North America’s representatives at the League of Legends World Championship last year NRG may have played their final game together as a core following their elimination from the LCS 2024 Summer Championship by Dignitas today.
In one of the most entertaining LCS series in recent memory, little could separate the two squads as each traded matches, with an all-or-nothing fifth game to decide whose World’s dream remained alive. Ultimately, mistakes out of the NRG camp cost them greatly as series MVP Licorice led DIG to victory 3-2 after a grueling 49-minute finale.
NRG jungler Contractz, who was at his consistent best throughout all five games, was inconsolable after the loss, fighting back tears in a post-game interview where he shared that the team’s future is up in the air.
The LCS will cut a further two teams after the summer split heading into 2025 as part of the region’s conference merge with South America. “It’s really emotional because next year we don’t really know what’s going to happen,” Contractz said, adding that he and the squad “put their all” into the split and series against DIG.
“I’ve just really enjoyed playing with my teammates for three years,” he concluded, hinting that he, Palafox, and Dhokla may not play under the same banner in 2025 depending on the LCS downsize and who stays and goes. The trio have competed together since 2022, culminating in a fairytale championship run last year and a top-eight finish at League Worlds after joining NRG following CLG’s collapse in spring 2023.
NRG was unable to keep their 2023 momentum rolling into this year. A 6-8 record in the spring was quickly followed by a five-match loss to 100 Thieves in the playoffs and qualifier for MSI, while a lesser 2-5 record had them just scrape into the summer championship. Now, however, it’s an early break for the squad ahead of what is sure to be a tumultuous off-season for the NA region.
Dignitas proceed through the lower bracket, where they’ll take on the lower-seeded of the upper bracket losers next Friday, Aug. 30.
