Immortals could lose the NA LCS slot

According to Riot’s franchise policy, North American team Immortals faces the threat of losing their LCS spot after finishing in the bottom two at the LCS Summer split in 2023.

The LCS spot held by Immortals is in jeopardy after their consistently poor performances since rejoining the league in 2020. They have finished in the bottom two of the standings in five of their last eight splits, which is a disappointing record for the organization that once made it to the NA LCS Summer 2017 finals.

The final standings from the 2023 LCS Summer Split pic.twitter.com/4Pt9vNu4OE

— LCS (@LCSOfficial) July 22, 2023

 

According to the franchise regulation implemented by Riot in 2018, teams could lose their right to compete in the LCS if they place in the bottom two five times during an eight-split span. However, no LCS team has ever been expelled from the league, though Counter Logic Gaming came dangerously close after recording four consecutive bottom-two results between 2020 and 2021. The Immortals will become the first team to be kicked out of the League of Legends Championship Series if Riot exercises its mandate, which is unlikely since several popular teams are already reportedly leaving the league due to financial crisis.

Immortals’ performance during the last eight splits:

Ever since their return in 2022, Immortals have failed to find their footing in the North American League of Legends scene. Immortals fielded inexperienced and underdog players, but none of them were able to provide the team the firepower it needed to defeat opposition like TSM, Cloud9, Liquid, and 100T, who have all been fielding lineups of the highest caliber with players from around the world.

Since 2020, the team has continuously performed below expectations, failing to finish in the top four in any of the LCS’s last eight seasons. The team also failed to qualify for any international competitions after their return, with their best placing coming at LCS Summer 2021, where they placed fifth to sixth after losing to TSM 3-1 in the lower bracket of the event.

However, this was the last time the team made it to the post-season, having finished in the bottom two during the previous four splits of LCS. The team’s run in the ongoing LCS Summer Split has also come to an end when they suffered their 13th loss of the season, placing last overall with a dismal 5-13 record.

Immortals performance since 2020:

1. LCS Summer 2023 – 10th
2. LCS Spring 2023 – 9th
3. LCS Summer 2022 – 9th
4. LCS Spring 2022 – 10th
5. LCS Summer 2021 – 5th-6th
6. LCS Spring 2021 – 7th
7. LCS Summer 2020 – 10th
8. LCS Spring 2020 – 8th

Header: Riot Games