Visa Issues Screw Gambit For Wembley

by Jodi "PunkLit" McClure

Due to visa issues, four core members of Gambit will be unable to attend this weekend's EU LCS in Great Britain. Three to six weeks are required for Russian citizens to acquire that visa, and players cannot be abroad during that time, as they have to leave their passports in a consulate.

Gambit learned about the London trip on May 22nd, and could not even apply for an emergency visa without missing two weeks in Cologne. The team stated in a Gambit press release that they are the innocent victims of "organizer's careless actions." Had they been notified in a timely manner, they could have acquired the visas during the off-season without any obstacles.

Riot declined the team's request to reschedule their games and Gambit is reasonably upset about the situation, as it puts them at a great disadvantage. Organizers did try to remedy the problem, but it was too late to find a solution, so now, Gambit can only express condolences to their disappointed fans. 

Their make-shift line-up for the Wembley event will be:

Top - Cabochard 

Jungle - Loulex 

Mid - NiQ

ADC - Fury III

Support - Hiiva 

The temporary members have been added to Riot's Fantasy LCS Website with estimated points.   

Esports Memorabilia : The HOT Collectible of the Future.

by Jodi "PunkLit" McClure

Collectors love to imagine a magical scenario where they can go back in time and buy some incredibly rare piece of memorabilia. Baseball card enthusiasts might seek out an original Honus Wagner card. Football fans might purchase an original team jersey or a banner. Star Wars fans would ransack toy stores, buying out Luke Skywalker figures, mint and still in the box. And then, all these collectors would do something extremely important with those items, but I'll get to that in a minute. 

First, let's jump forward in time instead.

It's 2054, and a gray-haired man is sitting in a rocking chair outside his nursing home. Between his stiff, gnarled fingers, he clutches the gilded edges of a framed poster. To his side, his great grandchild stares through the glass in wonder. "It was signed by Reginald," the child says, his voice filled with the kind of reverence we reserve for uttering names like Ruth and DiMaggio. 

"I got that a week before he announced his retirement." The old man smiles at the memory. "It's worth half a million now, and I'm giving it to you." 

Lucky kid. 

Some people buy collectibles as an investment while others buy them for the pleasure of displaying them in their homes. Their value is based purely on what someone else is willing to pay for them, but generally, the rarer and more sought after the item is, the more it is worth. So what makes me think eSports memorabilia will grow in value? Let's take a look at some facts:

1. eSports' popularity is growing at a fantastic rate, and the more fans there are, the more demand there will be for fan items. When eSports explodes into the mainstream, demand for certain items (like early signed posters) will multiply tenfold. Also, the more popular pros become, the less interactive they can be with their fans, which will further limit supply.   

2. Right now, teams are small and there's not many of them. Rosters frequently change and evolve, making many team-signed items extremely unique. Seasons and splits further break up items (Like...Is it signed by the S3 Dignitas or the S4 Dignitas?) Because of player turnovers, oddities like a TSM poster showing Xpecial - but signed by Gleeb - are exactly the kinds of things that collectors love.

3. People wanting memorabilia of the most popular players will look to acquire their signatures on anything they can get. Players signed a TON of stuff the past four years, between the LCS, tournaments, conventions and personal appearances, so fans will believe these items to be obtainable and actively seek them out. Just like in other sports, a collector might want items from different points in a player's career. Perhaps a rookie card or a stand-out year.   

4. We already know the demographic that follows eSports has money to burn, and they are highly passionate about their teams. When eSports hits the mainstream, they're exactly the kind of guys who'll spend big bucks on these items JUST to have something to show off to their friends. It's not enough to tell all these new fans that you've been a long time CLG supporter. You've got to prove your devotion.

5. Sports memorabilia is the Number One most commonly traded collectible.  

The most important factor, though, is that human fault will be in play, and it's the reason certain items will become ridiculously valuable. Yes, players signed tons of stuff. But what will the average person do with that stuff? They'll take that poster home and stick it up on the wall in their computer room with a  push pin in each corner. And that poster will sit up there for years. Slowly, the paper will grow brittle and crack. Perhaps one corner will tear. The poster will be exposed to dust, smoke, and moisture, and over time it will yellow slightly. It may become creased. It may be folded. It may...eventually...be stowed away in a box and eaten up by mildew. Only a sparse few of those posters will be put in a frame under glass. And those are the ones that will be truly worth the big bucks. 

