Cloud9's coach LS is demonstrating an innovative way of playing League of Legends to both his team as well as the LCS

Nick "LS" De Cesare is one of the most outspoken and knowledgeable personalities within the League of Legends scene. His appointment as the coach of Cloud9 during the 2022 pre-season was definitely a statement signing.

It was expected that his appointment would change Cloud9's way of playing the game and help the team achieve big things in the future. As it stands, the expectations are being met quite efficiently as LS is showing a level of understanding that has been missing from both Cloud9 as well as the LCS.

This is something that is ultimately helping not just Cloud9, but it is also helping the LCS as well. The change that LS is bringing might become the final piece of the puzzle that North American League of Legends was missing in order to win trophies on the international stage.

Note: This article is purely subjective and reflects the writer's views.

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LS's methods in League of Legends will evidently help both Cloud9 as well as the LCS to compete against Korean and Chinese teams on the biggest stages

LS is probably one of the most innovative personalities within League of Legends and there is no doubt that his understanding of the game is unparalleled. His tactics and strategies might often deviate from the norm, but they are highly effective within the professional scene.

This was demonstrated first-hand when LS made Cloud9 pick Ivern and Soraka in the midlane during week 1 of LCS 2022 spring split. None of these champions are catered towards that lane, but they worked marvelously.

In fact, LS has always been outspoken about the effectiveness of Soraka in the midlane. However, most professional teams have never paid heed to this as she is an off meta support who has not shown her face in professional games since 2019.

The decision to pick Soraka mid was a small example of LS's strong read on not just the meta but champion strengths in general. He knows things which are unimaginable to the coaches of even the biggest of teams.

However, this ideology of LS is not just effective for Cloud9, but it will eventually help the LCS as well. The more teams see LS's strategies, the more they will adapt to them.

This way other LCS teams will be able to innovate more when it comes to drafts and gameplay that will pay dividends on the international stage.

North American League of Legends players are highly skilled and have the capability to win trophies. Arguably, the issue that arises is that every North American team is stacked with superstars who have their own way of playing the game without innovation.

LS's strategy will help induce this innovation that has been missing for a long time in the scene. Thus, it will help LCS teams finally compete against the innovative and highly-skilled Chinese and Korean teams who have been eliminating them from the World Championships for years.