CLG are one of the least consistent teams in the North American LCS, fitting for a squad named Counter Logic. In 2016, the team won the Spring Split and reached the finals of the Mid-Season Invitational—but they’ve recently fallen from grace. Even with a reputation for being a roster built on friendship and teamwork, it’s unlikely that this lineup can survive missing the playoffs two splits in a row.
During the Riot Games broadcast of the LCS games on Sunday, longtime CLG player Darshan Upadhyaya was heard thanking his teammates for trying their best this split.
“I just want to say I appreciated playing with all of you guys this year,” Darshan said. “Let’s all play the best that we can this game, and no matter what happens, let’s just play our hearts out until the very end. Thanks for trying your hardest guys. I just wanted to say I appreciate every one of you.”
While Darshan’s comments are by no means any guarantee that the roster will be blown up, they’re a good indication of what might be in store for the squad. The team has been worse than middle of the pack, missing out on the playoffs for two splits in a row. They went on a tear earlier in the split, but a host of problems has plagued this roster.
The team seemed to develop different problems every week. Sometimes the early game was awful, and in some games, their late game was terrible. Each lane was inconsistent, winning some weeks and getting stomped the next. It’s hard to tell whether it was the players or the organization that’s to blame for the team’s inconsistency, since so many things went wrong for them.
At this point, it may be in CLG’s best interest to begin trying out new faces in the LCS lineup. With only two games left in the season and no way to get into the playoffs, the organization is better off determining which pieces it should build around. For a team with a reputation for keeping a stable roster, this offseason will likely bring CLG into unfamiliar territory.
