Nick “LS” De Cesare set to join T1 as coach, according to leaked chat

According to translated screenshots from Lee “Effort” Sang-ho, LCK colour commentator and LoL analyst Nick “LS” De Cesare may well be joining T1 as a coach, with former Starcraft II pro and current Teamfight Tactics player Choi “Polt” Seong-hun to join as Head Coach.

A recent stream by T1 support Effort is the source with the player inadvertently showing a discord chat that  showed that LCK commentator and analyst LS will be joining the organisation as a coach, with former SCII pro and current TFT player Polt to join as Head Coach.

(Picture: Lee “Effort” Sang-ho)

A translation of the leaked Discord messages was posted on Reddit by u/Furious Doggo:

““T1: Hello! Here are [Head Coach] Polt  and [Coach] LS who will be joining T1 next year... Head Coach Polt is currently in self-isolation since he came here from the U.S. Please provide your feedback after watching the video above. For instance, please share your [thoughts on] things that you don't agree with or the potential drafts, plays....etc. The youtube video has... Korean subs! Make sure that you turn on the subs before you watch.”
“Teddy: (The image is blurry but it looks like teddy in Korean letters 테디): So, do I send my opinions to LS coach?”
 
“LS: (some blur here makes the profile somewhat uncertain, but context suggests LS): I'm back home fixing my computer at the moment. I will check the msgs [sic] when I'm done fixing my computer ㅇㅅㅇ ah.. I don't have the monitor and the cables for the computer so I can't use my computer in my house ㅡ_ㅡ mindblown…””

(Picture: Nick “LS” De Cesare)

The leaked messages (if correct) pretty explicitly confirm both LS and Polt as the new coaching staff for T1. With Polt’s background primarily being in other esports (Starcraft and Teamfight Tactics), it’s likely that LS will be given more control over draft, play and in-game performance, whereas as Polt (a South Korean Native) will be looking to bring in experience from other esports and overarching responsibilities.
 Polt after his victory in 2015 WCS Season 1 (Picture: Turtle Entertainment)

LS is famous within the LoL scene for his unorthodox view on how the game should be played, often critiquing and opposing current trends within the game to some controversy.

His views on things like inefficient purchases of items like Morellonomicon compared to Liandry’s Torment, and prioritisation of freezing sidelines over aggressively pushing or bouncing minion waves often set him apart from a number of other analysts within the scene.

• Read more: DAMWON Gaming beat Suning to win Worlds 2020

A role as a coach of T1 would be LS’ biggest appointment to date, and would be a prime opportunity to prove his brand of coaching with an elite organisation. For T1, these appointments come as something of a calculated risk. T1 are three-time World Champions and won LCK Spring this year, before failing to reach the World Championships in Summer.
 
The disappointing end to the season led to the organisation parting ways with Coach Kim, former coach of both Invictus Gaming and DAMWON Gaming. T1 will be hoping - assuming the leaks prove true - that LS and Polt will offer the edge required to take T1 back to the top, especially after DWG’s recent victory at Worlds 2020.