That Honus Wagner card our collectors went back in time for? That football jersey and the Star Wars figures? They're gonna treat those with kid gloves, ensuring that they are kept in immaculate condition until the future comes. They'll be framed or kept in dust free mylar bags, and they will never see a push pin or a damp basement.

So take care of your eSports memorabilia if you're lucky enough to get it. Time and interest will do the rest. Even now you can do a search on ebay and find people selling signed posters and other eSports items, which is a very good indicator that the interest is already there. Keep it in mint condition for a few dozen years and who knows...maybe someday you'll be that wealthy gray-haired old man!

LCS FanZone Question of the Day

We asked: If you could add a new game mode to LoL..what would it be?

-----------------

- Each team picks which 5 champs the other team will play. (You can trade with other players on your team). Nuggetsauce ‏@nuggetsauce

- Capture the flag Jose ‏@SporadicJ

- I would like a mode that emphasises the 1v1 aspect of the game. Not sure if you could do anything more creative than showdown. Arron Dempsey ‏@ArronDempers

- One where everyone is normal, but I am slightly buffed so I don't get frustrated as I can't die :p David Fletcher ‏@djfletcherer

- Hide and Seek would be awesome... people already do it in customs, but a mode of it would be so much fun! And the seeking team would be able to have 1 Rengar in the team xD Hopping all over! Monstro ‏@PokeBoobies

- Something similar to Dota's Ability Draft. Jesse Raen-Saunders ‏@VocalTerrorist

- Ability draft! It's a game mode from Dota 2. Pretty fun! But I didn't know how to play the game so it was really confusing too. Judar ‏@PikaJudar

- A mode where you pick any champion and any 4 abilities. Lucian with wish for his ult for example. Adam Cowley ‏@adz250

- Death match. 10 champs in an arena start at lvl 18 full items. NE0 Jets ‏@Jetslove81

- Free for all, every man for himself. SabreTilt ‏@SabrewoIf

- I was thinking of something like a normal mode but with minions spawning faster and faster throughout the game. Minions invasion. Jhyrar Baenre @Jhyrar

- I think would be nice to chose (to play) every minion from the map.. hmm ..baron drake minions wraths =)) donno sounds stupid?  Summer ‏@summmeryy

- That is an easy one, make a map, sword and shield style. 4v4v4!! :) three teams In a minion spawn point capture style. Mod bro ‏@Aust_Modbro

- Faction wars would be fun. Branch ‏@ThatGuyBranch

- 3v3 arena with everyone at max level, pillars etc to block skill shots and buffs that appear in specific places.  Amber ‏@kikuzLoL

- 6 player FFA arena last man standing, with an evolving map with randomized effects such as firebreathing statues and pitfalls. Lullaby ‏@LullabyGaming

- a story mode maybe. Chaz ‏@xheshire

- I have 2 ideas. Make all ults global, or instead of the nexus, there is a Baron Nashor at each base you need to kill. Accio Pwns ‏@AccioPwns

- Some mini games with skill shots or stuff like that. Token ‏@Fayetoken

- Somewhat of a tower defense game. Zack | 달 ‏@ChubsLoL

EU LCS W3D1 PREVIEW

Alliance 5W - 1L vs Roccat 1W - 5L

Alliance is unstoppable. Roccat is in so bad a slump that replacing its bot lane with potatoes might help. Generally, in the bizarro world of the LCS, this means we can expect Roccat to surprise win.

SK Gaming 4W - 2L vs Millenium 3W - 3L

SK is showing consistant play. Mellenium is still wavering. If Week 1 Kerp shows up, Millenium will have a shot. If Week 2 Kerp shows up, Mellenium will lose. It's a Tale of Two Kerps.

Copenhagen Wolves 2W - 4L vs Gambit 2W - 4L

Both teams are trying to find synergy with their new players. Both teams are slowly improving. However, niQ is still finding his stride with Gambit, while the Wolves' new players are at the heart of their progress. Based on this observation alone, I expect the Wolves to really come together and make a strong showing in this game.   

