One of the newest teams in the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) must now spend their offseason finding a new player.
Ainslie “Maplestreet” Wyllie has left the LA Renegades, leaving the team without an AD carry ahead of their inaugural season in the top competition in League of Legends.
The departure comes as a surprise after Renegades earned their way into the LCS, topping the Challenger Series by beating Team Coast in a close 3-2 playoff final. It’s the third time Wyllie has helped a team qualify for the LCS.
Wyllie made the decision to leave of his own volition, he said, explaining the head-scratching move a little more in a Reddit comment.
“It is my decision to step down and it is mostly because I feel like I wouldn’t be happy on the team,” Wyllie wrote. “I better understand myself now and I feel like happiness is a pretty important thing and things will come a lot more naturally in a better state of mind. It sounds silly but I feel there’s a large ideology difference between me and part of the team and it makes me feel very lonely at times.”
He wished the remaining players on the team success and noted he’s taking a “big risk” leaving the successful team, noting that he still wishes to stay in esports as either a player or in management.
It’s another unexpected career move for one of the North American League of Legends scene’s veterans. As the brother of long-time Team SoloMid jungler and online streaming superstar Bryan “TheOddOne” Wyllie, the 22-year-old AD carry has held a place in fans’ hearts for years, whether thanks to his ability to reach the LCS multiple times or his on-stage antics, like playing without shoes.
Wyllie qualified for the LCS for the first time in the summer of 2013 with Velocity eSports, but then lived through one of the worst seasons in LCS history as the team posted a 5-23 record before getting bought out by Evil Geniuses. He returned more than a year later with Team 8, the top Challenger Series team of 2014, but failed to make the playoffs in the spring. Wyllie put together a poor season statistically, and whether that was due to his own performance or the team’s playstyle—which often gave no support to the AD carry position—Wyllie was replaced with Zach “Nien” Malhas.
But on Renegades, Wyllie in many ways seemed like a different, and perhaps reinvigorated, player. He got the opportunity to play as a substitute for the hot new team in May when their imported Afghan AD carry Karim “Jébus” Tokhi couldn’t secure his visa early enough. On Renegades, Wyllie shined, helping them to a successful Challenger season. When Tohki’s visa situation was eventually resolved he entered the lineup, but the team slumped, leading them to bring Wyllie back into the fold. With Wyllie in the lineup, Renegades qualified for the LCS by topping the Challenger Series, often on the back of his strong play.
On the surface, Renegades were a fun loving team that got along great, but apparently Wyllie had some issues, meaning Renegades must now find a replacement ahead of their rookie LCS season. Perhaps that’s for the best, given Wyllie’s history with teams in the LCS: While he’s certainly succeeded in reaching the big leagues, he’s rarely excelled while in them. But he’s still an entertaining player and a staple of North American League of Legends. He’s sure to be missed.
Photo via Riot Games/Flickr
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