By beating Cloud9 last round, Team Liquid claimed the tag as the no.1 team in the LCS. It was a solid display from Liquid, but not that surprising, considering the LCS 2024 Spring champions tend to perform better when faced with stronger teams.

After losing to Dignitas 0-2 on Saturday, NRG are 2-4 and in danger of missing the playoffs. That is expected as NRG have been struggling this split, ranking bottom-three across most metrics. That includes -157 gold difference per minute, 1770 gold per minute, 30.8% first tower rate, 38.5% first blood rate, and the league’s second-worst -1207 gold difference at 15 minutes.

The betting odds on this match reflect a considerable quality difference between the two sides. And even though Liquid have had some closer games against weaker opponents, this should be an easy fixture for them.

Even though LCS teams are not that far apart quality-wise, Shopify Rebellion have proven to be one of the least efficient squads of the split. But despite their concerning record, Shopify Rebellion showed some signs of life over the last two weeks, with a 2-0 win against Dignitas and a decent showing in a 1-2 loss to FlyQuest.

100 Thieves won their second match of LCS 2024 Summer against Immortals on Saturday, but not without a struggle. It was a terrible display from Kim “River” Dong-woo and his crew, who won only thanks to Immortals’ atrocious performance. Such a display should make anyone wonder why LoL betting sites have them priced as favourites.

Neither of these teams are good, but that applies to all LCS squads outside of the top three. Therefore, any plus money bet we can get in these affairs is a solid choice.

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Cloud9 are 4-0 after four weeks of LCS 2024 Summer, and based on their performance stats, they��re the best team in the league. Cloud9 still have some things to iron out, but even in their current state, C9 do not seem like they can be stopped by any team not named Team Liquid or FlyQuest.

NRG secured their second consecutive victory of the split on Monday when they defeated Shopify Rebellion. Yet despite the win, NRG performed poorly and displayed no improvement from their past showings.

The market has seemingly caught up with NRG not being a great team, yet even $1.61 for Cloud9 to sweep with top esports betting sites is too generous to pass on. The kill handicap line is set at 8.5 which looks fair, so no play there.

Shopify Rebellion have been abysmal this split. They have not won a single series nor a map over the four games played; however, they showed some good things against NRG in the previous round.

It was a bizarre series that should have ended in Shopify Rebellion��s favour, yet they threw their advantageous positions too often. This is concerning information, but besides the throws, Shopify Rebellion performed well.

Dignitas did well against Team Liquid, but they got sloppy and lost 1-2. In that game and across the preview fixtures, Dignitas have proven to be resilient with some good qualities, but they��re not very good.

At the current price, Shopify Rebellion are expected to win just 29.6% of the time, which is a bit low, assuming they don��t shoot themselves in the foot again. At $1.75, Shopify Rebellion to take a map is an offer we can��t pass on.

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Cloud9 have picked up two victories in the opening weeks of LCS 2024 Summer. They had to earn their win against Dignitas in Week 1 but had an easier time beating Immortals on Saturday.

As one of the leading teams on the outright LoL betting markets, Cloud9 deserve respect, but we��re looking at a short price. The LCS is much closer quality-wise than other top LoL esports regions, so even though Cloud9 are the better team, it��s hard to justify these odds.

Shopify Rebellion were crushed by Immortals last week and didn��t show much against Team Liquid on Sunday either. But this is not so much taking the side of the stronger team as it is playing the price.

Cloud9 haven��t been flawless this split, and while they likely win this series, taking the underdogs to keep the first map within nine kills is a much more appealing play.

Dignitas are 1-1 with a loss against Cloud9 in the first week and a fairly convincing 2-0 sweep of 100 Thieves on Saturday. FlyQuest have managed the same record, with a defeat against Team Liquid and a close victory against NRG.

Considering what the two teams have shown so far, it��s surprising to see FlyQuest priced as $1.35 favourites. They��re offside for this series and have not demonstrated the elite-level performances you��d expect from a team with such a price tag.

Long-term, FlyQuest should outperform Dignitas, but there aren��t many reasons not to take the underdogs at over $3.00 with the best LoL betting sites.

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However, the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) will step away from the tradition in the 2024 season.

It��s become a custom for professional LoL games to play on older patches due to the tight turnaround between patch releases and competitive scheduling.

With patches being released every second Wednesday, most LoL esports teams wouldn��t have the time to adapt to changes before stepping on stage.

Yet, the LCS doesn��t seem too bothered by that.

According to the announcement, which also unveiled Mark “MarkZ” Zimmerman as LCS��s commissioner, the North American LoL esports league confirmed that all 2024 LCS games will be played on live patches.

Other LoL leagues have not announced any changes to the ruleset, meaning they��ll likely stick with the old tradition of playing on patches behind the live servers.

How the rule change will affect LCS teams remains to be seen, but it will force a more challenging schedule on the players, who will have just two days of practice before the matches.

