Every new roster change going into the 2020 LCS Spring Split

The League of Legends competitive landscape underwent significant restructuring when Riot Games initiated the free agency period on November 18, triggering widespread roster movements across the professional scene.

While several Championship Series organizations continue finalizing their competitive lineups, the emerging 2020 season framework reveals compelling strategic patterns. This comprehensive analysis examines confirmed roster adjustments and their competitive implications.

As a perennial North American powerhouse, Cloud9 maintains an impressive track record of consistent World Championship qualifications since their 2014 LCS debut, having cultivated numerous elite players throughout their storied history.

Despite securing second position in the LCS Summer Split, the organization implemented strategic offseason modifications. With established talents Eric “Licorice” Ritchie in top lane and Yasin “Nisqy” Dinçer in mid lane retaining their roles, the reconstructed lineup demonstrates formidable potential. Licorice consistently ranks among the region’s premier top laners, while Jesper “Zven” Svenningsen could potentially thrive in his new competitive environment, enhancing C9’s Worlds qualification prospects.

• Jungler Robert “Blaber” Huang elevated from academy roster development system
• Bot laner Jesper “Zven” Svenningsentransferred from Team SoloMid.
• Support Philippe “Vulcan” Laflammetransferred from Clutch Gaming/Dignitas.
• Bot laner Zachary “Sneaky” Scudericonfirmed departure from 2020 competitive roster.

Counter Logic Gaming represents the league’s most established franchise, though recent competitive achievements have been limited. After missing Worlds 2019 qualification, the organization seeks redemption through strategic acquisition of 2017 world champion Lee “Crown” Min-ho.

CLG’s mid lane capabilities show marked improvement for the 2020 campaign, though similar enhancements in the bottom lane remain questionable. Trevor “Stixxay” Hayes doesn’t rank among the league’s elite AD carries, though he developed effective coordination with Biofrost across previous seasons. The newly formed bottom lane partnership with Andy “Smoothie” Ta may encounter initial synchronization challenges, requiring rapid cohesion development to compete with leading LCS squads.

• Top laner Kim “Ruin” Hyeong-min returned to primary starting position.
• Mid laner Lee “Crown” Min-hotransferred from Immortals.
• Bot laner Trevor “Stixxay” Hayes secured two-year contract extension.
• Support Andy “Smoothie” Tatransferred from Team SoloMid.

Dignitas makes its triumphant LCS return after previous partnership negotiations with Riot fell through in 2018. The organization’s acquisition of Clutch Gaming facilitated an impressive competitive ascent from league standings basement to Worlds 2019 group stage participation. For the upcoming season, DIG constructed a strategic roster blend combining experienced veterans with promising newcomers, designed for complementary skill integration and competitive success.

The organization delayed its roster announcement timeline, generating skepticism among community observers. While definitive success remains uncertain, the assembled lineup exceeds initial pessimistic projections. Both Heo “Huni” Seung-hoon and Henrik “Froggen” Hansen demonstrate formidable solo lane capabilities, while the bottom lane partnership of Johnson “Johnsun” Nguyen and Zaqueri “Aphromoo” Black shows promising synergistic potential.

Competitive performance will heavily depend on Jonathan “Grig” Armao’s performance outside TSM’s ecosystem, combined with Johnsun’s adaptation velocity to LCS competitive pressure.

• Top laner Heo “Huni” Seung-hoonresigned for two years.
• Jungler Jonathan “Grig” Armao transferred from TSM Academy.
• Mid laner Henrik “Froggen” Hansen transferred from Golden Guardians.
• Bot laner Johnson “Johnsun” Nguyen transferred from TSM Academy.
• Support Zaqueri “Aphromoo” Black transferred from 100 Thieves.

The 2020 LCS offseason reveals several significant strategic developments that will shape competitive dynamics. Organizations increasingly balance imported talent with domestic development pipelines, creating hybrid roster constructions. Teams like Evil Geniuses and Immortals leverage international experience while maintaining regional identity.

Successful teams demonstrate sophisticated understanding of meta adaptation requirements, with roster constructions designed for flexible strategic execution. The integration timeline for new player acquisitions becomes critically important, with most organizations requiring 4-6 weeks for optimal team synchronization.