Supa Hot Crew 4W-2L vs Fnatic 3W - 3L

Fnatic lost to Gambit. Lost...to...Gambit. Meanwhile, Supa Hot Crew are on a Supa Hot Streak. Once again, this should mean a Fnatic surprise win, but Fnatic like riding roller coasters and I expect them to beat Roccat on Friday, so, unfortunately, today will have to be the down side of 'up and down.'  

How will Braum change the LCS Meta?

by Reece "Sabrewolf" Dos-Santos

Braum’s release into live play has had a huge impact in solo queue and normal games. With the highest win rate of all the champions so far, it’s hard to deny that this new support is more than free elo. The question, however, is how much of an impact he could make on the LCS meta-game and, in my opinion, he has the potential to change a lot.

First and foremost, Braum will most likely be picked or banned most of the time. It’s hard to deny how useful he is in many situations: he brings invade potential, hard engage, hard disengage and powerful shielding with the absolute negation of one piece of damage. His level 1 is crazy strong because not many supports can reliably trade with the stun he brings out, especially if it’s synergized with a Lucian double shot. Braum/Lucian will likely be a very popular lane considering how Lucian is already picked in almost every LCS game as the main contested ADC outside of Caitlin or Twitch, who are more situational. However, Braum’s kit also enables the play of ADC’s like Jinx and Kog’maw that can dish out tons of damage provided that they are kept safe from being blown up. Kog’maw has already begun to see more play in recent times and now is the perfect time for him to ascend the ranks as one of the highly-contested ADC picks. Jinx already is a situational pick as she is considered by some as the best ADC to play when you have enough protection for her high damage output.

In the same light as Jinx and Kog’maw, another lane that could be affected greatly by Braum’s release is the mid lane. Froggen at the All-Star event showed the world what can still happen when Anivia is allowed free reign. He mentioned himself that Anivia simply doesn't fit into the meta which is why he cannot play her on a regular basis in the LCS. However, with the protection of Braum as well as the synergy of a potential stun lock between them, Anivia might actually be able to sneak back into the Meta and could be allowed to wreak havoc in the mid lane. Her wave clear, lane control and high burst have always been valuable assets to a team; they just always needed a shield to stop her from being bursted. The same could be said for other double-edged sword mid laners like Vel’koz, who never actually made it into regular competitive play or even live play due to an inability to dish out the high sustained damage he brings without being completely exploded. The second that Velkoz is caught out or while he is channeling his ultimate, the protection of Braum could allow him to quickly re-position and be valuable to the ensuing fight. The synergy of Braum’s ultimate knock-up and the Life Form Disintegration Ray could also prove deadly if played right and in unison. This could finally be Vel’koz’s patch to shine.

But with setting up many champions to do well, Braum will also push some champions out of the Meta. Braum has the ability to push some champions that rely heavily on single target damage out of competitive play because of his main ability: Unbreakable. Champions like Nidalee and Leblanc will see their effectiveness reduced greatly in siege situations where they rely on the ability to blow up one key target. Added in with a Yasuo wind wall and that’s a near impossible situation for Nidalee, in particular, to get any poke damage with spears without a monumental mistake being made by the enemy team. Provided that the Braum is quick, Rengar’s ability to burst out a squishy target could also be completely negated by the power of Unbreakable.

But of course this is all still speculation for now and we won’t know the true extent of Braum’s impact on the LCS until he makes it through. But if the regular play stats are anything to go by, he could completely change the flow the duo lanes or simply force teams to re-evaluate their ban choices which could allow other contested picks to get back onto the rift. 

Adaptation – Change is good

by Reece "Sabrewolf" Dos-Santos

Once upon a time, Fnatic and Gambit were the two hardcore powerhouses of the European scene. There was competition from CLG.EU and SK, but ultimately, those two were the front runners. The difference in skill between them and their competition was clear, but as time has begun to pass the level of competition has grown stronger, to the extent where, in Europe, there are at least five teams within reach of the top at any one time. Adaptation is a must to be able to keep up with such a heavily demanding league and the concern that has risen in the camps of Europe’s two biggest teams is a lack of that adaptation. Read More.

