The 2015 Summer Challenger Series finished in epic fashion, with both the EU and NA Finals going the distance, giving us a Game 5 on both sides of the Atlantic. Now, say hello to your 2015 Summer Challenger Series Champions and the newest members of the LCS: Team Dignitas EU and Renegades!
TEAM DIGNITAS EU
After trading wins back and forth with mousesports, The Danes of Team Dignitas EU were able to pull through and win when it counted most, securing their spot in the 2016 EU LCS Spring Split. As the newest members of Europe's elite, they'll have the opportunity to face the best and most skillful opposition the region can offer.
Here are the names you'll get to know in EU:
Top - Martin "Wunderwear" Hansen
Jungle - Dennis "Obvious" Sørensen
Mid - Chres "Sencux" Laursen
ADC - Kasper "Kobbe" Kobberup
Support - Nicolai "Nisbeth" Nisbeth
Throughout the 2015 Summer Challenger Series, Team Dignitas EU were unafraid to pave the meta for themselves and constantly experimented with unique picks. Team Dignitas EU's top laner Wunderwear had a particularly flexible champion pool, bringing both Gangplank and Tahm Kench to the top lane in this series alone. "Both [GP and Tahm] are meta picks, they are just not known about by many people and are really strong," says Wunderwear.
"Wunder will always test a champion after they are reworked, and he learns champions insanely fast when he puts his mind to it," adds Ram "Brokenshard" Djemal, the team's coach. "He can play almost anything."
The entire Team Dignitas EU crew are eager to test their mettle on stage in the EU LCS come Spring. Mid laner Sencux is particularly keen on facing Fnatic's Fabian "Febiven" Diepstraten and ROCCAT's Erlend "Nukeduck" Holm. "We used to play each other in the Challenger Series. And I'm excited to play versus [H2k's Sangwook "Ryu" Yoo] in a real game," says Sencux. Obvious, the squad's jungler, is also keen on facing the big dogs. "I just want to play against Fnatic," he grins.
While Team Dignitas EU will be celebrating as champions of the Challenger Series for now, they know they've got a lot to improve upon before the start of the 2016 Spring Split. "We need to work on not losing the game ourselves, we feel like we are our biggest weakness; when we are indecisive," says Brokenshard.
With several months before the start of the next Split, Team Dignitas EU will be working on bolstering their strengths and keeping a keen eye on the evolution of the competitive scene as they prepare for their journey in to the EU LCS.
RENEGADES
Both Team Coast and Renegades displayed the skills and the guts to compete in the 2016 NA LCS Spring Split. But in the end, it was the bandana brandishing Renegades who took home the 2015 Summer Challenger Series Championship.
Here are the Renegades:
Top - Oleksii "RF" Kuziuta
Jungle - Alberto "Crumbz" Rengifo
Mid - Aleksei "Alex Ich" Ichetovkin
ADC - Ainslie "Maplestreet" Wyllie
Support - Maria "Remilia" Creveling
The Renegades were constructed with one goal in mind: entry into the LCS. While their mission was a success, it certainly wasn't flawless. A mismanaged lane swap to start off Game 1 gave Coast's top laner Cristian "Cris" Rosales a substantial edge and ultimately a victory for Coast. Renegades kept the series close though, and never let Coast string together consecutive victories.
While the pressure of playing on the LCS stage is nothing new to Maplestreet, Crumbz, or Alex Ich, it was a new experience for the rest of the Renegades. "The first game we played I wasn't very comfortable on the stage, but I think I got more and more used to it," explains top laner RF. Looking forward to Spring Split, RF says he's excited to continue to perform in front of a crowd. "As long as I'm confident enough in myself I think I should do fine, but of course it's a new experience. It's really hype to play. It was a great feeling," he says.
After the series, all of the Renegades agreed that they have a ton to work to do before the 2016 NA LCS kicks off, but they say their camaraderie sets them apart from the pack. "Our team environment is pretty good, I think this is really important. It helps to work and improve," says mid laner Alex Ich.
"I don't have much experience playing on teams that were as dedicated as this, but so far its been a great experience as far as team environment goes," agrees RF. "Nobody really holds grudges against each other. Of course there will be fights and disagreements but everyone moves on with those and helps each other out to fix whatever needs to be fixed."
After so many grueling weeks of scrims, practice, and matches to get to this point, Renegades and Team Dignitas EU can take some time to rejuvenate before they start to prepare their LCS debuts. As for the second place CS finishers, mousesports and Team Coast, there's more work to be done.
Both teams can still gain entry into the LCS via the 2016 LCS Spring Promotion Tournament on September 5-6, which you can catch right here on Lolesports. To catch up on all the action from the EU and NA Summer Challenger Series including these incredible five-game finales, check out our spoiler free VODs page.
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