Common strategic pitfalls include over-reliance on individual mechanical skill without adequate attention to team coordination development. Advanced organizations implement structured bonding exercises and communication training to accelerate team cohesion.

Since developer Riot Games opened the doors for free agency announcements on November 18, the League of Legends community has been bombarded with rumors and official announcements of new roster changes and free agencies.

The landscape of North American competitive League of Legends has undergone its most dramatic transformation since franchising began. Teams have pursued divergent strategies ranging from international superstar acquisitions to faith in domestic developmental talent.

Several LCS organizations haven’t finalized their complete starting lineups, but the competitive picture for the upcoming season becomes increasingly defined daily. This comprehensive breakdown examines all confirmed roster modifications and their potential impact on the 2020 competitive season.

Cloud9

C9 maintains its position as North America’s most consistently successful organization, having qualified for every World Championship since entering the LCS in 2014. The organization has consistently developed elite talent while maintaining competitive relevance across multiple seasons.

Despite securing second place in the LCS Summer Split, management executed significant offseason adjustments. With top laner Eric “Licorice” Ritchie and mid laner Yasin “Nisqy” Dinçer anchoring the solo lanes, the foundation appears stable. Licorice continues to demonstrate why he’s considered among the region’s premier top lane talents, while Zven could potentially thrive in his new competitive environment. The departure of longtime bot laner Zachary “Sneaky” Scuderi marks the end of an era, but the organization’s track record suggests they’ll remain World Championship contenders.

• Jungler Robert “Blaber” Huang promoted from the academy roster
• Bot laner Jesper “Zven” Svenningsentransferred from Team SoloMid.
• Support Philippe “Vulcan” Laflammetransferred from Clutch Gaming/Dignitas.
• Bot laner Zachary “Sneaky” Scudericonfirmed he won’t be playing for the 2020 roster.

CLG

Counter Logic Gaming represents the league’s most historically significant organization, though recent competitive results haven’t matched their legacy. Failing to qualify for Worlds 2019 highlighted the need for substantive changes. The acquisition of 2017 world champion Crown represents their most ambitious roster move in recent memory.

CLG’s mid lane capabilities appear substantially enhanced heading into 2020, though similar improvements in the bot lane remain questionable. Stixxay doesn’t rank among the league’s elite AD carries, though he established effective coordination with Biofrost over the past two splits. Integrating new support Smoothie introduces communication variables that could impact early-season performance. The bot lane partnership must develop rapid synergy for CLG to challenge the region’s top-tier squads.

• Top laner Kim “Ruin” Hyeong-min returned to the starting roster.
• Mid laner Lee “Crown” Min-hotransferred from Immortals.
• Bot laner Trevor “Stixxay” Hayes re-signs for two years.
• Support Andy “Smoothie” Tatransferred from Team SoloMid.

Dignitas

Dignitas returns to the LCS competitive landscape after failing to secure long-term partnership status during Riot’s 2018 franchising process. The organization’s acquisition of Clutch Gaming facilitated their return after that team’s surprising climb from LCS basement dwellers to Worlds 2019 group stage participants. For the 2020 campaign, DIG constructed a roster blending veteran experience with promising rookie talent, hoping these elements will synergize effectively.

The organization delayed their roster announcement significantly, fueling speculation about potential weaknesses. While definitive success remains uncertain, the final composition exceeds many pessimistic fan expectations. Both Huni and Froggen bring established lane dominance capabilities, while Aphromoo’s veteran leadership could accelerate Johnsun’s adaptation to professional competition.

Performance will heavily depend on Grig’s ability to perform outside TSM’s developmental system and Johnsun’s adjustment speed to LCS-level competition.

• Top laner Heo “Huni” Seung-hoonresigned for two years.
• Jungler Jonathan “Grig” Armao transferred from TSM Academy.
• Mid laner enrik “Froggen” Hansen transferred from Golden Guardians.
• Bot laner Johnson “Johnsun” Nguyen transferred from TSM Academy.
• Support Zaqueri “Aphromoo” Black transferred from 100 Thieves.

Evil Geniuses

EG’s LCS history remains relatively limited, having participated in just one season before undergoing mandatory rebranding five years ago. After securing Echo Fox’s competitive slot for 2020, the organization has aggressively pursued roster construction to capture fan engagement and competitive success.