Watch the very first #LCS Address with @TheeMarkZ to learn about all of the changes coming in 2024!

Live Patch
Less Time Between Games
Community Interactivity
And More!

https://t.co/2rI53xdD5D pic.twitter.com/vOrhglw7Yc

— LCS (@LCSOfficial) January 9, 2024

The decision to move all pro games to live patches comes after a plethora of changes the league has announced in the months leading up to the 2024 season.

In December, LCS unveiled that it is returning to a weekend schedule, one year after all games were moved to Thursday-Friday.

The unconventional plan proved harmful to the overall viewership, as the LCS peaked at just over 271,376 viewers in the spring and just under 224,000 viewers in the Summer Split.

A month prior, in November 2023, LCS was also hit with the exodus of Evil Geniuses and Golden Guardians, who left the LoL esports scene, continuing a worrying trend that was started by TSM, who exited the North American LoL league in September.

While Shopify Rebellion replaced TSM, LCS didn��t find any replacement teams to fill the gaps that Evil Geniuses and Golden Guardians left behind.

As a result, the 2024 season will start with just eight squads, making the LCS the smallest of the major LoL leagues.

The next season starts with the LCS Spring Split on Saturday, January 20, 2024.

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This revelation comes on the heels of TSM’s departure from the league after more than a decade of competition, and Shopify Rebellion aims to make a mark with a line-up that blends familiar faces with fresh talent.

Returning from TSM are Lee “Bugi” Seong-yeop and David “Insanity” Challe, who will assume the roles of starting jungler and mid laner, respectively, for Shopify Rebellion.

Coach Seong “Reven” Sang-hyeon, a seasoned figure in the LCS, is set to guide the team from the helm.

League of Legends veteran Kevin “WildTurtle” Yarnell makes a return as part of the roster, but in a different capacity��serving as a streamer and a substitute for the bot lane.

Joining Shopify Rebellion from their successful stint with Disguised during the NACL Summer Playoffs are Aaron “FakeGod” Lee, Tristan “Zeyzal” Stidam, and Tomio “Tomio” Chan.

This marks the comeback of FakeGod and Zeyzal to the main stage after a period of absence.

Tomio, listed as a substitute for Bugi, adds depth to the roster, and the team’s plans for integrating both players into the upcoming season are yet to be clarified.

The roster is completed by Ju “Bvoy” Yeong-hoon, a new face in the North American scene but with extensive international experience.

Bvoy has competed in various leagues, including the LPL, LEC, LLA, and most recently, CBLoL, where he played a pivotal role in paiN Gaming’s dominance throughout 2023.

Although this marks Bvoy’s first professional collaboration with his new teammates, he has prior experience being coached by Reven.

The 2024 LCS Spring Split is awaiting an official start date, and recent announcements from Riot Games indicate a structural change, reducing the participating teams from 10 to 8.

Golden Guardians and Evil Geniuses have been removed from the line up, and while the impact on the schedule remains unclear, more details are anticipated after the conclusion of the holiday season.

Introducing Shopify Rebellion League of Legends:

@FakeGod @yeopbugi @insanitylol @Bvoylol @Zeyzal

@WildTurtle @loltomio @FLAnalista

See you in #LCS in 2024 pic.twitter.com/hhyPmqebsW

— Shopify Rebellion (@ShopifyRebels) December 4, 2023

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Despite their strong international presence, the two VALORANT teams had not faced each other on the stage until this moment, creating high expectations within the community.

Shopify Rebellion entered the tournament with determination, swiftly dispatching their initial opponents and securing a Grand Finals spot after a challenging encounter with G2 Gozen.

However, the finals brought an unexpected twist as Shopify’s in-game leader, Melanie “meL” Capone, tested positive for COVID-19, forcing her to lead the team from off-stage.

On the other side, Team Liquid Brazil embarked on a challenging lower bracket run after an initial setback against G2 Gozen.

Their journey included victories over formidable opponents like Evil Geniuses and BBL Queen, culminating in a revenge win against G2 to set the stage for the Grand Finals.

The Grand Finals commenced with a nail-biting match on Haven, where both teams fought fiercely, leading to a tie in regulation.

Shopify Rebellion seized control in overtime, claiming a 1-0 series lead.

The second map saw a resilient Team Liquid Brazil, rallying back from an 8-4 deficit to secure a 13-11 win, levelling the series at 1-1.

Breeze witnessed a dominant performance from Shopify Rebellion, securing a map point.

However, Team Liquid Brazil answered with a commanding win on Sunset, forcing the series to a climactic final map on Ascent.

The deciding map turned into a fierce battle, with both teams exchanging blows.

The first half ended in a draw, setting the stage for an intense second half.

In a defensive masterclass, meL and her team showcased resilience, not dropping a single round in the second half of Ascent.

