that regard (as the latter performs his own in the 2017 spring split) and to Samux on a much lesser extent (the latter having established himself within the Spanish circuit since switching from the top lane).
Giants Gaming
Grade C
Once upon a time, back in the heydays of the lane swap meta, Giants Gaming contended for the top spot of the European LCS summer split. As the meta changed, dissensions within the team arose, and the squad collapsed spectacularly before the start of the playoff stretch. Giants were forced to rebuild as Nubar "Maxlore" Sarafian, Lennart "Smittyj" Warkus and Son "S0NSTAR" Seung-ik departed the organization.
On one hand, Giants have reassured their fan base as they kept revelations Na "NighT" Gun-woo and Morgan "Hustlin" Granberg under the fold, and made a last-minute bargain with their signing of Jonas "Memento" Elmarghichi -- a player with huge upside in the jungle, but who needs more experience to flourish. Giants have a solid core, but they needed pieces to fit around them. They opted to bank on talented players that have yet to experience the top level of competitive League of Legends, Olof "Flaxxish" Medin and Martin "HeaQ" Kordmaa.
The organization struggled to find pieces to fit around NighT, Hustlin and Flaxxish, and was unable to prepare adequately for the spring split. In addition, the talent level in Europe has significantly risen, leaving the roster to fight for survival at best. Should Flaxxish and Memento evolve to the level of play Maxlore and Smittyj had in the summer split, Giants may be able to do more, but that projection would be very optimistic.
Fnatic
Grade: B+
For the first time in the history of the LCS, and for the second time in the history of League of Legends esports, Fnatic missed the World Championship. Unlike their first miss - before the LCS's inception - the team had decisively lost against UoL. After a tumultuous 2016 LCS summer split campaign, change was necessary.
Gone are Febiven (to H2k), Noh "Gamsu" Yeong-jin , Lee "Spirit" Da-yoon (to the LCK), and Bora "YellOwStaR" Kim. In come the experienced Paul "sOAZ" Boyer and Maurice "Amazing" Stückenschneider from Origen, Jesse "Jesiz" Le following a stint in the North American circuit, and the young and talented Caps - whose challenge is as much adaptation to the LCS as it is to grow in terms of mindset.
Given that Caps is the sole 'volatile' factor in Fnatic, and given the amount of mentorship he is set to receive from his teammates, it is safe to say that the organization has done its best at assembling a European roster with enough firepower to, at best, take on Splyce and G2 in an eventual LCS playoff semifinal.
Vitality
Grade: B
After a season full of ups and downs, Vitality sat on the sidelines as the summer split concluded, neither endangered by relegations, nor fighting for a chance at representing Europe in the World Championships. The promising spring split gave way to a disappointing summer, following Petter "Hjärnan" Freyschuss' departure from the team, and as the squad struggled to win series.
The squad solved its AD carry issue decisively with the acquisition of Pierre "Steeelback" Medjaldi and acquired Ha "Hachani" Seung-chan following their decision to cut Raymond "kaSing" Tsang from the lineup, constituting an upgrade on the long run (unless Hachani can communicate with his teammates at this time). However, the situation in the jungle is still evolving, with GBM's status unclear, and as the team hired Charly "Djoko" Guillard.
The lineup has potential to contend for a playoff spot, but the competition is far more stacked this time around. Fnatic, Unicorns of Love and H2k-Gaming have strong rosters, and Team ROCCAT could represent a blue shell should they develop synergy on the rift. At worst, Vitality stays out of the playoffs and dodges the Promotion Tournament. At best, they may develop during the season into a lethal unit, with Djoko assisting their solo lanes' takeover forays.
Team ROCCAT
Grade: B at best, C at worst
Following a less than stellar 2016 LCS summer split campaign, Team ROCCAT suffered from the departure of Steeelback, with Memento following suit a while after. From an outside perspective, ROCCAT could have seemed doomed for relegation in the 2017 spring split, but they struck with an intriguing offseason.
Their acquisitions speak volumes about their ambitions going into 2017, not necessarily in the spring split. Keeping Felix "Betsy" Edling as a cornerstone after he asserted himself as a reliable mid laner helps, but the hires of Maxlore and Hjärnan provide them with in-game leadership and reliable play from the jungle and AD carry spots.
The additions of Ambroz "Phaxi" Hren - a mechanically proficient top laner with stage experience in the challenger circuit - and Kim "Wadid" Bae-in - a likely offseason steal straight from ex-SBENU - may help ROCCAT aim much higher than projected. The question is not whether the pieces will mix, but how long it will take - provided they do not clash outside of the rift. It is all on the coaching staff to make it happen.
Origen
Grade: D-
Origen had initially started as an ambitious project for Enrique "xPeke" Cedeño Martinez as he sought to build his brand and take it to the world stage. However, since the squad's challenger-to-Worlds run in 2015, things have gone downhill at a frightening pace. Zven and mithy's departures had started a timer on sOAZ and Amazing's tenures within the team, and Origen found itself renewing its roster altogether during the 2017 offseason.
The organization's attempt at rebuilding may have merit, but the odds are stacked against them. Max "Satorius" Günther may have earned his spot, but his competitors - Martin "Wunder" Hansen, Andrei "Odoamne" Pascu, sOAZ and others - may test his mettle. The same can be said about long-time challenger player Aleksi "Hiiva" Kaikkonen, whose pairing with Erik "Tabzz" Van Helvert represents a potential bright spot on the squad.
Kim "Wisdom" Tae-wan's presence may help Origen surprise squads should he play at the same level as he did on Misfits in 2016, but he may be hard-pressed to build synergy with Yoo "NaeHyun" Nae-hyun, a former LSPL player who has yet to play with the squad. Should xPeke step in, the team may have a vocal in-game leader to help them prepare for the summer split. Should they not, the squad may have to rely on coach Titus "LeDuck" Hafner to help them throughout what promises to be a rough LCS spring split - and potentially an even rougher Promotion Tournament, perhaps with Paris Saint-Germain and Schalke 04.
Misfits
Grade: C-/B - depending on the rookies' adaptation to the LCS, and on the play of PowerOfEvil and KaKAO.
Misfits have entered the League of Legends Championship Series with a bang as they eliminated Schalke 04 in convincing fashion, 3-1. Since then, they lost Wisdom - the jungler that helped them reach the pro level - to free agency, and they replaced Marcin "Selfie" Wolski with Tristan "PowerOfEvil" Schrage. On the surface, they have talent. However, they need to function as a unit.
Considering the complexity of League of Legends at the highest level, and given the lack of stage experience on Barney "Alphari" Morris and Steven "Hans sama" Liv's behalf, the squad may be in for a rude awakening early on. If they adapt, build the right strategies and follow through, they may contend for a playoff spot. However, it is much easier to state it on paper than materialize it on Summoner's Rift.
Will Lee "KaKAO" Byung-kwon revert to his OGN form? How will Hans sama and Alphari evolve under pressure? Are Misfits as resilient as Splyce was in the 2016 spring split? The team may have to answer those questions quickly to contend for a playoff spot. Some matters remains certain: Lee "IgNar" Dong-geun may showcase his prowess in Europe in a big way, and PowerOfEvil may redeem himself following his summer split performance within Origen.