Top 5 LCS roster changes in League of Legends pre-season 11

The 2020-2021 LCS offseason has seen many players moving around teams and regions, but the biggest changes will affect it as a whole.

These players are so impactful that they can change a bottom-tier LCS team into a serious contender. The below roster changes will undoubtedly have severe implications on where teams will finish at the end of the LCS' Season 11.

Five biggest LCS roster moves ahead of the upcoming season

#5 - Eric “Licorice” Ritchie

Licorice has moved from Cloud9 to Flyquest. This move comes as a surprise because Cloud9 has consistently performed well at the LCS. The side has made the playoffs every year that the 23-year-old has been on the roster.

FlyQuest’s acquisition of Licorice gives the organization an experienced veteran. He is a consistent top laner with the pedigree of a champion. The American will be the oldest member on the roster and, with plenty of experience, is expected to be a leader.

If FlyQuest’s young roster, led by Licorice, can perform mechanically, fans may see them reach the organizations second LCS finals.

#4 - Lucas “Santorin” Tao Kilmer Larsen

Santorin has moved on from FlyQuest after two and a half years to join Team Liquid. He is joining a roster that includes Barney “Alphari” Morris, Nicolaj “Jensen” Jensen, Edward “Tactical” Ra, and Jo “CoreJJ” Yong-in.

FlyQuest handed Santorin the option to explore other teams on 6th November, and he joined Team Liquid shortly after, on 20th November. The Dane was clearly not fond of the idea of playing alongside rookies and wanted to find a home on an experienced roster.

Santorin has been around competitive League of Legends since 2013 and has proven time and again to be a well-respected jungler. However, he occasionally gets ostracized for being too passive.

The Team Liquid roster, full of veterans, has over 30 years of combined LCS experience, and Santorin will undoubtedly be a huge contributor to its success.

#3 - Luka “Perkz” Perković

Perkz is in North America. Once thought to be impossible, the Croatian has left G2 Esports (LEC) and joined the NA organization, Cloud9. This move may end up being the ultimate downfall of the EU as a region.

Perkz playing for a North American team alongside Ibrahim “Fudge” Allami, Robert “Blaber” Huang, Jesper “Zven” Svenningsen, and Philippe “Vulcan” Laflamme may just be the perfect storm for an ideal season. Cloud9 has often found itself being the only hope NA has at worlds, and this acquisition only makes that fact ring more true.

By signing someone who some might consider the best mid laner in LEC history, Cloud9 is making a statement. That declaration screams C9 wants to win. Now.

If Perkz can build synergy in the offseason to the degree he had with his old teammates, Cloud9 may find itself atop the LCS once more. Or perhaps NA and EU players together will be like mixing water and oil.

#2 - Heo “Huni” Seung-hoon

The ex-SKT, Echo Fox, Clutch, Dignitas, and Evil Genius top laner has finally landed with one of NA’s most valuable organizations, TSM.

Since coming to NA, it has taken just over three years for Huni to find himself on a roster that can perhaps make him look as good as he did when he played for SK Telecom T1 in Korea.

Joined by Mingyi “Spica” Lu, Tristan “PowerOfEvil” Schrage, Lawrence “Lost” Sze Yuy Hui, and Hu “SwordArt” Shuo-Chieh, Huni may be the brightest attraction on this star-studded LCS roster.

Huni has always been an incredible top laner, but he never had the team around him to truly complement his genius. If the players can overcome the language barrier, as each individual hails from a different country, TSM may be looking at an incredible dynasty.

#1 - Søren "Bjergsen" Bjerg

Having announced his retirement this past offseason, fans of TSM were sure to be going a little crazy thinking about what may become of their beloved team.

They need not worry. Bjergsen remains with TSM as their head coach.

This is something fans may have always assumed would happen. Bjergsen virtually solo carried TSM to multiple titles in his seven-year career as a pro, and he now finds himself at the helm of the organization.

This move is the biggest of the offseason because of the impact Bjergsen will continue to have on this storied company. Never in NA LCS history has a name as big as Bjergsen retired and rolled right into a head coaching role.

His foresight is already apparent as he influenced the assembly of a roster consisting of Huni, Spica, PowerOfEvil, Lost, and SwordArt. TSM is going to remain dominant in the NA LCS, and Bjergsen isn’t going anywhere.

Edited by Ravi Iyer