For the ultimate choose of their first sport of the 2023 LCS Spring Cut up, 100 Thieves locked in Azir—a champion that Søren “Bjergsen” Bjerg may maneuver to make game-changing performs as he has carried out for the previous decade. However there was one obtrusive situation: the draft had completed and 100T had seemingly not locked in a assist, now venturing onto the Rift to play in opposition to the staff that value the org the LCS Championship final 12 months, Cloud9.
But this was completely calculated by the staff. As a substitute of sitting again and falling sufferer to the facility of the opposing Ashe and Heimerdinger bot lane, they sought to counter it unconventionally with Azir within the assist position. This is able to be the primary impression that the staff’s latest assist participant and Academy prospect, Alan “Busio” Cwalina, would make not solely on the remainder of the competitors within the LCS however to followers world wide.
As a part of the overhaul to 100T’s LCS roster, the primary main modifications made to the staff since bringing collectively their championship-winning roster in 2021, the org welcomed two of its most proficient Academy gamers, Busio and Milan “Tenacity” Oleksij, to the principle stage. But it surely wasn’t simply any gamers they’d be becoming a member of; alongside them had been Can “Nearer” Çelik, Bjergsen, and the highly-anticipated return of Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng, all of whom have a number of LCS accolades to their names.
Relatively than really feel pressured that he’d be enjoying with these gamers, particularly proper subsequent to Doublelift within the bot lane, Busio internalized how lengthy he had been combating for an opportunity to compete on the LCS stage, realizing that he deserved this chance and would do his greatest no matter who was round him. But as a rookie, Busio remained conscious that the impression he hoped to make wouldn’t be so simply earned.
“Typically I do really feel like, if I’m enjoying unhealthy, I believe I’m disappointing the those who selected me,” Busio instructed Dot Esports. “However there’s a stability. I must additionally mentally perceive that I’m not presupposed to be the most effective participant proper now, I would like time to be snug on stage.”
For the previous a number of years, Busio carried out alongside and progressed via the degrees of the 100T League of Legends program, together with the beginner staff 100 Subsequent, the 100 Thieves Academy roster, and now a part of the principle LCS squad. In that point, Busio has remained one of many most-watched assist gamers, having ended nearly every tournament under the 100T umbrella within the top five—most not too long ago leaving his last Academy break up as the most valuable prospect, despite the fact that he didn’t know the award existed for some time.
Having been part of 100T for thus lengthy made Busio really feel way more snug in getting ready for his LCS debut. Between the individuals, workers, and the constructing, Busio famous that the transfer to the LCS was a “easy transition,” particularly realizing that he was heading to the principle roster alongside a trusted teammate that shared his success final 12 months in Tenacity—even acknowledging that he “wouldn’t need him on a special staff.”
Off-meta picks like Azir are all part of the mid-laner-turned-support’s plan to shake up the LCS and acted as a staple trait that allowed Busio to face out amongst different helps whereas within the Academy scene. All through the 2022 Academy season, Busio introduced champions like Nasus and Rumble into the assist position, whereas additionally having the ability to carry out exceptionally effectively on extra meta champions when needed.
“Selecting one thing the enemy hasn’t practiced in opposition to 100 instances previously two weeks offers us an enormous benefit,” Busio mentioned. “However there’s a stability. You choose what is nice and what you suppose is nice, and never simply stuff randomly. You may immediately win a sport off a choose like Azir simply because the enemy doesn’t know how you can play in opposition to it.”
He could also be a brand new face within the LCS, however Busio already feels a distinction within the present 100T roster in comparison with any he had been part of earlier than. Beside him had been 4 gamers, all acknowledged for his or her particular person strengths, that had been extra pushed to succeed than he was used to, which served as motivation previous the stress of stepping onto the LCS stage for the primary time.
“I’ve truly by no means been on a roster the place everyone actually needs to win,” Busio mentioned. “Even on my Academy groups, it’s like some persons are simply type of chilling. However when 5 persons are purchased in, it positively feels method higher.”
Whereas Busio’s stunning Azir choose didn’t result in a victory in his first match, he walked away from his debut having felt much less nervous than he anticipated, realizing that this was simply the beginning of what’s set to be a break up stuffed with progress for himself. And that observe to success begins with him actually discovering his groove alongside the behemoths of this new 100T roster, hoping to convey again and hone the abilities that made him such a menace within the Academy scene.
“In my second break up of Academy, I used to be our important shotcaller—however proper now, after all, new staff and far more skilled voices than me, I’m probably not doing that,” Busio mentioned. “I wish to be extra aggressive, I wish to punish. I believe that’s a method scarier staff; groups that aren’t trying to simply play tremendous gradual, truly pushing your lead.”
Busio will look to get his first LCS win tonight in opposition to Immortals, the place he may shock followers with one more distinctive assist choose from his deep champion pool.