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The Legacy of the LCS: Celebrating 11 years of North American Esports
Martin Arévalo-Östberg
Martin Arévalo-Östberg
15 Aug, 2024, 11:51
|Last updated: 9 Apr, 2025, 12:48
Riot Games recently announced plans to merge the LCS, LLA (Latin America), and CBLOL (Brazil) into a new two-conference region in 2025. As we bid farewell to the LCS as we know it, it’s worth taking a deeper dive into the moments that shaped the league’s history and defined competitive League of Legends in North America.
Over its 11-year run, the LCS has seen intense rivalries, monumental upsets, and legendary performances that helped build the foundation for esports in the region.
Join us as we look back and celebrate how this unforgettable league and all its shaping moments came to be.
The Inaugural Split: The First Kings of the LCS (Spring 2013)
The start of the LCS in 2013, then known as the NA LCS, wasn’t just about League of Legends becoming a more formalized competition, it was the birth of a battleground where titans like TSM, CLG, and future powerhouses would forge their identities.
TSM, led by Reginald at the time, had long been one of the most dominant forces in North America through grassroots competitions. When the LCS launched, there was a lot of hype around whether TSM could cement their place at the top in a more structured environment.
And the team did not disappoint. Despite facing stiff competition from the likes of Curse and Dignitas, it was TSM’s ability to consistently adapt and innovate that propelled them to the Spring 2013 Finals. There, the team faced Good Game University (GGU), a squad that had upset expectations with its strategic gameplay.
TSM's X factor at the time was none other than WildTurtle, the flashy AD carry who had replaced Chaox mid-season. WildTurtle’s aggressive, fearless playstyle breathed new life into TSM. With Dyrus helping out by dominating the top lane, TSM managed to close out the series in a nail-biting 3-2 victory, securing the first-ever LCS championship in a Grand Finals for the history books.
This win wasn’t just significant because it was the inaugural split — it established the framework for what would become TSM's dynasty, while introducing fans to some of the names they'd be hearing for years to come.
TSM would remain a perennial contender for years, and it all began with their ability to adapt under pressure in this very first final.
Cloud9 Revolutionize the LCS (2013-2015)
If TSM set the stage in Spring 2013, it was Cloud9 that completely redefined it by Summer.
In one of the greatest rookie performances in esports history, Cloud9 entered the LCS with a completely different style from their competitors. While other teams were still relying heavily on individual talent and the occasional clutch play, Cloud9 focused on something revolutionary at the time: coordination and macro play.
The team, led by Hai, was known for its aggressive objective control and perfectly timed team fights. C9 didn’t just outskill their opponents; they outthought them. During the Summer 2013 Split, Cloud9 posted a jaw-dropping 25-3 record, which was simply unheard of at the time. The team translated this dominance into the playoffs, where they breezed through the competition, including a swift 3-0 over TSM in the finals.
The historic roster of Balls, Meteos, Hai, Sneaky and LemonNation showed a level of synergy and cohesion that very few teams have been able to replicate ever since.
Cloud9’s dominance showed that a more strategic approach to the game could win championships. Their performance didn’t just shake up the NA scene; it also hinted at what was to come internationally. Cloud9’s era marked the beginning of North America’s evolution in gameplay, shifting away from the old-school solo-carry mentality toward a more refined, team-based approach.
Hai puts on the hero cape one more time
This team-oriented approach to the game would prove crucial for Cloud9 yet again only a few years later, in 2015.
With Hai choosing to return to the team just months after his decision to retire, only this time in the jungle, the North American player led his team through what would come to be known as Cloud9's miracle gauntlet run, playing 14 games in the span of 3 days to qualify for Worlds at a time when their chances looked bleaker than ever before.
The 2015 LCS Summer Finals: CLG’s Long-Awaited Triumph
For years, CLG and TSM had defined the LCS’s most heated rivalry. While TSM collected trophies left and right, CLG had always fallen short, despite boasting generational talents like Doublelift and Aphromoo.
Fans yearned for the moment when CLG could rise above their fiercest rivals. And that moment finally came in the 2015 Summer Finals at Madison Square Garden.