EU LCS Roster Swaps: What’s the Impact?

by Reece "Sabrewolf" Dos-Santos

Millenium - Kottenx

While Kottenx may have been picked up in the dying weeks of the Spring Split, I feel the true display of his impact to the team started with the qualifier against NiP. His ganks are impactful, the team responds better in tough situations, and overall their rotations and shot-calling have gotten miles better. Millenium now have depth to their game-flow that wasn't present last split. Their play-style isn't as predictable and their synergy with each other is stronger. It’s like Kottenx was the long lost key to unlock the chest of riches that is Millenium’s hidden potential.

Every other member of the team has seen a huge rise in both confidence and overall performance. Creaton is returning to the form he showed before he broke his hand and Kev1n is showing why he is one of the best top laners in EU. Kerp, in particular, now completely shines in the mid lane and rightfully deserved MVP for week one. If he wasn't on fantasy teams before Super Week, he definitely will be now.

Millenium already have a third of the wins they achieved last split in this first week. Last split, they faced Roccat in the opening Super Week and only managed two kills. This split, the tables were turned as Roccat were dominated and could only manage three kills. Being 3-1 and tied top with SK and Alliance is undoubtedly a better position than anyone could have imagined and clearly a position they deserve to be in.

Supa Hot Crew - wewillfailer (and the addition of Nick "LastShadow" De Cesare as an analyst.)

The difference to Supa Hot Crew this split is amazing. With the addition of wewillfailer and analyst Nick De Cesare from Korea, the crew, like Millenium, look like they've found a new lease on life. Suddenly, the mid to late game weariness is gone and replaced with structured objective rotations. Their leadership seems more solid and you can see it in their shot-calling. They still retain their explosive play-style but there is now an element of confidence and tactical awareness behind it. Other obvious differences are that this time they are in the split with the belief they'll go far, rather than just hoping to win one game. Also, wewillfailer doesn't give up as many free deaths as Migxa did. 

These changes have seen them give hard-fought battles against the top three teams in the league at the moment, coming away with a win off Alliance and what could have been wins off Millenium and SK Gaming. Considering that they finished this week 2-2 with what was probably the hardest Super Week draw of any team, it’s hard to deny the fact that the Supa Hot Crew are building up to become a real force to be reckoned with and could be a challenger for Worlds at this rate.

Copenhagen Wolves - Woolite and Airwaks

To have to come into a split replacing arguably the best ADC and jungler of spring is no easy task. The real success behind the Wolves last split was driven by Forg1ven and Amazing, the latter picking up a back-to-back MVP awards. 

While Woolite and Airwaks have shown that they are ready to debut upon the LCS stage, it's still glaringly obvious that they don’t have the relentless carrying capabilities of Forg1ven and Amazing. They have talent. Airwaks was essential in the Wolves’ only win of the Super Week against Millenium, and Woolite held his own in kills and cs, but they haven’t yet gained the experience needed to consistently pull the team through, and until they do, the Wolves will struggle with their upcoming games. 

YoungBuck, Unlimited and cowTard simply do not showcase hard-carrying potential; they come across as players who cement the success of the team rather than the players who create that success. Either cowTard or YoungBuck needs to start individually shining or the new blood needs to adjust quickly to the demands of the LCS and their team if they want a shot at playoffs.

Gambit Gaming- niQ

Many had expressed fears that Gambit wouldn't be the same after the departure of Alex, and indeed, in the Super Week, there were worrying signs. Genja put up some good stats but couldn't carry. Darien’s performance was less than helpful. EDward and Diamond seemed unable to make much impact across the games, and niQ doesn't seem to have the natural synergy with the team that Alex had. While niQ is clearly a mechanically-strong player, off the laning-phase he appeared to dwindle in relevance. It doesn't really seem as if niQ’s introduction to the team has changed any of the problems that were arising at the end of the Spring Split. 

Gambit hasn't truly replaced their leader role and the lack confidence among them is evident. Diamond, in particular, doesn't appear to be the jungle king he once was. Alliance had absolutely no regard for dragons in their game against Gambit and simply chased kills all the way to the end like a solo queue team - and they still won. Despite having the whole off-season to work on their issues after almost ending up in relegation, it appears they still haven’t filled all the cracks in their team. Every dynasty has to come to an end. Is this the split were Gambit’s does?

