Despite various criticisms during the off-season and a rough start to the Spring Split, Misfits can count on the support of a very incredible group of loyal and vocal fans: the Spanish League community.
Any videos or streams featuring the team will see a sudden influx of Spaniards in the chat and comments. Players and staff of the team regularly engage with their followers in Spanish.
But what is the true significance of Misfits representing Spain in the LEC?
The distribution of nationalities among the major regions is quite a funny thing to see. In NA, there are mostly Americans. In China, there are Chinese players. And in Korea, there are Korean players. It all seems nice and uniform but then you get to EU and suddenly all of the teams feature a wide range of nationalities. From Swedes, to Danes, to Germans, to Spaniards, there are many countries in Europe that have their own thriving League communities.
xpeke, legendary midlaner and founder of Origen (Courtesy of Riot Games)
In the earliest days of competitive play, each region found icons in their most successful representatives. It just so happened that Spain could count on two of the most talented and promising Mid Laners at the time: FNATIC’s Enrique “xPeke” Cedeño Martínes and SK’s Carlos “Ocelote” Rodríguez Santiago. The rivalry between these two players is still one of the most memorable in the history of the game. It gave fans moments like the legendary xPeke backdoor as well as many other exciting games and series. Arguably, the feud between the two figures lives on in the legacy of the organizations that they founded: Origen and G2.
Furthermore, the diversity in nationalities in the EU LCS (LEC) gave origin to a number of regional scenes in several countries. Spain is home to the Superliga, which, along with France’s LFL, is one of the most important developmental leagues in the continent. Home of teams such as Giants, and the recent LEC partners MAD Lions, the Superliga has a rich history of play and has built a massive following in the country over the course of many years. It is also one of the most fertile places for the growth of future start players.
With so much history and passion behind League, it’s no wonder Spanish fans would be some of the loudest and most active in the world.
During the off-season, Misfits brought in some very well liked figures in the current Spanish League community.
First of all, there’s their Jungler, Iván “Razork” Martín Díaz. The young man has already had a very significant impact on the scene in his young career. Fans know him mainly as a member of Giants, but more attentive viewers will perhaps remember his time as a member of Penguin Mafia. Razork gained a following on the back of his skilled mechanical play as well as his positive personality. For a person of his age, he is surprisingly mature, down to earth and overall just likeable. Razork actively engages with his Spanish fans through social media.
Razork as a member of Giants (Courtesy of the LVP)
Top laner Danny “Dan Dan” Le Comte has the privilege of representing many countries at the same time. He has a connection to Spanish fans, due to his place of birth and his time in the Superliga, with French fans, due to him living there and his time in the LFL and he even has a Dutch nationality. Dan Dan’s play is also quite attractive, as he mostly utilizes picks that scale and then dominate sidelines and team fights alike. His playful and charming personality is one that has captured the attention and hearts of fans from Spain and beyond.
Alejandro “Jandro” Fernández-Valdés is one of the coaches that have seen the most success in making Spanish teams succeed expectations in their leagues. When Jandro is involved with an organization, Spanish fans could expect the level of play to increase and the players to become better as people. The coach earned an incredible amount of respect for his intelligence and skill and is very much appreciated in Spain.
Even Spanish analyst José “F1RE” María Iznardo, who previously worked with Schalke, is on board for this new Misfits team.
Much could be written, but little would do justice to the energy and passion of Spanish fans much like the showcase of last year’s World’s in Madrid. One after the other, matches were drowned in screams and cheers of fans that supported each team with fervour.
Razork interacting with Spanish fans (via @RazorkLoL)
Due to the amount of history that the scene has in the country, Spanish fans are very much familiar with supporting teams through their developmental periods. Spain watches players and organizations grow over time and stay loyal to their favorites.
In a moment when Misfits is going through some growing pains and has not yet been able to showcase their best on stage, it’s always reassuring to be able to count on a vocal and positive group of people to support you through it all.
Featured photo from Misfits
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