Golden Guardians completes its 2021 LCS roster with rookie talent
Golden Guardians has finalized its LCS roster for the 2021 season, and it’s full of new faces.
Golden Guardians started the offseason by releasing all of its LCS players, leaving the fans wondering what the roster would look like in 2021. Just a couple of days later, fans got their answer. Golden Guardians, unlike the other LCS teams, is betting on up-and-coming talent with three rookies and one player from a minor region.
The core of this roster is veteran bottom laner Trevor “Stixxay” Hayes, who recently parted ways with Counter Logic Gaming after five years. Stixxay will be laning with Argentinian support Leandro “Newbie” Marcos. Newbie played under All Knights in the LLA before being signed by Golden Guardians. Newbie won two domestic MVP titles and one LLA championship, but the team couldn’t qualify to Worlds in 2020.
In the mid lane, Golden Guardians is promoting academy player Nicholas “Ablazeolive” Abbott. Ablazeolive is regarded as one of the best mid laners competing at the academy level and is finally getting his shot at the LCS.
The top lane-jungle duo is joining directly from the Maryville University. Aiden “Niles” Tidwell will start in the top lane with Ethan “Iconic” Wilkinson in the jungle. Maryville, which is located in St. Louis, Missouri, has a successful League of Legends program that has achieved multiple titles through the years. Iconic and Niles are the first duo to be picked up as starters for an LCS team.
“We look at the human behind the keyboard. One of the best things you can do with a team is get five players in a room that actively want to work together, who are motivated. When that mentality is carried by all of the players, you’re able to get so much better, so much faster. It’s really exciting to be at the very start and kind of be the spark that lights the flame of someone’s carrer,” Golden Guardians general manager Danan Flander said.
Coach Nick “Inero” Smith will be in charge of the squad for the upcoming season.
Read Also
League of Legends
LYON vs Shopify Rebellion LCS playoffs lower bracket: Best bets and predictions
Ben Boland
LYON faces Shopify Rebellion in the lower bracket of the LCS Summer Playoffs 2026. The winner of this match claims North America’s final spot at the 2026 League of Legends World Championship, while the loser ends their season in fourth place. Neither team should have been in this spot. LYON entered the playoffs as the favorite and they’re now in the loser’s bracket, and SR was expected to lose much ...
League of Legends
Team Liquid vs Cloud9 LCS Playoffs Upper Bracket Finals: Bets and Predictions
Ben Boland
The LCS Upper Bracket finals are one many would not have predicted. Team Liquid takes on Cloud9 to see which team will lock in their spot in the Worlds 2026 Swiss stage and the LCS Summer Grand Finals. League of Legends bettors are in for a treat in this best-of-five, with many good bets available. Let’s take a look at some of the best bets for the Cloud9 vs. Team ...
League of Legends
The LEC’s Viewership Is Down 20% From Summer 2025
Ben Boland
As the Summer Split has concluded, the results are out — and the LEC’s viewership keeps declining for the second year in a row. Even though Europe has achieved strong results this year, fewer viewers follow these teams regionally afterwards. According to Escharts, the LoL European league has recorded 173,989 average viewers in Summer 2026, and 438,821 peak viewers. In 2025, the LEC had an average viewership of 213,292 with ...
League of Legends
Is Voice Chat Coming to League of Legends in 2026?
Ben Boland
After a decade of being opposed to it, Riot has finally taken steps to implement voice chat in League of Legends. However, the launch of voice chat in LoL has been delayed as the feature is experiencing setbacks. Here’s a rundown of the situation. Earlier this year, players discovered voice chat-related files on the LoL Player Beta Environment (PBE). Following them, Riot communicated on March 13 that they were now ...
League of Legends
LoL: Europe Shines Against Korea in 2026 As NA Struggles To Keep Pace
Ben Boland
In 2026, Europe has had its best results against the East in LoL Esports history. While their losses to North America may overshadow their achievements, EU has a winning record against South Korea this year. Meanwhile, NA has the LEC’s number but has its worst head-to-head against the East since 2023 — here I will break down the key statistics that show this. After years of Europe being a shell ...
League of Legends
Which League of Legends Region Will Win 2026 Worlds?
Hannan Mundia
The League of Legends World Championship is easily the game’s most important annual tournament. The top teams from every major region compete for a chance to win the substantial cash prize and etch their names in League of Legends history. This year will be no different, with the 2026 Worlds coming beginning on October 15. Teams from multiple regions have already qualified for the tournament, though their performances throughout the ...
Esports Betting
Cloud9 vs LYON LCS Summer Playoffs Upper Bracket: Best Bets and Predictions
Ben Boland
It’s a great time to be a League of Legends esports bettor with the LCS Summer playoffs heating up. We have Cloud9 looking to slay their playoff demons against LYON, a side that is looking to win their third straight championship. With LYON picking Cloud9 as their opponent, perhaps they are extremely confident they will get the job done, or are they underestimating the boys in blue? Stay tuned as ...
