Golden Guardians has unveiled its full starting roster for the upcoming 2021 League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) season. The organization has rebuilt the team after every member of their 2020 starting lineup left for another team. The “developmental” squad will debut early next year.

Golden Guardians found little success in the 2020 LCS season, finishing 5-6th in both the Spring and Summer splits. Top laner Kevin “Hauntzer” Yarnell and support Choi “huhi” Jae-hyun left the team earlier this month after their contracts expired, with the latter eventually joining 100 Thieves. Huhi was later joined by jungler Can “closer” Çelik, AD carry Victor “FBI” Huang, and mid laner Tanner “Damonte” Damonte under the 100 Thieves name.

After a complete roster reset, Golden Guardians will go into the 2021 LCS season with a brand-new lineup. The new team is mostly made up of rookies, led by former CLG AD carry Trevor “Stixxay” Hayes. Aiden “Niles” Tidwell will take over the top lane, joined by Maryville University teammate Ethan “Ic0nic” Wilkinson in the jungle.

Golden Guardians Academy mid laner Nicholas “Ablazeolive” Abbott moves up to the main roster. The 22-year-old won the LCS Academy League Spring split in 2019 while playing for Team SoloMid’s Academy side. The team is rounded out by Argentinian support player Leandro “Newbie” Marcos, who attended the 2017 Mid-Season Invitational with Isurus Gaming. Under the All Knights banner, Newbie won LLA Opening 2020 and placed second in LLA Closing.

Golden Guardians says it wants to “set the standard” for what a team reset looks like. The developmental squad brings inexperienced players to the region’s biggest stage, to compete against some of the most successful names in North American League of Legends.

“I’m hoping that we set the standard for what a reset and what a developmental team looks like,” Golden Guardians general manager Danan Flander says in the announcement video. “When NA once again didn’t make it out of groups [at the 2020 World Championship]; I think that’s what we’ll be able to point to and say, ‘we’re trying to problem solve it in a really unique way, compared to other teams.’”

Golden Guardians will debut its new roster in the upcoming 2021 LCS season, which is expected to begin sometime early next year.

Source: Golden Guardians