Cloud9’s top lane phenom Fudge has won the 2021 LCS Most Improved Player award after an incredible debut year in the league.
Fudge joined C9 at the start of 2021, much to the chagrin of North American League of Legends fans who thought the roster was keeping veteran North American talent Licorice for the Spring Split. The 19-year old had spent a whole year with the organization’s Academy squad, where he and his teammates crushed the competition all year long.
Entering 2021, Fudge came out swinging with trash talk toward the competition in the region, ready to make a name for himself in his first tournament in NA. At the 2021 LCS Lock-In, however, he understandably struggled to find his footing against some of the more experienced top laners in the league, like Huni, Ssumday, and Alphari. After a less-than-stellar opening act, many pundits were skeptical of how well he’d adapt to the LCS style of play and game pace.
This didn’t affect Fudge’s determination to become a better player, though, and he jumped head first into the Spring Split, where he began his unprecedented rise to stardom. He improved his play with every passing week, and by the time the playoffs arrived, he showed a ton of promise as a standout member on a star-studded roster with the second-highest KDA in his role during the regular season, according to Oracle’s Elixir.
At the 2021 Mid-Season Invitational, Fudge finally etched his name in the minds of League fans with his performances against some of the best in the world. Whether he was solo killing Khan or finding an incredible Lee Sin kick to win a teamfight against Royal Never Give Up, the spotlight was put on him and it hasn’t left yet.
In the following Summer Split, Fudge solidified his place at the top of the food chain by collecting a whopping 99 kills in the season. He led all LCS top laners in the category and was the most dependable player on a C9 roster that couldn’t find the same level of consistency as they did in the previous split. Now, he’ll look to help power his team into Worlds 2021 by trying to make their way through the lower bracket of the LCS Championship.
Fudge’s growth over the course of the year is something that many LCS fans haven’t seen in a long time and should be a story to watch as he continues to evolve throughout his time in the region. He broke into the scene with a bang, but he’ll need to cause a few more explosions if he wants his team to make it to the finals again.
You can watch Fudge and the rest of C9 in action when they take the stage against Evil Geniuses on Thursday, Aug. 19.
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