Two new teams, some critical roster changes and questions around team's levels of performance are going to make this split of the NA LCS an intense one. With only a few days before it begins, these are my top questions heading into the action.

Can the reigning champs keep their throne?

Team SoloMid has returned to the top of the North American LCS, having won each of the last two splits, defeating Cloud9 in the finals each time. For a time, it was thought that the current lineup is the strongest collection of players TSM has ever assembled, as the additions of Santorin and Lustboy seemed to be working out extremely well. However, their experience at MSI told a different story, as opposing teams consistently dismantled SoloMid, using the “camp Dyrus” strategy extremely effectively. There’s no question that the synergy between the top lane and jungle was practically non-existent, and the team couldn’t even use that to gain advantages elsewhere on the map. Mid laners from other regions stated they didn’t feel Bjergsen is as good as we typically give him credit for, and while that’s a debatable point, it just goes to show that TSM was a very beatable team. Their lineup has plenty of talent, but they can’t be complacent, and need to make sure their issues are fixed if they want to stay at the top of NA.

Will this new Incarnati0n of Cloud9 be better than the old version?

(I’m not sorry for the pun. I stand by it.)

One of the longest standing rosters in competitive League of Legends is no more, as mid laner/team captain/shot-caller Hai Lam had to step down from his role as a player after the Spring Split due to health concerns. The team has replaced him with Nicolaj “Incarnati0n” Jensen, a player who is considered to be far superior mechanically, and could represent an upgrade for the team. However, many questions remain. Having spent so much time as a solo queue star, will Incarnati0n be able to adapt well to team play? Will Meteos be able to command the same level of respect as a shot-caller that Hai once had? Chances are pretty good it will take the new mid laner some time to adjust to his new surroundings, and at first, C9 may be weaker than they were last split. However, they’ve shown the ability to rebound from slow starts (they were 1-3 to begin last split before finishing in 2^nd.) With time, this new-look Cloud9 team might be better off, or they might miss Hai’s in-game leadership more than they realized.

Will the mid lane time share work for CLG?

Hey, it works for SKT!

Obviously, the reasoning for Counter Logic Gaming deciding to split time in the mid lane between Pobelter and HuHi goes beyond just that, but it’s a good starting point for conversation. Part of the reason that switching between Faker and Easyhoon works well for SK Telecom T1 is that the two players have different sets of strengths, but are both immensely talented. Utilizing those strengths most effectively has returned SKT to prominence in Korea, and they looked like the best team at MSI before losing to EDG in the finals. In a recent AMA, Pobelter stated that he and HuHi aren’t actively trying to have different playstyles (mages vs. assassins, etc.), but rather that they’re both just looking to push each other to be the best they can be. This is something pretty different, and they’re treading uncharted waters in North America. However, it was clear that CLG needed to shake things up, and this is certainly one way to do that. Mid lane wasn’t the only area of the roster that has received criticism, but it was a logical place to start. CLG looked like an extremely strong team in the early parts of the Spring Split, before getting swept by Team Liquid in the first round of the playoffs. They’re hopeful that this move (along with some organizational re-structuring) will be what they need to become a top team in NA.

This little piggy went to North America

There was a lot of debate/controversy surrounding Team Liquid’s AD Carry position during the Spring. They imported Piglet to have a superstar ADC, only to have the Korean struggle both in and out of game for quite some time. Substitute player KEITH did quite well, but it was clear that the team needed to get Piglet going if they wanted long term success. After committing to using only Piglet for the last few weeks of the split, he rewarded the team by playing significantly better. Now, he’s once again going to have all eyes on him during the Summer, as he’ll have the full time job (presumably) for the entire split. He initially struggled to deal with the expectations that were placed upon him, but he seems as though he might be more comfortable now in his new role. If he can perform consistently at a high level, and if FeniX has finally lived up to his own potential, Team Liquid just might be the team to beat.

Will fresh blood shake up the region?

It’s not common for two Challenger teams to get into the LCS in the same split, but Enemy eSports and Team Dragon Knights both earned their place here. There’s some familiar names from both teams, as players like InnoX, Kina (Seraph) and Kez all make their return to the LCS. With Team Coast and Winterfox gone, this split is going to look quite different from the last one. Will either of these new teams be led to victory by their veteran players, or will their overall inexperience cause them to simply try to avoid relegation? With new teams and new players comes a certain level of unpredictability, as they can either crash and burn, or surprise everyone with their success (like certain Unicorns did over in Europe.) Seeing how this plays out will be a lot of fun for the whole season.

Fortunately, we won’t have to wait long to have our questions answered! The EU LCS starts tomorrow, and the North American version isn’t far behind, with the first games kicking off on Saturday, starting with Cloud9 vs TSM!