Today we close our League of Legends roster.
We are grateful to the guys for victories under our banners and wish them success in the future ✊🏻 pic.twitter.com/i7j3iOwYWR
— Gambit Esports (@GambitEsports) April 22, 2021
It’s a sad day for old-school LoL fans out there as Gambit Esports have decided to no longer compete in League of Legends. This, frankly, is quite depressing news — the boys in white and red have left an indelible mark on competitive LoL and have entertained us in ways no other team has managed since. They’ve been the trailblazers in more ways than one and the fashion in which they first broke onto the scene was about as epic as it gets.
Now, a lot of time has passed since, and most folks watching competitive League nowadays aren’t fully aware of Gambit’s importance and the reason why they’re universally respected and beloved. Now, when we say Gambit what we really mean is Moscow Five. Their flexibility and sheer ingenuity — both in draft and in game — left no one indifferent. Back then, pro play was nowhere near as rigid as it is today. Players could express themselves and experiment in a myriad of different ways which, frankly, is no longer possible. And in that freedom (or chaos, rather), Moscow Five shined brightest.
Ever since Gambit sold their LEC spot to Team Vitality in 2016, they’ve been competing in the LCL — a decision that resulted in a fair bit of success (three titles and multiple appearances on the international stage). Still, they haven’t been nearly as relevant over the last couple of years. The brand recognition is still there, but the same cannot be said for their results — or lack thereof, rather.
The LCL is packed with highly idiosyncratic teams (most of which are feistier than you could ever imagine) but there’s no bigger picture, so to speak, and no future for which these teams could fight for; the LCL simply exists. It’s also lacking in terms of success, viewership, and overall depth. LCL teams (at their best) are perhaps about as competent as those from CBLOL, but the disparity in viewership between the two is seismic, to say the least. Comparatively, the LCL seems like a small, grassroots experiment next to CBLOL which is more of a phenomenon than anything else.
Moreover, League of Legends isn’t nearly as popular in Russia as it is in Brazil (and most other parts of the globe). The same holds true for competitive League as well — the 2021 LCL Spring Split had an average of 14.5k viewers. Let that sink in. That’s not exactly the sign of a budding region, you’ll probably agree. In fact, that’s almost surely why Gambit decided to no longer field a League of Legends roster as there’s very little to be gained. In other words: they’re bleeding money without anything to show for it.
Either way, this truly is the end of an era. Fortunately, those who had the honor of watching Moscow Five compete will still tell the tales of their mind-blowing ingenuity and sheer bravado — they’ll preserve their legacy for the generations to come.
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