In a remarkable turn of events...
The League roster of the Disguised organization bid the North American Champions League (NACL) upside-down by triumphing in a definitive playoff run. However, the announcement soon followed that the victorious team will not stick together for 2024.
The eventful year...
Interestingly, the year has been an eventful one for content creator-run organizations. These include Moist’s success across various titles, the increasing fan bases of both KOI and KCorp in Europe, and the rise of Disguised’s organization. The latter managed to find success in League of Legends shortly after a less than impressive performance in Valorant.
The struggle of Tier 2 teams...
Despite the impressive show, the Disguised organization and other Tier 2 teams have grappled with financial difficulties and issues around consolidating rosters due to the structure of Riot esports' competitions.
The disbandment...
The Disguised team, offering performances of near LCS-caliber quality, disbanded after their win. The disbandment was a deliberate move aimed at providing the players with the best opportunity to make it to the LCS.
Challenges operating in the Tier 2 ecosystem...
Challenges of operating a team within the Tier 2 ecosystem were discussed at length, particularly how the league’s nature as a developmental platform makes it difficult to maintain a team once the season concludes. The best players will likely aspire to rise to the LCS levels of greatness.
Post-win developments...
Immediately after the win, inquiries were already being directed towards the players about their subsequent moves. Instead of attempting to restrain and retain his players, Disguised decided to release them to search for opportunities independently.
The intention...
The intention to retain these players only until the season concluded was disclosed. The primary aim was to allow each player to 'pursue LCS opportunities freely and without any kind of restrictions.' This approach was meant to give them the best chance of transforming their win into a stable career.
Disguised’s stance...
Disguised pointed out that as an NACL team, there is currently no pathway for any Disguised players to work their way up to the LCS level as long as they remain on the team. The organization would vouch for each player's work ethic and encourages all LCS teams to give them a trial.
Future plans...
However, this does not mark an end for Disguised’s interest in the scene. They plan to return to the game stronger and with a complete new roster for 2024.