This article was originally published on GameSpot's sister site onGamers.com, which was dedicated to esports coverage.

　　The second season of Riot Games’ League of Legends Championship Series kicks off in Europe on 14th of January. Despite all the controversy surrounding some of the promotional tournament and the competing organizations during the last week, we, arguably, have the best eight teams from the Old Continent are ready to show what they are capable of during the next eleven weeks and as the aim to create new unforgetable moments on Summoner’s Rift.

　　Let’s have a look at each of the participants.

　　

Alliance

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　　Throughout the off-season there was a new rumor regarding a so called “super team” almost every day. Now that all the rosters have been locked, it won’t be an overstatement if we say that new Alliance squad is the closest thing we have to deserving that title. Built around the Evil Geniuses veterans Froggen and Wickd, the lineup also includes the best jungler in Europe according to Diamond: Shook. In the bot lane we find one of Europe's brightest ADC talents who transitioned from a mid laner, known primarily for one champion, to a real marksman threat in mere months, Tabzz, and Nyph, a support player with tons of experience dating back to the Season 1 Championship.

　　The potential of the lineup is evident, but you can’t just put five star players together and expect them to make it work. Luckily for Alliance, it seems that they have the needed chemistry as their display against Team Dignitas in the Battle of the Atlantic was more than promising even if Nyph was still not playing with them at the time. Both pro players and the community expect the team to fight for the top spots in the spring split rankings and maybe even top them, and Alliance are entering the league hungry to prove themselves worthy of those expectations.

　　

Copenhagen Wolves

The Danish organization Copenhagen Wolves is making a triumphant return to the European LCS and their current lineup has no intention whatsoever to start the split with a slow.

　　Considered throughout the second half of 2013 as the strongest challenger team, YoungBuck and company secured a much deserved spot among the big boys by taking out MYM 3-1. The real test for them though will be their performance against the likes of Gambit, Fnatic and Alliance because dominating the challenger scene is one thing but going up against the very best in Europe every week is a whole different story. However, let’s not forget that last year Cloud 9 also entered the NA LCS as the top challenger team and crushed everyone on their way to the top - hard work and great team coordination should never be underestimated.

　　

Fnatic

The back to back champions of EU LCS 2013’s splits return to the league along with a new member - the young Swede often called an ADC prodigy, Rekkles. However, there may be a certain amount of pressure on both him and the team since they haven’t performed particularly well upon his return to the squad. They finished second at IEM Cologne after getting whooped by Gambit in the finals and lost the deciding match of the Battle of the Atlantic against Cloud 9. Looking back at their LCS history, we can assume that they may still experience some unsatisfying results in the first few weeks of the competition but will most probably get back on track after that and start pressuring for the top spots of the rankings. After a very successful 2013, xPeke won’t let his team slack and will do everything in his power for them to be back to #1 in Europe, but the competition may be fiercer than ever with the renewed Gambit and the fearsome Alliance lineup vying for the same.

　　

Gambit Gaming

The Russian overlords reunited with their original support player Edward during the off-season and immediately proved that this move helped them get back to their best form. They claimed the title at IEM Cologne and won against XD.GG during the Battle of the Atlantic without much trouble. In a typical Gambit fashion they may have slight problems on the first day of the LCS, but expect them to quickly cast those aside and dominate the league or at the very least be in the top 3.

　　A factor that may cripple their performance in the long run however is yet again the impossibility to acquire a gaming house in Germany due to visa regulations. The constant traveling will reduce the time they can put into practice which might not allow them to play to the best of their abilities. If push comes to shove before important matches or the second super week which will close out the split though, they could go to a bootcamp like they have done in the past and utilize it to great results.

　　

Millenium

Ex-Team Alternate switched to Millenium as their title sponsor but the roster underwent changes even before that. The man that brought the team together, ForellenLord, was released, while former SK Gaming top laner, Kev1n, became the fifth man in the lineup. That also meant that Kerp would move to the mid lane and from what we saw in the team’s games against CLG during the Battle of the Atlantic, he’s doing more than fine in his new role. Millenium’s convincing 2-0 victory in LA showed great team coordination but also a lot of individual skill on each position. Despite that, most people are not considering them a main contender for the top spots in the LCS which might be a mistake - 4 of those players held the #1 spot for the majority of the summer split. If this time they avoid the bad luck of players getting themselves injured, they hold a good chance of messing with the “top teams’” plans.

　　

Roccat

　　Former KMT, who are now sponsored by Roccat, were definitely the surprise of the EU LCS Promotion tournament. They barely made it into the tournament in the first place but then they swept Ninjas in Pyjamas 3-0 without even breaking a sweat. The mid laner Overpow proved himself as the main carry of the team and he will be the one who will be ban-targeted and gank-focused during games. The competition in the league, however, will definitely be very fierce and Roccat have a hard task ahead of themselves. They have to be consistent each week and prove themselves better than the previous all Polish team which was in the LCS by not finishing last. Team members have stated that their main goal is also to keep their LCS spot for the summer split and then look for possible Worlds participation, but there’s a long road ahead of them until then.

　　

SK Gaming

SK Gaming underwent massive roster changes throughout the off-season and now there is only one player left from their 2013 lineup. One of the strongest bot lanes in Europe consisting of Nyph and Candy Panda broke up for the second time and now the latter will have a new German partner in crime. nRated returns in the LCS after half a year of being a coach so the pressure is on him to prove he still belongs in the competitive scene as a player. Fredy122 and Svenskeren also have experience in the league and fans of the team are hopeful that they will pass this onto the youngest member of the team, Jesiz. SK’s new mid laner had trouble adjusting to playing offline during the off-season but he better be ready for the big stage this time because a bad start in the LCS is the last thing he or his team wants.

　　

Supa Hot Crew

Amidst all the controversy surrounding Lemondogs, Ninjas in Pyjamas and the new rules Riot enforced, Supa Hot Crew is the team that benefitted the most. They lost to SK Gaming in the promotion tournament after leading 2-0 but when fate knocked on their door offering them a second chance they made the best of it. A solid and almost one-sided 2-0 against MYM gave the last 8th spot to SHC and a main factor in that victory was their new ADC, MrRallez. The young Dane joined after the promotion tournament probably thinking this way he’s securing a spot in the Coke League but now both him and his teammates have literally two days to wrap their heads around the fact that they are now salaried players in the European LCS before the split actually starts. SHC’s last minute addition to the league will probably not allow them to prepare properly for their Week 1 matchups but that will likely make the games all the more interesting.

　　Image Credit: ESL's Flickr, Millenium, Roccat