The 2019 League of Legends LCS Summer Finals at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. [Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games]

Rockets-Owned Clutch Gaming qualifies for Worlds 2019

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HOUSTON – Clutch Gaming, the North American League of Legends professional franchise owned by Tilman Fertitta and the Houston Rockets, has qualified for Worlds in just their second year of competition.

Clutch Gaming accomplished the feat by defeating the more established and prestigious TSM (Team Solomid) in a stunning come from behind victory. In doing so, the Houston-based team earns its first bid at Worlds just months after merging with UK-based esports organization, Dignitas.

Cody Sun at the 2019 LCS Summer Finals in Detroit. [Tina Jo/Riot Games]
After falling behind 0-2 in the best-of-five regional finals, Clutch turned it around in spectacular fashion to defeat the higher-ranked and highly favored TSM — capping off a late-season resurgence led by team all-stars Sun “Cody Sun” Li-Yu and Heo “Huni” Seung-Hoon.

The second-year LCS (League of Legends Championship Series) team was launched in 2017 when the Rockets paid $13 million for the rights to own one of the League’s two expansion franchises.

The LCS is an American professional esports league for the game League of Legends — the world’s largest esports title by viewership and one dominated largely by European and Asian players.

Owned by game’s development company, Riot Games, the LCS is one of several LoL (League of Legends) professional leagues established around the world.

Clutch Gaming training for Worlds 2019 after qualifying for the play-in stage on October 2. [Courtesy of Clutch Gaming]
Each year, the World Championship pits qualifying teams from each league against each other in a winner-take-all global showdown. Clutch Gaming will be one of three North American teams representing their region this October, along with Cloud9 and three-time LCS champs Team Liquid.

Qualifying last in their region, Clutch will have to compete in the preliminary play-in phase of the tournament starting on October 2. The 12-team double round-robin tournament will produce four qualifiers for the main event tournament starting October 12.

This year’s Worlds will be held in Europe, with the finals hosted in Paris on November 10.

Vulcan at the 2019 LCS Summer Finals in Detroit. [Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games]
No North American team has won a Worlds title in any of the previous nine tournaments dating back to 2011. Like the esports market in general, professional LoL is dominated by teams like UK-based Fnatic and Korean SK Telecom.

However, Clutch’s rapid ascension is indicative of the American market’s growing legitimacy.

A corporate-backed team owned by an NBA franchise, now supported by the infrastructure of a premier overseas esports company, Clutch represents a move away from scrappy independent teams towards better-financed and more competitive organizations.

Their performance in Europe will be a litmus test, not only for their progress as a team but for the viability of a competitive North American market.