Okay...Now You're in Trouble...

This isn't Xpeke's "I'm sorely disappointed in my team's performance" face. This is his "Someone, somewhere...is going to pay for this soon" face. Burdened with a frustrating 0-2 start, Fnatic must once again do some soul searching. But, let us not forget, this is the team that looooves losing streaks and dramatic (if not insane) climbs back to the top. While their play can be improved upon (greatly?) I wouldn't count out Fnatic yet. They've stuffed a lot of damn words back into people's mouths.

The question, to me, isn't can they do it. The question is...when will their anger-fueled, bullet-like ascent back to first place start? :)

The Off-Season Report

By Joshua Kon and Jodi McClure


Covering rumors and confirmations and all news that has taken place these past few days!

Positions Still Up For Grabs -

1. CLG's Top Lane *assumed to be Seraph but no official word yet*
2. Gambit's Mid Lane *niQ will play for them first week but nothing official*

Confirmed Retirees - Bischu, Benny and Cruzerthebruzer have all officially announced their retirements.

Confirmed Benched -

1. Nien - Benched himself from CLG feeling his performance was not up to his standard. He is currently a CLG Sub and does not look to be coming back for any team this split.
2. Migxa - The European support for Super Hot Crew has been benched after his record-breaking death performance last split. Leading player to replace him right now is Leduck.
3. Goldenglue - Put aside in favor of Shiphtur.
4. BunnyFuFu - Put aside for Xpecial.

Moved to non player positions - 

1. The Oddone - Stepped down and will remain with TSM as a coach. 

Confirmed Left Their Teams -

1. Forg1ven - 

Confirmed Movement - 

1. Shiphtur and Zion - officially joined Dignitas
2. Amazing - officially joined TSM as their new jungler.
3. Xpecial - officially moves to Curse. Yes...Curse. 
4. Gleebglarbu - becomes TSM's new support.  
5. WeWillFailer - joins Supa Hot Crew as their new support.
6. Woolite and Airwaks - join C.Wolves's as ADC and Jungle.
7. Alex Ich - Joined a reworked Ninjas in Pyjamas with k0u, Freeze, mithy and Nukeduck.

Team Disbandment - Every season we see teams and organizations break up when failing to enter or re-enter the LCS and this season was no different.

1. Complexity Red - After Black made it to the LCS, it didn't take Complexity much time to disband their other amateur team.
2. SK Gaming Prime - Confirmed to be disbanded
3. Reason Gaming - Confirmed to be disbanded

Not Disbanded -

1. XDG Gaming - Despite rumors to the opposite, XDG is not disbanding. The team owner, Marshall Alexander, confirmed that he is in talks with other teams to buyout/trade player's contracts. XDG will continue as a challenger team, but Alexander is trying to be accommodating to players who wish to remain in the LCS.  
2. Coast Gaming - Reorganizing for challenger, most likely with a whole new roster, although Daydreamin, Nintendudex, and Wiz still under contract until October.

Moms' Support Carries Wolves

Copenhagen Wolves' Top Laner, Joey "YoungBuck" Steltenpool admits he was depressed after his team failed to avoid relegation. In fact, he felt physically ill. Needing a little old-fashioned comfort, Joey reached out to his mother and invited her to join him in Cologne.

"She just gave me a hug and a kiss and made me some good dutch food," Joey told interviewers after surviving the summer promotions. His glossy eyes spoke the rest of his sentence. Her presence had lifted his spirits, and that extra boost of confidence was just what the Copenhagen Wolves needed. After a hard fought victory against Denial eSports, YoungBuck and his teammate Amazing embraced their families, doing what every great team should do - thanking their supports. The touching picture quickly went viral among the LCS watching fans on twitter, because we all know...the feels! <3    

Dreams can come true : EU Promotion Tournament

by Jeremy Heimann

NIP vs Millenium - NIP is a team with three players who were on the Season 3 Worlds' stage with expectations to do well from the start, and up to this point they have failed to meet those expectations. Once again they are heavy favorites to win a series for a chance to play in the LCS. They tend to play very safe in laning phase and prefer to stay in lanes as long as possible. Zorozero will usually split top while Nukeduck goes bot. This strategy is called 1-3-1 and is the plan they almost always go with. This style was used very much in the EU LCS spring split to mixed success.

