Photo: LoL Esports
The Summer Split of the LFL is still far from over and the fight for the title promises to be fierce. LDLC OL intends to keep its title, but we will have to be wary of the competition… Between Karmine Corp, Vitality.Bee or even BDS, there will be talent everywhere!
But far from the heights, two teams will also have to prepare for the promotion tournament. The two “bad students” of the 2022 season, namely Team Oplon and Mirage Elyandra, are forced to defend their place against the two best teams in Div 2: MCES and another candidate to be defined. With this in mind, it is rumored that ME would call on FEBIVEN, a well-known veteran of the scene. It’s not official yet, but the signs are multiplying.
One certainty: Rangjun is on the way out
At the moment, we know with certainty that Rangjun will not participate in this famous promotion tournament. The team’s young Korean midlaner, who will have played all the matches of the year so far with Mirage Elyandra asked to leave, and that before the end of the season. In any case, this is what the official press release from the structure suggests. The player would have personal problems and he would like to return to his home in South Korea. The player adds in passing that he lacks confidence and feels mentally very tired. For him, as for the team, it is surely not a good idea to pull the rope.
It will therefore obviously be necessary to find a new midlaner for the promotion tournament… So it smells very good for FEBIVEN who would have a great opportunity to show that he still has the level. The planets therefore seem to align for the LFL to welcome this veteran.
What about the anti-mercenary rule?
Some will raise their eyebrows… Haven’t ERLs recently adopted a anti-mercenary rule to prevent this kind of operation from happening at the last moment. It is true that if we place ourselves on the side of the Div 2 teams, but also on the side of Team Oplon, it may seem a little unfair. Mirage Elyandra played all year with one player but could bet on a monster of experience just for the promotion tournament to save his place. This reminds us of the beginnings of the esports scene on League of Legends, in the years 2013-2014…
The LFL director, however, spoke on the OTP channel. He is aware of the criticisms and links them carefully. But he clarified that in this story, the LFL does not really have a say. The rules are set by Riot Games and are common to all ERLs. If there is an “anti-mercenary” rule, it is not very strict. From the moment a player has been listed as a substitute during the regular season (and approximately 72 hours before the last week is to be played), the structure can call on him for the promotion tournament. So there is a world where Mirage Elyandra plays with FEBIVEN and a certain soAZ…