The newly assembled squad demonstrates considerable individual mechanical skill, though team coordination and strategic synergy represent significant unknowns. If the roster components integrate effectively, EG could potentially challenge the league’s established elite teams. Bang and Svenskeren provide championship-level experience, with the latter arriving fresh from an MVP-caliber performance with Cloud9. Jiizuke’s LCS debut could significantly impact the mid lane competitive landscape based on his successful European competitive tenure.

• Top laner Colin “Kumo” Zhao transferred from Cloud9.
• Jungler Dennis “Svenskeren” Johnsentransferred from Cloud9.
• Mid laner Daniele “Jiizuke” di Mauro transferred from Team Vitality
• Bot laner Bae “Bang” Jun-si transferred from 100 Thieves.
• Support Tristan “Zeyzal” Stidamtransferred from Cloud9.

FlyQuest

FLY entered the LCS in 2017 and has subsequently struggled to consistently compete with North America’s established elite organizations. This previous season concluded without playoff qualification following a ninth-place finish. Unlike most competitors, FLY retained three core players, though the overall competitive outlook appears only marginally improved for 2020.

The retained players demonstrated limited standout performances throughout the preceding competitive year. Unless new additions PowerOfEvil and IgNar can elevate the performances of V1per, Santorin, and WildTurtle, FLY seems destined for continued residence in the league’s lower competitive tiers.

• Top laner Omran “V1per” Shoura re-signed for 2020.
• Jungler Lucas “Santorin” Larse re-signed for 2020.
• Mid laner Tristan “PowerOfEvil” Schrage transferred from CLG.
• Bot laner Jason “WildTurtle” Tran re-signed for 2020.
• Support Lee “IgNar” Dong-geuntransferred from FC Schalke 04.

Golden Guardians

GGS represents one of the LCS’s newer competitive entrants, having joined just two seasons prior. Their competitive journey has yielded limited success, culminating in a seventh-place LCS 2019 Summer Split finish that nevertheless marked improvement over their last-place 2018 performance. The reconstructed lineup appears to offer modest competitive upside, though optimistic supporters maintain faith in its potential.

The strategic rationale behind GGS’s 2020 roster decisions remains somewhat opaque, likely reflecting the organization’s inability to match competing offers for their departed star performers. Most roster members lack significant competitive accolades, though the organization might achieve incremental progress compared to the previous campaign.

Closer brings considerable anticipation from his Turkish competitive performances, while Goldenglue must validate his roster position after community criticism regarding his selection over domestic mid lane alternatives Eugene “Pobelter” Park and Tanner “Damonte” Damonte.

• Top laner Kevin “Hauntzer” Yarnell re-signed for 2020.
• Jungler Can “Closer” Çeliktransferred from Royal Youth.
• Mid laner Greyson “Goldenglue” Gilmertransferred from Cloud9 academy.
• Bot laner Ian “FBI” Huang re-signed for 2020.
• Support Yuri “Keith” Jew promoted from the academy roster.

Immortals

Similar to DIG’s situation, Immortals missed two LCS competitive seasons after exclusion from the league’s revised franchising model in 2018. The organization returns following their acquisition of OpTic Gaming’s franchise slot, assembling a blended roster combining established stars with less proven additions. IMT likely won’t challenge for league supremacy, though the assembled pieces suggest competitive potential.

sOAZ and Xmithie represent IMT’s most valuable competitive assets. Xmithie arrives following exceptional performances with Team Liquid, while sOAZ aims to recapture the competitive excellence that defined his European career. However, similar confidence doesn’t extend throughout the complete roster. Eika makes his LCS competitive debut following an extensive journeyman career across European competitions, creating significant questions around the mid lane position. The team will likely compete within the league’s middle competitive tier.

• Top laner Paul “sOAZ” Boyer reported by Jacob Wolf.
• Jungler Jake “Xmithie” Puchero transferred from Team Liquid.
• Mid laner Jérémy “Eika” Valdenaire transferred from Team LDLC.
• Bot laner Johnny “Altec” Ru joins from Echo Fox.
• Support Nickolas “Hakuho” Surgent joins from Echo Fox.

Team Liquid

TL requires minimal introduction within the North American competitive landscape. Throughout the past two competitive seasons, they’ve maintained undisputed dominance as the region’s premier organization, despite underwhelming World Championship performances. Liquid achieved finals qualification at the 2019 Mid-Season Invitational, though expectations for international breakthrough continue intensifying.