Millenium is just one split removed from being a playoff team and this last split has to be a major disappointment for them. Creaton was able to keep a 4.0 KDA even though his team lost the most games. Kottenx has helped the team play better towards the end of the split. He also seems to like the early gank junglers that should be used against a team like NIP. Lane swaps would favor Millenium and if they can make the game about rotations and taking objectives instead of farming for the first twenty minutes I like their chances.  Prediction Millenium 3-2 over NIP

Cloud 9 Eclipse vs Supa Hot Crew - Cloud 9 Eclipse, the winners of the Coke League playoffs, should be considered the strongest challenger team. Supa Hot Crew don't care how they finished and decided that C9E was a better match-up for them then NIP, and that decision will either be great or a bad call on their end. C9E is without their star jungler, Kou, because of the age requirement.

The match-up to watch is in the mid lane. Febiven versus Selfie - a mid laner that joined the SHC late in the season and came out on fire, but since then he hasn't made many sparks. Febiven could really control the mid lane and that spells bad news for the SHC. I expect bot lane to go even - with the edge going to the SHC. Prediction C9E 3-1 over Supa Hot Crew

Denial Esports vs Copenhagen Wolves-Denial Esports, formerly known as Departed, is among the better teams in Europe and should be considered one of the best. The Polish comparison with Roccat has to be made which won their way in defeating the best of the worst LCS teams. Denial had trouble defeating NIP or C9E so it's hard to give them much chance against the Wolves. Prediction 3-0 Wolves over Denial 

Fnatic: Taking the Erratic Road to Victory

EU Spring Split Champions, Fnatic, could be the poster boys for those cheesy inspiration photos you find hanging in cubicle-laden offices, with words like 'Dedication,' 'Determination,' and 'Perseverance' peppered beneath their faces. During Season Four, the teen idol team was like a runaway mine cart, careening wildly along a track that ran from soaring peaks to hellish pits in the span of just two months. But they had seen the sunrise from the top of the mountain, and they knew it was where they belonged.

Fighting their despair, the diligent young men of Fnatic dug deep into their souls - refusing to buckle under pressure or fight and blame each other. They attacked and climbed the sheer cliff ahead of them first with their fingertips, then with their hands, then with their iron fists, taking back what they knew was theirs. And when the dust cleared, it was almost inappropriate that they regained their crown with a surrender - because as this split of the EU Spring series showed, surrender was the one thing Fnatic refused to do.   

Congratulations Fnatic! You earned your win in every sense of the word. 

EU LCS Spring Playoffs - Semifinals

Today's Matches (Bo3s): 

1. Fnatic vs Alliance 
2. SK Gaming vs Roccat 

3. Fifth Place Match = Gambit vs Copenhagen Wolves

(The popular boy band Fnatic)

An Interview with Eefje "Sjokz" Depoortere

Foreword by Jodi McClure

Belgium-born Eefje "Sjokz" Depoortere is a paradox in a world of contradictions. Neither overtly sexy nor overtly a nerd, the LCS's alluring hostess still manages to be both of those things with the effortless ease of person who has been born into their position. She is EU LCS royalty, the queen of the court. But she is also the lone female in a heavily male dominated world - a world that probably would have been just as fine had the microphone been thrust into the hands of some busty airhead in hot pants and six-inch spiked heels. 

Surviving and thriving in that potentially hostile environment is a testament to Eefje's intelligence and resourcefulness. This is no airhead they've stuck on the stage. This is a platinum level player with a Masters degree in both History and Journalism, and she knows the game inside and out. Her smile is warm and welcoming, her voice confident and demure, but with a single flash of her dangerous eyes, she can put a barrier around herself, warning any fool who dares to cross it. Delicate in appearance but tough as nails, the stage is her hood and she's got street smarts.  

