Out of Cloud9, which LCS team might grab Licorice in 2021?

Professional League of Legends fans received significant news when top lane specialist Eric “Licorice” Ritchie announced via social media that he won’t return to Cloud9’s primary lineup for the 2021 competitive season. This development creates an exceptional opportunity for organizations seeking to strengthen their roster with a proven, championship-caliber player.

Licorice originally joined the Cloud9 organization back in November 2017, taking over the top lane position previously held by veteran player Jung “Impact” Eon-yeong. At that time, the relatively unknown competitor had minimal professional competitive experience and hadn’t established widespread recognition within the esports community. However, his initial competitive appearances immediately demonstrated exceptional skill, rapidly establishing him as one of North America’s most dominant top lane performers.

Cloud9 management informed me recently that I won’t participate with the team during 2021. I feel tremendous pride in contributing to championship success for the dedicated Cloud9 fanbase throughout my tenure. Transitioning between competitive organizations represents an inherent aspect of professional gaming careers, and I’m fully prepared to compete with a new team next competitive year.

— Licorice (@Licorice) October 19, 2020

Recent regulatory changes regarding player import classifications have created significant roster construction possibilities, particularly the adjustment that competitors from Oceanic regions no longer count against import limitations. Multiple industry sources indicate Cloud9 intends to elevate their Academy division top laner Ibrahim “Fudge” Allami to the primary competitive roster. This represents merely the initial adjustment in what promises to be extensive roster modifications across the League of Legends Championship Series.

Licorice enters the free agent marketplace with numerous competitive advantages working in his favor. As a North American resident player with substantial international tournament experience and an LCS championship victory to his credit, he represents an extremely valuable acquisition target. Most competitive organizations would consider themselves fortunate to secure his services, with several LCS teams urgently requiring exactly this caliber of top lane talent.

Counter Logic Gaming’s Critical Need for Top Lane Upgrade

The organization that immediately stands out as a potential destination is Counter Logic Gaming, a team that finished in ninth position during the spring split and tenth place in summer competition. CLG consistently struggles to achieve competitive coherence and strategic execution. The historic organization appears to have exhausted conventional solutions and desperately requires transformative roster changes.

The contractual agreement with current top lane competitor Kim “Ruin” Hyeong-min concludes in November, positioning CLG to actively pursue top lane reinforcements. Acquiring Licorice would enable CLG to strategically deploy their import designation on another roster position, potentially strengthening their jungle role with international talent.

Organizational planning remains in preliminary stages for CLG’s 2021 competitive roster, as the team must first secure head coaching leadership before finalizing player acquisitions. This sequential approach to roster construction ensures coaching and player alignment from the outset.

Strategic Insight: Teams often make critical mistakes by prioritizing player acquisitions before establishing coaching infrastructure. CLG’s methodical approach of securing coaching leadership first represents sound organizational planning that prevents misaligned roster construction.

Evil Geniuses’ Strategic Fit: Maximizing Import Slots

The organization that should demonstrate most aggressive pursuit of Licorice is Evil Geniuses. While the team currently fields two competent top lane options, neither possesses the same competitive ceiling or consistent performance level as Licorice. Integrating Licorice into their top lane configuration creates import slot availability, enabling Evil Geniuses to simultaneously field both mid lane specialist Daniele “Jiizuke” di Mauro and bottom lane player Bae “Bang” Jun-sik, both under contractual obligation through 2021.

Evil Geniuses achieved their strongest competitive results when utilizing Jiizuke and Bang as primary starters, making strategic sense for the organization to build complementary pieces around this core duo.

Advanced Roster Strategy: Successful organizations understand that roster construction involves more than accumulating individual talent—it requires strategic slot optimization and role complementarity. For comprehensive team building guidance, see our Class Guide for optimal role configuration.

Immortals’ Rebuilding Opportunity: Foundation for Success

Similar to CLG’s situation, Immortals represents one of the LCS organizations that experienced most significant competitive difficulties throughout 2020. Following multiple questionable roster decisions, Immortals concluded the summer competitive split in last place. Midway through the split, the organization relegated their entire primary LCS roster, substituting their Academy division lineup instead. These developments ultimately resulted in their head coach’s departure from the organization.

Currently, Immortals lacks head coaching leadership and requires multiple player acquisitions to field competitive rosters for both LCS and Academy divisions. Immortals critically needs a top lane presence with independent agency and strategic versatility—qualities where Licorice would provide ideal compatibility for the team’s reconstruction efforts.

Rebuilding Strategy: Organizations undergoing complete rebuilds should prioritize acquiring foundational players who can serve as cornerstones for future success. For complete strategic planning assistance, consult our Complete Guide to organizational development.

The League of Legends professional competitive free agency period commences officially on November 17.

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