Picture credit score: Christina Oh, Riot Video games through Flickr
Staff Liquid is the primary to be eradicated from First Stand 2025, calling to query whether or not North America (NA) is falling behind within the League of Legends esports scene.
Regardless of group sentiments, Sean ‘Yeon’ Sung is adamant that their efficiency doesn’t replicate ‘how robust of a area North America is,’ as he instructed to Esports Insider in a post-match interview.
These had been the match outcomes involving Staff Liquid:
March 10: Staff Liquid 2-1 Karmine Corp
March 11: Staff Liquid 0-2 Prime Esports
March 13: Staff liquid 0-2 CBTC Flying Oyster
March 14: Staff liquid 1-2 Hanwha Life Esports
Staff Liquid is likely one of the most well-known esports rosters within the NA League of Legends scene. Their upset loss in First Stand has left followers questioning if the area is biting the mud.
In an interview with Esports Insider, Yeon stated: “To be sincere I don’t suppose that it exhibits how robust of a area North America is. I feel that this time round, we simply fell brief in each collection that we performed. I feel it was very lacklustre and we weren’t actively making an attempt to win.”
First Stand additionally noticed the implementation of the Fearless Draft format the place groups can not decide a champion they’ve already performed in a collection.
When requested if the brand new guidelines affected their possibilities at success, Yeon stated: “To an extent, however I don’t suppose that was the rationale why we didn’t present as much as this occasion.”
Staff Liquid’s First Stand Exit Casts Doubt Amongst NA Followers
Picture credit score: Christina Oh, Riot Video games through Flickr
These are the placements heading into the Knockout Phases of First Stand:
1. Hanwha Life Esports
2. CBTC Flying Oyster
3. Karmine Corp
4. Prime Esports
5. Staff Liquid (Eradicated)
Chinese language group Prime Esports managed to steal fourth place from Staff Liquid, rubbing salt within the wound that was the March eleventh match outcomes.
French esports organisation Karmine Corp initially misplaced to Staff Liquid within the First Stand opening match however clawed its strategy to third place following a number of clutch victories.
Second place is held by Taiwanese group CBTC Flying Oyster, perceived to be the one competitor to the present favourites to win, Korea’s Hanwha Life Esports.
Yeon stated that regardless of the outcomes of right now, NA nonetheless stays in a robust place in comparison with its worldwide opponents.
“I do suppose our prime three groups, even prime 4 groups, are excellent,” he stated, “Any one in every of them may have been right here right now. I feel that in the event that they had been right here, they wouldn’t have performed as dangerous as us.
“I feel we simply failed to indicate our A-game, and underperformed, however I don’t suppose the area is that a lot weaker. I’ll say, now we have fewer gamers than like, per se, Europe, however I don’t suppose our prime 4 groups are missing compared to their prime 4 groups.”
Over the previous six months, North American groups have confronted challenges within the worldwide League of Legends esports scene.
Staff Liquid’s First Stand exit provides to NA’s world struggles with one of many prime esports video games of 2025, leaving followers questioning when the West will lastly declare victory.
