League of Legends: Astralis looking to sell their slot in the LEC
Denmark-based organisation Astralis are getting ready to leave the League of Legends (LoL) esports scene.
As first reported by Upcomer, is considering selling their League of Legends European Championship (LEC) slot after this season.
Karmine Corp, Natus Vincere (Na'Vi), and a third, unannounced North American esports organisation have all expressed interest in the said spot.
Astralis' history in the LEC
Founded in 2016, Astralis were the first Danish player-owned organization that originally started as a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team by the original Danish roster of TSM (then TeamSoloMid).
In 2019, RFRSH Entertainment, Astralis’ parent company, acquired the LoL team Origen, which was renamed to Astralis in 2021.
While Astralis have housed a couple of big names like Elias “Upset” Lipp, Fnatic’s current bot laner, the team’s performance in the LEC hasn’t been as strong and consistent through the years as it might have hoped.
As Origen, the group placed 8th in LEC 2019 Summer and 4th in the Regional finals.
The team then placed 3rd in the 2020 LEC Spring Season and 4th in the Spring Playoffs. They would drop to 10th place in the LEC Summer Season, where they missed the LEC Playoffs for the first time since joining the league.
After being renamed, Astralis continued to miss the Playoffs in the coming seasons, placing 9th in the 2021 Spring Season and 7th-8th in the Summer of the same year.
This losing streak continued into 2022, where they were 10th in LEC Spring and 9th in LEC Summer.
Interested Parties for the LEC Slot
One of the parties most interested in Astralis' spot, according to Upcomer's report, was Karmine Corp, from La Ligue Française de League of Legends.
Since joining the local French league, Karmine Corp have routinely set new viewership records and became the first team to win three consecutive European Masters titles, making them a fan favourite to join the LEC.
Ukraine-based Na'Vi are another popular organisation interested in the spot. The team used to take part in smaller local LoL tournaments until 2016 before the team disbanded. That said, not much is known about Na'Vi’s level of interest in entering the LEC.
A third and unnamed North American esports organisation was also interested in the slot. Rumours about TSM joining the LEC flared up since the announcement, but nothing has been confirmed at this time.
Should this sale push through, Astralis will be the second team after Misfits Gaming to leave the LEC.
Despite a relatively strong showing this year, Misfits Gaming have sold their LEC slot to Spain's Team Heretics for Season 2023.
Anna is a freelance writer and photographer. She is a gamer who loves RPGs and platformers, and is a League of Legends geek. She's also a food enthusiast who loves a good cup of black coffee.
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