The holidays are over and free agency is over. The League of Legends community is now ready for the 2023 Spring Split. Leagues from all over the world will begin the new year in the next weeks. In North America, the LCS will also debut its new Thursday-Friday schedule changes.
On Thursday, Jan. 26, all 10 teams will enter the newly-christened Riot Games Arena in Los Angeles as they welcome a new era in the league’s history. There’s plenty to celebrate in the NA competitive scene with a new broadcast schedule and a host of stars making their LCS debuts.
There will be many exciting matchups when the LCS starts. Supporters can watch all the fireworks being displayed from their homes, in the studio, or in their own homes, whether they are young or experienced superteams.
These are the five top games to watch during the 2023 LCS Spring Split.
100 Thieves against Cloud9
Photo via 100 Thieves esports Twitter
The return of the North America’s GOAT is the perfect way to generate hype for the league, even though it might be playing at an unusual time for some. Doublelift is not only coming back from retirement, he’s doing it with the only other player that can be considered the NA GOAT—Bjergsen.
100 Thieves will be paired with the LCS debuts by Busio and Tenacity, making them a must-watch League throughout the split. It also helps that they’ll be facing off against one of the strongest rosters in Cloud9, who will be looking to build off of their 2022 success with practically the same lineup from last year.
Legends will collide. Expect a lot of hype on the opening day for this 2022 Summer Finals Rematch.
FlyQuest vs. Team Liquid
Photo via FlyQuest Twitter
For the first time since the team’s debut in 2017, FlyQuest is coming into the new season as a true contender for the throne in the LCS instead of a plucky underdog. The team has a lot to offer, with two rising stars from LCK embarking on a new journey in a different region.
The team’s AD carry Prince, for example, recently won the 2022 Summer co-Player of the Split award, while the org’s new mid laner VicLa was the LCK’s 2022 Rookie of the Year. They’ll also be joining Spica and Impact, who are two of the best players in the league, along with one of the best up-and-coming talents in the NA Academy scene, Eyla.
Liquid will be opening the year with a new roster of stars. CoreJJ is attempting to lead this new team of stars against a powerful FlyQuest squad.
Evil Geniuses and Cloud9
Photo via Getty images for Riot Games
Evil Geniuses might have lost one of the most exciting players in the region’s history with Danny stepping back from pro play, but don’t be too sad. The team still has some of the most talented stars in the LCS, and they aren’t going to shy away from the spotlight.
Jojopyun still has a firecracker of a personality, and he isn’t afraid to talk trash on stage or after the game. Vulcan and Inspired are still the top-three, while FBI and Ssumday are veteran stars looking for another memorable chapter in their distinguished careers.
Team Dignitas vs. Counter Logic Gaming
Photo by Riot Games
Although this matchup may not feature the hype squads of LCS, Dignitas or CLG are two of the most promising teams to watch in the spring. Dignitas was a big success after signing on Armut, the LEC champion. This was on top of other major acquisitions like Jensen or Santorin. This Dignitas’ top side can tussle with almost any top side in the league, and should be exciting to watch moving forward.
CLG, on the other hand, decided to stick with their 2022 roster and invest heavily into the growth they saw with their young talent. They are on the right track to becoming one the most underrated squads for 2023, with familiar names like Contractz and Palafox leading their way for their young prospects like Luger or Poome.
The 2023 LCS Spring Split begins on Thursday, January 26th at 2 PM CT.