Schalke 04 jungler Gilius is set to make his return to the LEC this week after being subbed out due to poor performances in the first two weeks of the Spring Split.
The organization said that this move is meant to help Gilius obtain valuable experience to prepare for the finals of the Prime League.
S04 has nothing to lose right now since they’re out of LEC playoff contention. The team bounced back after a few weeks of disappointing play, but it’s too late for them to improve their place in the standings. They’re in eighth place with a 5-11 record. Even if they win their remaining matches, they’ll be 7-11, which still won’t be enough to secure a playoff spot.
Gilius has been known in the community for always getting subbed out in favor of Kikis, regardless of which team he landed on. Following the disappointing results of S04 at the beginning of the split where they were unable to obtain a win during their first four matches, fans were eagerly awaiting an announcement of Kikis subbing in. But that substitution never occurred and S04 promoted their Academy jungler, Lukas “Lurox” Thoma, who stepped in and improved a lot over the past couple of weeks.
S04 also announced that this substitution allows them to add the LEC jungler to their Academy roster as a substitute. It’s a win-win scenario considering the remaining LEC games have no impact on their future. They need to focus on identifying what went wrong this split and prepare for the next one.
S04 will face G2 Esports and Rogue in their two remaining LEC Spring Split matches. While S04 were the first team to take a win off of the dominant G2 this year, it’s unclear whether G2 will repeat the same mistakes as last time. Their undefeated record made them play extremely aggressive and try out crazy stuff. Will G2 return to their roots and play snowballing champions or will they default to comfort picks?
While the matchup against Rogue has no affect on S04’s place in the standings, it could have a huge impact on Rogue. Following the changes made to the LEC playoff format early in the season, the fifth and sixth teams start in the lower bracket and can be eliminated in the first round, while the top four teams get a second chance if they lose in the higher bracket. Rogue are now in fifth with a 9-7 record. They need to win both matches to get a chance to dethrone MAD Lions from their fourth spot and have a shot at a safer playoff run.
The LEC returns tomorrow with Rogue vs. SK Gaming at 12pm CT.
