On Nov. 8, 100 Thieves launched its League of Legends roster for the upcoming 2023 season, confirming rumors that had circulated the scene for weeks. The announcement included the return of legendary AD carry Doublelift, who will reunite with Bjergsen after their final stint collectively on TSM. The LCS GOATS will probably be joined by rookie abilities Milan “Tenacity” Oleksij and Alan “Busio” Cwalina, and the one returning member from the 2022 lineup, jungler Can “Nearer” Çelik. By wanting on the names, 100T’s 2023 roster seems stacked on paper. However is the staff as robust because it appears, or is it a results-based bias? Let’s break down some of the hyped groups within the LCS earlier than video games return subsequent 12 months. A “Nearer” take a look at younger rookies Busio, Tenacity Final 12 months, Busio and Tenacity served as 100T’s Academy help and prime laner respectively, ending fourth within the LCS Proving Grounds Summer time. Of the pairing, Tenacity has been one of many best-performing prime laners within the second division, rightfully incomes a beginning prime within the LCS. The Canadian rookie will probably be taking the place left by the Korean participant Ssumday who was above him within the hierarchy final season. His particular person stats had been among the many greatest in NA Academy Summer time 2022, in keeping with League stats web site Video games of Legends. Tenacity boasted the best common of CS per minute (9.6), the second-highest common gold per minute (446), and the third-highest expertise differential at quarter-hour (+308). To prime it off, he solo killed his enemies 20 occasions, rating fourth amongst all Academy prime laners. Moreover, he’s recognized for having a versatile champion pool, with 18 totally different champions performed this 12 months. It doesn’t matter whether or not it’s a tank or a carry; he’ll choose up a champion if the scenario calls. Whereas he won’t shine as a top-tier participant within the LCS straight away in comparison with long-stay veterans, everybody will probably be watching to see how he tackles the competitors and what sort of enhancements he’ll carry to the desk. Identical to Tenacity, Busio has risen as a robust expertise in North America. The Polish-American help reached Challenger on the age of 15 in season 9 and lately received the Most Precious Prospect award in NA Academy Summer time. Following the steps of his favourite professional participant Keria, former Evil Geniuses and present Crew Heretics coach Peter Dun praised Busio in an interview with Inven. “I believe Busio is much more hyped than Jojo was when he was arising,” Dun mentioned. “Busio might be essentially the most hyped rookie that I’ve seen within the final three years coming into NA.” After all, the help participant is barely one of many two members down within the backside lane, however having somebody as skilled as Doublelift ought to make studying simpler. If Busio proves his price on the LCS stage, this bot lane can have some shining moments. Apart from the 2 rookies, 100T can even have Nearer as its beginning jungler. It seems like 100T has clear intentions of maintaining the Turkish jungler for the long term, since he’ll begin his third 12 months on the staff. Since becoming a member of the LCS, Nearer proved his price within the jungle expertise pool. He has been a part of the highest three LCS All-Professional Groups in nearly each break up (second in 2020 Spring, 2021 Summer time, 2022 Summer time, and third in 2020 Summer time and 2022 Spring). Whereas his stats aren’t as superb in comparison with different junglers, his supportive and utility playstyle have made him an amazing position participant inside 100T. The Turkish jungler had the second-lowest KDA and CS per minute throughout the LCS Championship however was fourth-best when it comes to proportion kill participation and second within the common wards per minute. Individually talking, Nearer lacks the identical carry potential as the opposite 4, which implies he’s most likely at greatest a top-five jungler. Picture by Colin Younger-Wolff by way of Riot Video games The competitors has modified over the previous couple of years, and the 2023 season is wanting stacked greater than ever earlier than. There are top-tier gamers like Impressed and Blaber who will probably be contending for primary within the position. In the event you additionally add the likes of Spica (who is about to hitch FlyQuest) and 2022 world champion Pyosik into the combination, it turns into a devastating combat to be prime jungler. The jungle position is extra about macro play and coordinating effectively with teammates. Given the modifications of this preseason, which incentivize ganking over counter-jungling because of the lack of elevated injury when clearing the enemy facet of the jungle, a participant like Nearer may have the ability to have a better influence on the staff. Did 100 Thieves make the correct alternative to choose up Doublelift and Bjergsen? If we put apart the worth Bjergsen and Doublelift can supply when it comes to sponsorship or promoting, 100T’s choice of signing the pair is a dangerous one. When you do have your arms on two nice