Shopify Rebellion emerged victorious, lifting the VCT Game Changers 2023 trophy and completing an emotional redemption for meL and the roster.

The series showcased intense competition, with the final map reflecting the closely contested nature of the tournament.

Shopify Rebellion’s redemption from the previous year was fulfilled, while Team Liquid Brazil’s commendable lower-bracket run demonstrated their resilience.

The stage is set for potential future rivalries, and fans eagerly anticipate the teams’ performances in the 2024 season.

@ShopifyRebels #VCTGameChangers pic.twitter.com/1BSrEWoBHI

— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) December 3, 2023

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Shopify Rebellion finished Group B in fourth place, with two draws against Thunder Awaken and Azure Ray and two defeats against Team Liquid and BetBoom Team. In the second phase, Tal “Fly” Aizik and co. added another loss against Team Spirit.

Going 0-2-3 doesn’t look good, but we have to consider that Shopify Rebellion had to play tough opponents. This is a strong team that should be regarded as favourites to defeat TSM, even though TSM are 1-2-2 so far in this Dota 2 tournament.

TSM’s sole victory of The International 2023 came against PSG Talon, and their only other two positive results were stalemates against Keyd Stars and PSG Quest. Those are not the most inspiring results, which, combined with the fact that Shopify Rebellion are far more experienced competing on the big stage, makes ex-Evil Geniuses core an obvious pick.

Evil Geniuses have not accomplished much this season in international events, and they weren’t expected to make it far at The International 2023 as $34.00 outsiders. Unfortunately, EG failed to prove the doubters wrong, with a 0-2-2 group stage run and a rough 0-2 loss against Team Liquid in the second phase.

Gaimin Gladiators were priced as the second favourites ($5.00 ) on TI12 outright betting markets, but they failed to meet the expectations. The no.2 DPC seed finished the group stage with a 2-1-1 record and lost their ticket for the upper bracket with a 1-2 loss against PSG Talon.

A couple of poor showings don’t mean much, but it doesn’t make sense for a team that has won six Dota 2 Tier 1 events to struggle so much. While still an incredibly stacked team, Gaimin Gladiators have shown to be volatile, which makes betting on over 2.5 maps at plus money a solid choice.

Keyd Stars entered The International 2023 as $201.00 outsiders with GGBet to go all the way, and even though their chances to win the Aegis of Champions remain extremely low, the South American squad did enough to qualify for the knockouts. Matheus “KJ” Diniz and his crew finished Group D without a single win, but they forced three draws against PSG Quest, Tundra Esports, and TSM, which is impressive for their standards.

However, even though Keyd Stars did relatively well, they should have no business beating BetBoom Team. The Russians are not one of the main favourites to win The International, but this is still a powerful team �C as they’ve shown in the group stage with wins against Thunder Awaken, Shopify Rebellion, and Azure Ray.

BetBoom Team have yet to be properly tested this tournament, so it’s tough to say how far they can go. But even though BB Team have much to prove, they shouldn’t be losing games like this.

Tundra Esports looked very solid during the group stage, which they finished with a 3-1-0 record, but then, the defending TI champions lost against nouns (0-2) in Seeding Decider, proving again how volatile they can be.

Entity finished Group A in second place (1-2-1), with one win against Evil Geniuses, two draws against 9Pandas and Team SMG, and one loss defeat Team Spirit, to which they added a concerning defeat against Azure Ray (0-2) in the deciders. This explains why Entity are underdogs for this match, but even at $2.62, they seem a bit overrated.

Tundra Esports are one of the elite teams, and while they can be a bit inconsistent, Tundra Esports have not lost a map against Entity since the final round of DPC WEU 2023 Tour 1: Division I.

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Shopify Rebellion, a rising esports organisation, secured TSM’s LCS slot for a reported $10 million, marking their debut in the League of Legends esports scene. The move aligns with Shopify Rebellion’s ambition to expand its presence in the esports world.

TSM’s exit from the LCS signals the end of an era, as they were one of the founding members and the most successful team in LCS history, boasting seven domestic championships. After a turbulent period for TSM that included controversies, financial irregularities, and the loss of their title sponsor, FTX, the departure occurs.

As TSM makes its exit, questions linger about their next destination. Speculation points towards China’s League of Legends Pro League as a potential landing spot, following in the footsteps of other Western organisations seeking success in the highly competitive Chinese region.

Shopify Rebellion, with its roots in Canada and a diverse portfolio in various esports titles, will inherit TSM’s roster for the 2024 season. However, decisions regarding player contracts, including those expiring in November, remain to be seen.

The LCS, which has faced challenges in recent times, welcomes Shopify Rebellion as it continues to evolve. The addition of new organisations like Shopify Rebellion and the departure of stalwarts like TSM hint at a dynamic future for the League of Legends competitive scene in North America.