What made CLG’s victory so satisfying wasn’t just that they won—it was how they won. Facing TSM in front of thousands of fans in the iconic MSG, CLG executed a near-perfect strategy, dismantling TSM 3-0 in a series that felt almost too easy for a final.
Pobelter, playing in the mid lane, was a stabilizing force, while Doublelift, long hailed as the best player to never win a title, finally silenced his critics with a stunning performance when it mattered most. The contrast was clear: while TSM was struggling to keep up with the meta, CLG was playing with confidence, adapting and outplaying at every turn.
For Doublelift, the moment was especially sweet. After years of disappointment, to finally lift the trophy on such a grand stage against his most bitter rivals felt like a fairytale. It was the culmination of years of dedication and heartbreak, making it one of the most emotionally charged victories in LCS history.
Doublelift's Evolution: From CLG to TSM (2015-2016)
The aftermath of CLG’s victory set the stage for one of the most dramatic storylines in LCS history—Doublelift's move to TSM.
No one could have predicted that Doublelift, the face of the team, would be kicked from CLG following their historic 2015 Summer Finals victory. Despite their domination, it seems it wasn't all sunshine and flowers between Doublelift and Aphromoo at the time, and the time had come to end the historic partnership. As it turns out, Doublelift's infamously bad attitude at the time would turn out to be his undoing.
Or, would it? TSM saw an opportunity to bolster their roster, and Doublelift, seeking even greater success, made the controversial move without blinking. Fans were left in shock, and the stakes were raised. In 2016, TSM became an unstoppable force, with Doublelift and Bjergsen forming one of the most potent duos in North American League of Legends history, and one which turned out to become iconic in LCS history.
Their synergy was on full display in the 2016 Summer Split, where TSM posted a near-perfect 17-1 record.
The team's crowning achievement, however, came in the playoffs, where TSM faced Cloud9 in an intense four-game series. Doublelift was unstoppable, tearing through team fights with precision, while Bjergsen’s leadership was evident in every rotation the team made.
TSM took the series 3-1 in the end, earning yet another title and marking Doublelift’s return to the top. It was more than just a victory—it was the culmination of Doublelift’s evolution from a solo star to a team-oriented champion.
Team Liquid’s Four-Peat and International Breakthrough (2018-2019)
Between 2018 and 2019, Team Liquid dominated the LCS with their unprecedented four consecutive titles. Their lineup, headlined by Doublelift and CoreJJ, was a masterclass in consistency and execution. But the crowning achievement came at the 2019 Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), where TL stunned the world by defeating reigning World Champions Invictus Gaming in the semifinals.
Invictus Gaming had been the heavy favorites, but Liquid, showing nerves of steel, picked apart their aggression with surgical precision. Doublelift, once criticized for his international performances, was instrumental in the victory, with Jensen and Xmithie also delivering standout performances.
Though Liquid fell to G2 Esports in the MSI finals, the victory over Invictus was a watershed moment for North America and remains one of the greatest international wins in the region’s history.
Saying Goodbye in Style
Eager to go out with a bang, the LCS put up a stellar final year in 2024.
We saw Impact earn his first MVP trophy more than 11 years into his career.
We saw Bjergsen and Doublelift reunited once more, carrying the trophy onto the stage like the passing of the torch.
We saw Team Liquid complete the first undefeated season in LCS history.
And then, to end it all, we saw a brand new champion in FlyQuest earn the very last LCS trophy in the most dramatic fashion.
Gone, but not forgotten
From TSM’s early dominance to Cloud9’s miracle run to Team Liquid’s international breakthrough, the LCS has been home to some of the most iconic moments in esports history.
These stories aren’t just about wins and losses—they’re about rivalries, personal triumphs, and the relentless pursuit of excellence that defined the LCS era over the past decade.
And yet, the LCS was about more than just competition; it was a community. From the weekly LCS Lounge to the unforgettable quotes that spawned from post-game interviews, the league brought fans together in a way that few other esports leagues have been able to replicate. It wasn’t just about watching your favorite teams play—it was about being a part of something bigger.
And even though it may don a completely different look next year, wherever the LCS goes, we'll be sure to follow.
Image source: Shannon Cottrell/Riot Games
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