How Soligo and Neo put Dignitas in third at the LCS

Nicholas James Published 15/02/2021

In a surprise turn of events, Dignitas now holds the third place slot in the upper echelon of the LCS. The team is sitting at a comfortable 4-2 record in the first third of the season and are challenging teams like TSM for a top spot in the mid season tournament.

The team’s meteoric rise has much to do with its new additions, mainly Max “Soligo” Soong and Toàn “Neo” Trần, and how they support the squad. While the spotlight may be on the organization’s star jungler Joshua “Dardoch” Hartnett, the rookies have put in the work and have been bright spots for a team that no one expected to perform this well.

Dignitas fans surprised by Soligo and Neo

Not many people would have pegged Dignitas as a top team to start the season. Even by the organization’s own admission, the goal for this roster was development with an eye towards the future. The overall plan from the outside was for the team to develop their young core into serviceable players fast and then take on the Summer Split with a push towards playoffs.

For many fans, the jury has been out on players like Soligo and Neo. Both players had short stints on starting rosters before and did not impress on their initial debuts. Even with the surrounding veteran talent of Dardoch and Zaqueri “aphromoo” Black, not many people thought that they could improve to the point of top-four contention.

But now, the team is in the early running for a top seed and much of that success can be attributed to Soligo’s supportive playstyle and Neo coming into his own as a carry player.

Dignitas impress in the LCS Spring Split 2021

Dignitas has come into the season with a very comprehensive style, putting Dardoch in the limelight with his various jungle champion picks and carry mentality. The team is set up to support him and survive the early laning phase of the game.

This is where many thought Neo and Soligo would falter as newer players, getting run over by the veteran talent at both positions in the league. But, both players have thrived in the competitive environment.

Soligo has forgone any expectations for him as he has facilitated many of the plays that have won Dignitas games. He thrives on mage champions and supports his team well, having a 62% kill share with his team. He is always in the right spot at the right time, which is especially helpful to come back in chaotic games like his matches against Counter Logic Gaming and Evil Geniuses.

For Neo, the academy graduate was seen as just another in a long line of aphromoo pupils that may need time to grow into a good player. He bucked that trend early by showing the league his mechanical prowess and fearlessness in lane. He and aphromoo have the highest KDA in the league, 9.1 and 8.9 respectively, and should be considered one of the most deadly duos in the region.

Both players had rough starts to their careers, but now look great next to stars like Dardoch and aphromoo. The two veterans can facilitate plays for Neo and not force Soligo into a carry mentality as he is more fit for supportive mid lane play.

Nicholas James

About Nicholas James

Nicholas James is a gaming writer with a passion for all things geekdom, as well as live theater. Nicholas is best known for covering League of Legends and other top MOBA titles, but his expertise covers numerous games across multiple genres. When not watching the LCS or playing the latest new release, Nicholas can be found doing some tabletop gaming and painting his favorite miniatures. Nicholas has also published with Hotspawn, TheGamer, Dexerto, Esports.gg and other industry outlets.

View full profile