Quietly, North America has had a resurgence when it comes to talent development — with names coming from the academy division and finding homes in the majors. Following a clear market correction in 2021, the academy season is finally seeing one of the best prospects in North America battle it out to showcase their skills and potentially earn a main roster spot. While organizations are still figuring out that second piece — looking at you, 100 Thieves — there has been more intention with how talent is brought in. One of the biggest examples was the signing of Cheng “Alex” “S0ul” Luo to their academy division, who was in a position to get early playing time in the LCS due to his fluency in Mandarin and English. He would get promoted due to unforeseen circumstances yet the original logic still plays.
Prospect analysis differs from person to person. Some appreciate certain skills over others. And chemistry continues to be one of the most important factors when it comes to the game of League of Legends — with players needing to be on the same page. So instead, maybe we look at storylines.
Team Liquid Academy is really freaking good.
Team Liquid has not so quietly built one of the best farm systems in North America. The team currently has four players that have not been starters in the LCS yet likely would be one of the best talents in the LCS once they inevitably join. At least, we hope they finally get a shot in the LCS.
Arguably the top prospect in all of academy, Sean “Yeon” Sung continues to shine split over split as other marksmen strive to reach his consistently high level of player. And one of the more interesting prospects following his move from the mid lane to top lane, Bradley “Bradley” Benneyworth has been impressive in his new role and is arguably one of the best top lane prospects available.
The team is still centered around their veteran jungler Jonathan “Armao” Armao, who does an excellent job at pacing the game, yet it really has been the young talent that has been able to shine. The Australian duo that rounds out the roster in Harry “Haeri” Kang and Bill “Eyla” Nguyen could even been argued as the best parts to the entire roster with their performances.
The rich truly get richer. But where the team inevitably finds their role in the LCS, that’s the real question. With Team Liquid’s spending habits and election to seek outside talent rather than promote within, it is very likely they won’t reap the rewards of their farm system in terms of play — rather they’ll get the bag. Which is a real shame given some of the pain points that have plagued the team over the years.
100 Thieves Academy’s Much Needed Recovery
After a second-place finish in the Proving Grounds Spring, it was safe to say that 100 Thieves were feeling much better after a terrible regular season. Playing 62 games in spring was grueling yet it seemingly played off. The lore of Alan “Busio” Cwalina grew and not so quietly has become of the top support prospects in the region. Interest in Tseng “JimieN” Hao-Chun would grow.
But once again, they were met with roster changes.
They would surprisingly move on from Michael “Wixxi” Fernandez. Their top and jungle would both find places in the LCS. And it felt as if they would need the time to re-group.
That hasn’t been the case.
It continues to be a waiting game for Milan “Tenacity” Oleksij. Although he has not looked as strong this split, returning to the academy division as 100 Thieves returns to a focus on the five man roster, he continues to be the name everyone mentions when it comes to next LCS top laner. He has also managed to separate himself from being connected to his partner in crime in the jungle, likely setting the stage for a team to pay the price for his services.
And another North American jungle prospect is making waves in William “Will” Cummins.
Sadly, more than likely, none of these names will be promoted to 100 Thieves main roster. It’s an unfortunate world we live in.
Evil Geniuses Academy’s SetBack
Quietly, Evil Geniuses have struggled to deliver their next generation of prospects in the pipeline. Despite having an exceptional prospect in their pipeline in Muhammed Hasan “Kaori” Şentürk, the rest of the pieces haven’t necessarily held their own. Their Prodigies line-up would also see a massive overhaul — with key prospects such as Perry “Perry” Norman and Sam Parsa “Daption” Zarriz no longer being with the organization, previously being on their third team.
They currently sit in eighth place, battling with FlyQuest and Immortals for the sixth place position yet it has been a stark decline for an organization expected to produce meaningful talent. One of the key question marks was their decision to bring in Andy “Smoothie” Ta to pair with Kaori, a decision that has left fans scratching their heads with some of his performances this split. It hasn’t damaged the reputation and intrigue around Kaori — who continues to be connected to LCS line-ups.
The North American Marksmen Lives
But speaking on marksmen, the position is continuing to produce some interesting names. Trevor “Spawn” Kerr-Taylor and Tony “Instinct” Ng and both have impressed — a very welcomed surprised as both were not recognized as the top prospect in the role. While some prospects will need more time — the likes of Bradley “BMFX” Lawson, Jackson “Array” Moldenhauer and Wixxi being key examples, their performances and glimpses of excellence have been exciting to watch.
And Importing Prospects Continues to be a Question Mark
Two surprises this off-season was the signing of Adam “LIDER” Ilyasov to Golden Guardians Academy and Shane “Kevy” Allen to Counter Logic Gaming.
LIDER was heavily impacted by visa complications however in his first four games with Golden Guardians, an academy system struggling to define itself, hasn’t necessarily proven himself to be a cut above the rest and looking like just another ordinary prospect. Given the status to his name, it is somewhat disappointing, feeling like an old Premier League star, finding himself in the MLS way too late into his career. He continues to display his skill in solo queue yet it just doesn’t translate to the academy stage.
Kevy’s signing was stunning given the interest around the man he would replace, Tae-ho “Timothy” “RoseThorn” Kim. And Kevy hasn’t necessarily been able to silence the doubters, although he finds himself continuing to perform well in Champions Queue. It does take time to get into the swing of things yet the process of importing continues to be a detriment on teams and talent development. The visa application continues to be an excuse rather than being recognized as a barrier of entry, limiting the value one can get from the prospect process. In Counter Logic Gaming’s case, it feels like a dramatic failure given the level of performance from RoseThorn.
And There Is Still So Much More
There has been a ton of great stories. David “Insanity” Challe returned to the academy stage and has been incredibly impressive, putting himself in a position to gain LCS consideration once again. Cloud9 continue to have an excellent academy system with prospects like Jade “Sheiden” Libut and Jouhan “Copy” Pathmanathan performing well.
It truly is beginning to feel as if North American organizations realize that they have the domestic talent available to being to growth. At least, I hope. This has been one of the better academy seasons with an immense amount of competition taking place. The majors may not be producing the level of play and entertainment expected yet the minor leagues are beginning to put pressure on organizations to let them play.
It’s the hunger you want to see. Now, it’s just on the LCS to showcase that hunger.