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The team’s latest acquisition for their 2023 Halo roster included the 17-year-old Puetorican and American player Jason “Karmea” Morales and former eUnited players Ryan “RyaNoob” Geddes and Timothy “Rayne” Tinkler.

Adding RyaNoob to the team will certainly bring a boost to their game play, as the 29-year-old American was tagged the 25th Greatest Halo Player of All Time. RyaNoob has been sharpening his skill sets with every new team he��s representing since he launched his career in December 2014. The player has been in multiple domestic and international tournaments, representing a long list of various teams, which includes Denial eSports, Team CryptiK, Nfite, Winterfox, Falling Esports, Team Allegiance, Oxygen Supremacy, recently eUnited, and a few others.

Although Rayne did not start his career as early as RyaNoob, both players are comparable. The 28-year-old American graced the Halo scene with his peculiar game play in 2016 and has been on a spectacular ride ever since then. Rayne has been signed by teams such as eLevate, the renowned Team EnVyUs, Team Liquid, Luminosity Gaming, Oxygen Supremacy, Falling Esports, Nfinite, eUnited, and others.

Rayne has made game appearances in Halo 3, Halo 5: Guardians, Halo Infinite, and Halo Reach. With eUnited, he participated in the 2022 Halo Championship Series (HCS): North America Regionals, where they emerged in third place, and fell one step behind in the Kansas City Major with a fourth-place finish.

With eUnited, both he and RyaNoob represented the team at the 2022 Halo World Championship, where they came in seventh�Ceighth place, losing to Cloud9 in a match that ended with a 0:3 score.

Karmea, on the other hand, only started his Halo journey in 2020, when he signed with the North American team Elevate. Ever since then, he has moved further to compete with teams like VANDYL, Luminosity Gaming, UYU, and more recently, Falling Esports, which he left in September of last year following a disappointing run at the 2022 HCS: Orlando Major where the team came out with a 21st-24th finish, losing to Team WaR in a match that ended with a 0:3 score.

However, prior to being knocked off at this stage, the team came in strong before their unexpected fall. Fallen Esports was able to garner a first-fourth place in the qualifier open bracket match of the 2022 HCS.

All three new players will be joining the 24-year-old American player, Billy “MentaL” Putnam, who is the only remaining player from the former roster, and their 33-year-old American coach, Nick “BesT MaN” Johnson.

The magnitude of players on this new team, marks the best and most powerful roster the North American esports outfit have ever fielded. Although this powerhouse can only be praiseworthy when they start playing and producing results. Last year, Shopify Rebellion was knocked out of the HCS event at the qualifier of the Orlando Major Open Bracket, where they came in with a 13th�C16th place finish. This year, the team hopes to make a better run.

The revamped Shopify Rebellion team is now set for the Kickoff Major, which gets underway on February 24, 2023.

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In recent days, there has been a surge of viewers on Twitch tuning in to watch Arteezy’s much-anticipated Twitch live stream. While the stream has been entertaining for viewers, Arteezy has been extremely dissatisfied with the caliber of ranked games in his professional competition region of North America (NA).

Arteezy reported that a number of the games he live-streamed during the initial two days had been ruined by “griefing.” He pointed out that it would be difficult for aspiring players to grind pubs in North America due to the unpleasant experience.

He expressed his frustration with the state of ranked games in the North American Dota 2 scene. He was visibly upset as he spoke about these issues, describing how his opponents were “griefing” by running down lanes and being AFK, which was ruining the experience for everyone.

��Throwing games, throwing games, I wonder if this will change anything if Valve will do something,” Arteezy said.

“So far, in two days I have streamed, it��s been seven games that have been griefed, legitimately some guy just running down a lane, or randoming and AFKing or buying Midas or hitting Neutral creeps.��

After a brief pause, Arteezy spoke about the difficulties aspiring Dota 2 players in North America face when playing ranked games in the region. He also emphasized the importance of playing pubs as it has become a necessity in Europe.

��I mean it��s pretty depressing if you are an aspiring NA pro and you are grinding and grinding and you play these pubs every single day, must be f**king awful. You have to play Europe,�� he continued.

Recently, many professional Dota 2 players have voiced their concerns about the decline of the North American Dota 2 scene. Quinn “Quinn” Callahan, who spent his entire six-year career playing in North America before moving to Gaimin Gladiators in Europe, even went as far as to say that the region was “dead” and it was the worst of all. Callahan believes that unless larger teams invest in the region, the Dota 2 scene decline will only continue.

In recent months, the gaming community has viewed North America as a subpar region for both professional and casual gaming. Additionally, the impressive showing at The International 11 (TI11) has brought significant attention to South America (SA) in the past half year, causing Evil Geniuses, a North American organization, to also move to SA.

It is uncertain if the current situation will improve, and only time will reveal if North America can reverse its fortunes.

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