Last week we looked at five LEC players to watch in 2021, this week the focus is on some of the LEC & LCS’ biggest moves
Offseason always throws up a few crazy transfers, and 2020 free agency was no different. From first time starts to old veterans, to players swapping to their rivals, the 2021 season looks to be a cracking one for storytellers. Below is our pick of five of our top picks.
G2 Esports lose Perkz to Cloud9
Perkz departure was known about for a while before it happened, with Perkz looking to move to the mid lane. With options in Europe not to his liking, Perkz instead decided to move to the LCS, and Cloud9 were keen to make a deal happen. With a gap in the mid lane at Cloud9, Perkz should settle in nicely to a side that had a fantastic regular season in the LCS. Though, the roster fell apart towards the end of the year with the side not able to make it to Worlds.
Perkz has always been consistent in his time in Europe, something the LCS is sorely lacking. His arrival at Cloud9 will certainly send a shockwave through the LCS, especially to other mid laners. The question will be how quickly Perkz can readjust to the mid lane after his time at ADC. For Perkz, the recent massive changes to the in-game item shop are likely to aid him, as players have to relearn champion builds and matchups anyway.
G2 Esports Sign Rekkles from Fnatic
With Perkz leaving the roster, G2 Esports had a big call to make in the ADC role. Thankfully for them, it just so happened that their biggest rival, Fnatic, was about to lose their star player when the free agency window opened. What followed was one of the more surprising moves of the period, as G2 Esports signed up the former Fnatic ADC Rekkles to their starting roster as G2 Esports looked to continue their momentum going into 2021.
Having spent eight years with Fnatic, split over two separate times with the organization. While not always seen by some as the superstar player of the LEC, he’s been a fairly consistent performer at his time with Fnatic, something G2 Esports will be keen to replicate with the departure of Perkz to the LCS. Providing Rekkles can link up with his new teammates, including former Fnatic mid laner Caps, Rekkles could hit the ground running. Something other sides in the LEC will be fearing.
Huni Moving to TSM
Huni move to TSM was one of the more surprising of the free agency period. Having spent the past few years in the LCS at Dignitas and Evil Geniuses, he’s struggled to find a consistent period of performances. With his form of SKT and Fnatic times of the past seemingly behind him, TSM has clearly taken a big risk on their new top laner.
If Huni can get to a consistent level, and find a jungler that looks to gank his lane (something that he thrived on at Fnatic) then Huni could once again be a monster in the top lane. Regardless, the deal was certainly seen as a shock. Most people would have expected Huni to have a starting to spot in the LCS or LEC for 2021, though TSM was not likely where people expected him to end up.
PowerOfEvil Replaces Bjergsen at TSM
With the shock news that Bjergsen was retiring from professional play for 2021, it left a huge void in the mid lane for TSM to fill. Step forward PowerOfEvil to fill the spot and lead the line for TSM in 2021. While POE hasn’t received the plaudits his play probably deserves, he’s been a good performer in the LCS and one of the better mid laner in the region. Bjergsen was the main of not only TSM, but the LCS, so stepping into his lane will be a tough ask.
This task will either be aided or hindered by the fact Bjergsen remains at the organization as a coach. Something that might be great for POE as will give him someone to learn from, however, it might always cramp his style, if Bjergsen is to hands-on with him.
Armut Moves to the LEC with MAD Lions
The young Turkish top laner was a hit with League of Legends fans at Worlds 2020, and almost helped carry his side to Group Stage glory. Despite his side ultimately not making it to the main event, he and SuperMassive turned heads with their performances at the Worlds Playins event. Armut was one of the main reasons people took notice of this team and his stock shot up once the season was over. With rumours aplenty, it was MAD Lions who would step up and bring Armut to the side, pairing him with another fellow Turkish League star as they look to build on 2020 success.
With MAD Lions making changes to the top lane and jungle for 2021, despite a strong showing in 2020, Armut could be the key to unlocking the potential of the MAD Lions roster. Which, at times, looked like a world-beating team. Sadly, they were unable to bring their regular-season form to Worlds, and, like Fnatic and Rogue, were ultimately disappointing. However, if they can build on that strength in 2021, MAD Lions could be a dominant force.
