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Mid-Spring Shake-up: The Return of Crownshot and the Rise of MagiFelix
The LEC’s underdogs Astralis and Team Vitality have switched up their rosters with an eye to turning around their fortunes this Spring Season. We caught up with the new signings to see how they are settling in.
In League of Legends esports, new roster signings are usually limited to the off-season, giving newbies a chance to acclimate to their new teams before diving into high-level competition. But this year, two teams have decided to break from this tradition, injecting some new blood to their squads amid the excitement of Spring.
The teams in question are Astralis, who have signed Carl "MagiFelix" Boström and Team Vitality, who have added Juš "Crownshot" Marušič to their lineup. With both teams struggling to rise from the bottom of the league table, these bold new additions will be looking to turn things around in time for the Summer.
“Astralis have been surprisingly good despite their record – I'd say they've exceeded expectations,” comments caster, Dan “Foxdrop” Wyatt. “Watching their games, it feels like their biggest issue is a lack of consistency. Vitality look pretty lost as a team and I think part of that is inexperience.”
Foxdrop is excited to see MagiFelix settle in to the LEC.
Taking His Shot
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Crownshot got his start in professional League of Legends way back in 2015, but his breakout success came when he was signed to SK Gaming in late 2018. Crownshot spent almost two years with the LEC team, and put in solid performances for the side. In 2019 they took a respectable sixth place in the Spring Season, competing in the Spring Playoffs, before finishing seventh in summer, but the next year, things weren’t as rosy. SK couldn’t find their rhythm, and finished ninth in the Spring Season, but things improved in summer as they capped a fifth place Playoffs spot. After the Summer Season wrapped, Crownshot left the team, and was later picked up by Gen.G’s stream team in January 2021.
“I was just streaming a lot, spending time with my family and playing solo queue,” says the 22-year-old about his brief break from professional play. “Streaming did not satisfy my competitive itch. I felt it every time I was watching LEC, that it is where I really want to be, competing instead of streaming.”
Realising that competition was where his true passion lay, Crownshot jumped at the chance to get back on the LEC stage. When the announcement came on 9 February, Vitality was floundering with only one win to their name and fans hoped that Crownshot’s signing could mark a turning point for the struggling team.
Crownshot is looking to raise Vitality’s game in 2021.
“It has been nice to return, even though the circumstances in the team weren't the best when I joined,” explains Crownshot. “I am still confident that we can turn things around, though.”
“I think the Vitality Crownshot change was pretty surprising,” says Foxdrop. “Comp wasn't the problem in that struggling lineup, but sometimes you do have to mix things up. Having said that, ADC isn't traditionally a shot-calling role, so it's definitely an interesting case.”
If their results from Week 5 are an indication, that turnaround might already have begun. Vitality put an end to Fnatic’s recent four-game winning streak, taking down the renowned team last weekend. Vitality showed improved synergy in this match, indicating that Crownshot’s shot-calling skills were already proving a huge benefit. Unfortunately, they couldn’t repeat this success against Rogue, who have looked positively ferocious in recent weeks. Vitality will now be looking to improve their Spring standings as much as possible before looking towards Summer for a new beginning.
“We are trying to turn the season around,” adds Crownshot, “and then get our heads clear and try to get as high as possible in the table for the summer.”
To The Stars
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Carl “MagiFelix” Boström, meanwhile, was put on the map by Fnatic Rising, the academy team who had dominated the UK League of Legends scene for several years. MagiFelix frequently popped off playing his staple champion Azir, while he’s known for dominating the solo queue rankings. Needless to say, having him at the top-flight of EU competition will surely put his skills to the test.
“MagiFelix is the best European solo queue player of all time,” enthuses Foxdrop. “That being said, he had never been able to make a significant impact on the rosters he played in in tournaments such as EU Masters. But it always felt like he was just one step away from being something special – not necessarily a flashy player, but reliable and consistently good. I really hope he can take that next step.”
MagiFelix has replaced Nukeduck in Astralis’ mid lane.
MagiFelix has been drafted into Astralis to replace Erland “Nukeduck” Holm, who stepped away for personal reasons. While Nukeduck brought experience to the team, MagiFelix brings raw mechanical talent, which he proved time and time again during his solo queue escapades.
“My transition from playing solo queue at home to joining Astralis was very sudden,” explains the Swede. “Just a couple of days after they messaged me, I was flying to Copenhagen to replace Nukeduck. So I had to work on getting my skills back because I hadn’t played competitively for four months.”
MagiFelix has already shown some exciting promise in the Astralis squad, debuting in Week 4 vs FC Schalke 04, as they emerged victorious. He showcased a true masterclass on Corki, helping his side end the game in just 29 minutes, landing 13 kills to Schalke's four. Astralis have since gone 2-2 with MagiFelix on the roster, and his addition is a clear indication that the team can pull out some positive results. This weekend will be a true test, however, with games against Fnatic and Rogue looming. If Astralis can clinch a win in either one of these tough games, the hope for playoffs may still be alive.
“I'm excited to play against Fnatic this week because their games are always a bloodbath,” says MagiFelix. “It’s always fun when the enemy team is not afraid to go for the play and you don't know what to expect.”
Team Vitality also have some challenging games ahead of them. On Friday they will take on G2, followed by a bout with the mighty MAD Lions. “I am really excited to face the G2 bot lane, as Rekkles and Mikyx are super strong,” says Crownshot. We'll soon see if Vitality can turn their fortunes around.
