Analyzing Cloud9’s controversial Academy roster strategy and the systemic flaws in LCS development pipelines
The Zven Conundrum: Import Slot Dilemma Explained
Cloud9’s strategic roster decisions for their 2022 Academy team generated significant discussion across social media platforms, revealing deeper systemic issues.
Head coach Nick ‘LS’ De Cesare detailed the organization’s unconventional approach in their announcement video. The most notable decision involved veteran marksman Jesper ‘Zven’ Svenningsen, a multiple Worlds championship participant, being excluded from starting positions on both primary and Academy squads.
New year, new coach, new philosophy. How we built the 2022 Cloud9 #LCS Academy Roster – powered by @Microsoft. pic.twitter.com/wLjfv0jOqd
— Cloud9 (@Cloud9) December 27, 2021
LS attributed this decision primarily to import slot restrictions. Each LCS organization receives three major region import allocations distributed between their main and Academy rosters. Despite Zven’s extensive five-year tenure competing in North America, he maintains European import classification status.
Cloud9’s primary lineup already utilized two import positions with top laner Park ‘Summit’ Woo-Tae and AD Carry Kim ‘Berserker’ Min-Cheol occupying those slots.
The organization strategically allocated their final import slot to European jungler Sebastian ‘Malice’ Edholm for the Academy roster. Malice and LS share professional history from their time together with LCK Challengers squad BBQ Olivers, departing under contentious conditions in May 2019.
LS further explained that Zven would participate more actively in Academy scrim sessions than starting AD Carry Calvin ‘K1ng’ Truong. While K1ng handles stage competitions, he receives substantially less practice time than Zven despite holding the official starting position.
LS’s Philosophy: Why Academy Performance Doesn’t Matter
Superficially, starting a less-practiced competitor appears counterproductive for Academy team success. However, Cloud9 demonstrates greater concern for LCS practice quality than Academy roster competitive performance.
LS justified these controversial determinations by stating “ultimately, Riot does not care about Academy. Because they don’t, all that we care about is the best version of the Cloud9 team that we can possibly make.”
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LS later elaborated on Twitter, clarifying that “there is no incentive to do well in Academy”.
Clarity on my comment in the c9 video as not everyone will see my reddit comment (or even this tweet but w.e): The “doesnt care about academy” is that there is no incentive to do well in academy. 1st or last makes no difference since its up to teams/mngments to decide your play
— H. Baker (@LSXYZ9) December 28, 2021
The Academy league primarily functions as a developmental platform for aspiring LCS professionals. The franchise model implementation eliminates traditional promotion/relegation systems, rendering Academy tournament success largely symbolic since no direct pathway exists to tier-one competition.
This strategic approach highlights a fundamental shift in how organizations prioritize resource allocation. Teams increasingly view Academy systems as training facilities rather than competitive entities, focusing investment on developing individual player skills over team achievement metrics.
The absence of meaningful consequences for poor Academy performance creates an environment where organizations can experiment with unconventional strategies without competitive repercussions.
Microsoft Partnership and Statistical Controversy
The Zven-K1ng situation wasn’t the most contentious element of Cloud9’s announcement. When explaining support Jonah ‘Isles’ Rosario’s LCS starting position, the video highlighted his exceptional CS differential statistics as primary justification for his promotion.
The community rapidly identified CS metrics as particularly irrelevant for evaluating support performance, since support champions typically avoid minion elimination responsibilities in most game scenarios.
I know everyone’s focused on the roster stuff and zven/k1ng but
The lead data scientist for C9 just said Isles stood out and is deserving of LCS because not only was he first in KDA but also at CS@10, CS/min and CS%
??????????? https://t.co/pkeJ5F5v8r
— Renato Perdigão (@Shakarez) December 28, 2021
The statistical presentation segment served as promotional content for Microsoft’s Power BI analytics platform – though many critics suggested Cloud9 selected particularly inappropriate metrics to demonstrate the tool’s capabilities.
Proper support evaluation should prioritize metrics like vision score, kill participation, crowd control accuracy, and objective control participation rather than farm-related statistics. This misstep demonstrates the challenges teams face when transitioning to data-driven decision making without proper statistical literacy.
The incident highlights the importance of domain expertise in esports analytics, where understanding game context proves equally crucial as statistical proficiency.
Strategic Implications for LCS Development
Cloud9’s approach reveals systemic issues within the LCS development ecosystem. The franchise system’s elimination of promotion/relegation mechanisms has fundamentally altered how organizations approach player development.
Without meaningful competitive stakes, Academy leagues risk becoming glorified practice environments rather than genuine developmental competitions. This creates challenges for evaluating emerging talent in high-pressure competitive scenarios.
Organizations must balance short-term competitive needs with long-term player development, often making difficult decisions regarding resource allocation between main and Academy rosters.
The import slot system adds additional complexity, forcing teams to make strategic choices about which positions to prioritize for international talent versus domestic development.
As esports continues evolving, organizations like Cloud9 will likely continue pushing boundaries in roster construction and development strategies, challenging traditional approaches to competitive gaming ecosystems.
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