Esports powerhouses Evil Geniuses and Golden Guardians have made the decision to pull out of the North American League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) for the upcoming 2024 season. This move aligns with Riot Games’ new global approach for the region, as announced by John Needham, President of Esports at Riot Games. The departure of these two organizations marks a significant shift in the North American league.
The specific reasons for Evil Geniuses and Golden Guardians’ withdrawal were not disclosed by John Needham. However, he mentioned that this change is part of a plan to make the league more flexible and set it up for future success.
As a result of their departure, all players previously under contract with Evil Geniuses and Golden Guardians, including notable names like Joseph “jojopyun” Joon Pyun, Trevor “Stixxay” Hayes, and Eric “Licorice” Ritchie, are now free agents.
With Evil Geniuses and Golden Guardians out of the picture, the LCS will now consist of eight esports organizations: 100 Thieves, Cloud9, Dignitas, FlyQuest, Immortals, NRG, Shopify Rebellion, and Team Liquid.
Evil Geniuses entered the League of Legends scene in 2013, initially competing in the EU LCS before transitioning to North America. They experienced a rebranding to Winterfox in 2015 but disbanded later that year. In 2019, Evil Geniuses took over the LCS spot previously held by Echo Fox and consistently achieved podium finishes in the LCS from 2019 to 2023. Their crowning achievement came in 2022 when they secured their first LCS championship trophy in a match against 100 Thieves.
Golden Guardians, owned by GSW Sports LLC, the parent company of the NBA team Golden State Warriors, joined the LCS in 2018. However, they faced consistent challenges throughout their LCS journey, often finding themselves at the bottom of the standings during regular seasons. Their closest shot at a championship came in LCS 2023, where they finished in second place after a 3-1 defeat to Cloud9.
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Source: ONEESPORTS