gamers with years of expertise, there are query marks relating to the extent of efficiency Bjergsen and Doublelift can have going into 2023. That doesn’t imply the 2 received’t ship. If we overlook the disappointing failure to qualify for Worlds final 12 months, Bjergsen carried out effectively on Liquid. He won’t have been the highest canine in his position, however he was arguably a top-three participant behind FLY’s Toucouille and EG’s Jojopyun. Regardless of having the second-highest KDA and the best gold differential throughout the LCS Championship of all mid laners, Bjergsen achieved a a lot decrease injury proportion (24.7 %) in comparison with Toucouille (27.3 %) or Jojopyun (27.2 %). His common gold per minute (387) was additionally barely decrease (396 for Toucouille and 390 for Jojopyun). It’s onerous to think about Bjergsen falling under the highest 4 or 5 mids within the league. However on the identical time, it’s additionally equally troublesome to image him being the very best, particularly contemplating the arrival of recent imports like VicLa, Gori, or Diplex. The latter had achieved the best KDA throughout the summer time break up within the LFL, six solo kills, and the third-highest expertise differential at quarter-hour. VicLa, regardless of being on a mid-pack staff like KT Rolster, was third in gold and CS differential at quarter-hour, in addition to second in expertise differential, proving how good he was on a person stage. Gori, on an identical notice, was dominating in the summertime break up over within the PCS, rating no.1 in nearly each metric. An analogous consideration could be made for Doublelift, though he doesn’t have latest outcomes like Bjergsen. We all know he has been enjoying League persistently, having closed at 361 LP in NA’s solo queue in season 12. Now that the staff is bootcamping in Korea, Doublelift is already at 334 LP on the Korean solo queue ladder, in keeping with his op.gg. He’s certainly hungry to make outcomes, however there’s a brand new era of expertise rising up. ADC gamers like Prince and Berserker are on the prime of their sport primarily based on the 2022 season, and a rookie like Yeon may unlock his full potential all year long. We have now to reward 100T, although, as a result of the org was sensible with its roster strikes and coated the worst-case state of affairs on this event. Even when Doublelift doesn’t ship, 100 Thieves nonetheless has a top-tier European expertise on the academy staff in Unf0rgiven, who performed for MAD Lions at Worlds 2022 and is ready for an opportunity to compete on the LCS stage. The previous LEC participant was one of many best-performing ADCs final season, with a share of 28.5 % of the staff’s whole injury, 5.1 KDA, a 9.5 CS per minute (third highest of all LEC ADCs), and the best gold differential at quarter-hour. From a staff’s perspective, this could assure a sure stage of outcomes, however it may also put much more stress on Doublelift as a result of his teammate from the academy is that robust. No matter how Bjergsen and Doublelift will play subsequent season, there are sufficient parts to do effectively sufficient to remain within the higher a part of the standings. 100T has put collectively a roster made from gamers which might be top-five (or greater) throughout every position. That mentioned, robust particular person gamers don’t instantly correlate to success. And for 100T’s lineup, it will likely be essential to make a further step to purpose for the championship. Bringing in two of essentially the most excellent and most adorned veterans in NA historical past to the staff will assist the rookies develop. Moreover, Doublelift and Bjergsen are vocal gamers who will converse up and never be afraid to make critiques. Nearer can act for example of how expertise could be fostered by sharing his personal expertise, creating collectively the correct surroundings for the entire staff to enhance and turn into top-tier by the tip of the season. One other important issue for fulfillment will probably be discovering an acceptable playstyle. All of the gamers have proven a robust stage of flexibility, which ought to make the method sooner. Doublelift is probably going going to be the carry the staff will mess around, with Tenacity initially enjoying on low assets. Tenacity also can play carry-oriented champions, so it will likely be as much as the teaching workers to seek out the correct steadiness. Nearer is probably going going to cowl a extra supportive position as he has finished for the previous few years, with Bjergsen enjoying as a secondary stick with it scaling mages. Busio would be the versatile participant right here, since he can play each roaming and enchanters; he’ll regulate primarily based on the draft. 100T has a stable roster on its arms and the correct steadiness of kids hungry for outcomes and veterans that also wish to show themselves. Nonetheless, there are some doubts that can want a while to unravel. We could have to attend earlier than saying 100T is able to combat for the LCS title.
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How will the new-look 100 Thieves stack up in opposition to the competitors in 2023?