The organization continues its competitive evolution with considerable fan anticipation surrounding the 2020 campaign. Thus far, Liquid has confirmed only Xmithie’s replacement with Broxah, with remaining roster members retaining their positions.

Given the sustained competitive success this lineup has delivered, minimal justification exists for exploring alternative player options. Broxah demonstrated elite performance capabilities throughout his LEC career and international competitions. Combined with the established regional dominance of their veteran core, competing organizations face substantial challenges in displacing Liquid from their competitive pinnacle.

• Jungler Mads “Broxah” Brock-Pedersentransferred from Fnatic.
• Rest of the roster likely to remain unchanged.

TSM

While TL currently represents North America’s dominant competitive force, Team SoloMid maintains historical supremacy with six LCS championship titles. However, TSM has failed to demonstrate that championship caliber throughout the previous two competitive years. As the organization’s franchise player and partial owner, mid laner Bjergsen elected to continue his competitive journey with the organization.

TSM introduces three new roster members for the 2020 competitive season, hoping to reclaim their former competitive glory. The reconstructed lineup doesn’t project as formidable as supporters might prefer, though establishing definitive starting roles could enhance competitive consistency.

Significant attention will focus on Dardoch’s jungle performance, both due to his need to demonstrate competitive excellence and his challenging reputation regarding team dynamics.

• Top laner Sergen “Broken Blade” Çelik re-signs for 2020.
• Jungler Joshua “Dardoch” Hartnett transferred from OpTic Gaming Academy.
• Mid laner Soren “Bjergsen” Bjergresigned for two years.
• Bot laner Kasper “Kobbe” Kobberup transferred from Splyce.
• Support Vincent “Biofrost” Wangtransferred from CLG.

100 Thieves

When 100T entered the LCS in 2018, their competitive debut demonstrated remarkable success. Subsequent results, however, led many observers to attribute their initial performance to beginner’s fortune. The previous competitive season concluded without top-five qualification. By reintegrating Cody Sun into their competitive lineup, 100T anticipates improved outcomes throughout 2020.

This strategic adjustment could yield positive results. Cody Sun validated his elite AD carry capabilities during and preceding Worlds 2019, while Meteos and Ssumday possess the capacity for exceptional role performance. If Stunt and ry0ma demonstrate consistent competitive contribution, 100T could reestablish themselves as legitimate threats to the LCS’s upper competitive echelon.

• Top laner Kim “Ssumday” Chan-horesigned for 2020 season.
• Jungler William “Meteos” Hartmantransferred from Immortals.
• Bot laner Sun “Cody Sun” Li-Yu transferred from Clutch Gaming/Dignitas.
• Support William “Stunt” Chen promoted from the academy roster.
• Mid laner Tommy “ry0ma” Le transferred from Bombers.

The 2020 LCS roster changes reflect several distinct strategic philosophies emerging across the league. Team Liquid’s conservative approach demonstrates confidence in their championship-caliber core, while Cloud9 and TSM embraced more dramatic transformations. The influx of European and Korean talent continues reshaping North America’s competitive landscape, while several organizations demonstrate increased commitment to developing domestic talent through their academy systems.

Critical success factors will include how quickly new bot lane partnerships develop synergy, whether veteran imports can maintain their competitive form, and how effectively coaching staffs can integrate diverse player backgrounds into cohesive strategic approaches. Teams like Evil Geniuses and Dignitas have gambled on high-ceiling rosters that could either excel spectacularly or struggle significantly.

For teams seeking to improve their strategic approach, our Class Guide provides detailed insights into optimizing role specialization and team composition strategies.

The 2020 LCS Spring Split promises unprecedented competitive volatility with so many organizations undergoing substantial roster reconstruction. Team Liquid remains the clear favorite, though Cloud9’s revamped lineup and TSM’s international acquisitions could potentially challenge their dominance.

The middle of the pack appears particularly crowded, with Dignitas, Evil Geniuses, and Immortals all fielding rosters with both significant potential and notable vulnerabilities.

For comprehensive strategic guidance applicable across competitive gaming titles, explore our Complete Guide to understanding team dynamics and competitive optimization.

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