At once both dignified and playfully coy, reticent and outgoing, she is a living Schrodinger's Cat, managing to exist in two different states while tying them both together, and the fact that she is revered by both male and female fans alike speaks volumes to her success. Standing on a pedestal in the middle of an infamously toxic crowd, nary a condescending word is hurled in her direction. She is loved and cherished across the board, and we are honored to have her as our first LCS Central interview.  

-----

Interview with Eefje "Sjokz" Depoortere

by Andy L. Bloodvayne

First off, I'd like to thank you for taking time out of your schedule to do this interview. Everyone at LCS Central is a big fan of yours. So the spring split of the EU LCS is closing out. How do you see your progression as a host since its start?

- I definitely feel like I have grown a lot since the start of Season 3 - so last year. As time went on I've moved a way a little from the pure 'Hosting' role and been able to do things like anchor the Analysis desk at the Battle of the Atlantic - I'm very happy that I am able to grow in that role.

Do you feel your understanding of the game and its dynamics has deepened since becoming host and therefore become a more integral part of the show?

- Absolutely - although I still need to learn a lot more. The LCS environment is so great to learn about the game. First off you work in a team of casters that do nothing but talk about the game most of the time, and with analyst's like Quickshot, Deficio and Jatt who I very much look up to. Besides that, talking to pros during LCS and watching all the game most certainly improves the game knowledge. That and playing, of course!

How far in advance do you start prepping for each LCS week?

- When LCS is on Thursday and Friday we prep Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and then of course additional script read-throughs and rehearsals the day of the show itself. Monday we set out the storylines for that week and start fleshing out the script, to finalize it on Wednesday. The other time is spent looking back at VODs of games both to look at teams playstyles and to review our own performance, watch games from other Leagues like OGN or NA LCS, play ourselves and other forms of preparation.

What's been your favorite part about your job? Any fond memories come to mind?

- The coolest part for me is getting to live these grand moments together with the fans who also live and love League of Legends. It always touches me when someone comes up to thank us for what we are doing because they enjoy the shows - when we should also be thanking them :)

What's your opinion on the several YouTube videos that have gone somewhat viral in the league community (Fnatic Cyanide checks out Sjokz, sjokzwhipsherhairbackandforth.com, Peke flirts with Sjokz, etc.)? Do you see them as harmless fun or is there a small part of you that finds them irritating?

- I think that most of it is harmless fun and we often sit around and laugh at the videos people make of us as well. It's part of being in the public eye that people make these things and if its funny, why not! I have a good sense of humor but there are limits of course. If I was dating everyone I am rumored to be dating I would have a very busy life! ;)

Do you have any long term goals in the e-sports industry? Where do you see yourself ten years from now?

- That is something I actually think about a lot myself - where is this leading, where am I going, the good old questions of life. But I recently realized that I wanna be where I am right now and grow as much as possible in this role. I adore League of Legends and I love this job and everything that comes with it, and I want to make the best of it for the longest time possible. And after? The sky is the limit!

Getting back to the LCS, NA seems to lack a host, opting for “analyst desk” interviews. Do you think it would benefit for them to find their own Sjokz figure or do you think that each region provides a unique flavor in its formats?

- We actually don't have a host per se on stage anymore as we did last year either. Both NA and EU LCS now have two people conducting interviews or analysis, a very similar setup. I feel like this is the best way as well. I certainly feel like people sometimes say 'NA needs a Sjokz' and just mean 'NA needs a girl!' and that is not the right approach!

How involved do you get in player drama? Since Riot's videos makes player's (and teams) personal dramas part of the show, do you keep up on what's going on in the team's lives?

- I don't feel like we ever delve deep into 'drama' that players themselves don't want to portray. The things we talk about are relevant to the storylines of the #LCS or have been brought up by the pros themselves on social media. Backstage or after shows I of course pick things up here and there, but that is not for publication! :)

To wrap things up, what are your predictions for the EU play-offs? Is there a team that stands out to you that will win and represent Europe in this year's All-Stars?

- It's going to be so incredibly close, especially on the new patch! I feel like Gambit is a team that can do very well pulling out new strats and they thrive in these tournament environments. Fnatic and Alliance have also shown that if they're on point, they are razor sharp. And then what about the first seed SK-Gaming? What can CW and Roccat show after a week of intense training? I can't predict anything, and isn't that the best thing? :)