Say goodbye to Schalke 04 and hello to Team BDS, the organization that will make its LEC debut in 2022 and, hopefully, leave a mark in some way, shape, or form. And even though the odds will be heavily stacked against them, we’re still optimistic that BDS will be able to carve out a place for themselves and conjure up an identity to call their own.

But that’s more of a long-term projection. In the interim, they’re bound to go through some serious growing pains and suffer through many crushing defeats at the hands of the LEC pantheon. That’s the only possibility seeing how they’re nowhere near powerful enough to compete on even footing. And, frankly, that’s totally okay; this particular line-up was never assembled with the intention of trading blows with the LEC elite. Instead of splurging millions upon millions of dollars, BDS went the opposite route — they’ve signed the potential superstars of tomorrow and have brought on a seasoned head coach capable of nurturing them in the 2022 LEC season.

And even though we’re somewhat skeptical of their chances, it is nonetheless worth mentioning that they’ve signed the right players and have shown a lot of intent — their decisions have been deliberate which tells us one very important thing: there’s a plan behind their actions. Whether it’ll pan out or not still remains to be seen, but credit where credit is due.

Team BDS set up a very solid foundation, on which they’ll be able to build upon over the coming months and years. Plus, in all fairness, they do have some potential to upset the status quo and exceed expectations — even early on. Three of their players are LFL and EU Masters champions. That might not be the most impressive thing in the world but is nonetheless an achievement worthy of mentioning. Additionally, they’ll have a seasoned support to lead the charge (one with ample mechanical prowess) and a head coach who’s been around for what feels like an eternity. 

Grabbz knows how to lead young, feisty line-ups, and if he can “work his magic” he might be able to make waves with this budding roster. So, color us intrigued!

The following five players will all compete for Team BDS going forward:

Top Lane: Adam “Adam” Maanane [Fnatic]

Jungle: Jakub “Cinkrof” Rokicki [Karmine Corp]

Mid Lane: Ilias “Nuclearint” Bizriken [Schalke 04]

AD Carry: Matthew Charles “xMatty” Coombs [Karmine Corp]

Support: Dino “LIMIT” Tot [Schalke 04]

All in all, this is a very respectable line-up, one that will no doubt embrace its underdog status and swing for the fences. Cinkrof and xMatty have been itching to show the world what they’re made of and have run circles around their opposition in the ERLs. Much of the same can be said for Adam as well — his falling out with Fnatic took us all by surprise. The two parties accomplished great things in a very short period of time, which only makes their separation that much more sour. 

Fortunately, it seems that he was destined to land on Team BDS and continue playing with two of his former Karmine Corp teammates for the 2022 LEC season! Last but certainly not least, we have LIMIT, formerly of SK Gaming Schalke 04. This talented Croat didn’t always “stick the landing,” but whenever he brought his A-game we were not left indifferent. We can’t wait to see how well he’ll adapt to a more leadership-focused role within Team BDS in 2022!

Head coach Fabian “GrabbZ” Lohmann also deserves a paragraph — at the very least. He’s amongst the most decorated and revered coaches in all of Europe and is also the only one who has ever managed to lead his team to an international title (2019 MSI). That, along with four LEC wins and three Top 4 finishes at Worlds means that Grabbz has what can only be described as a stacked resume.

The shift from G2 to BDS, however, definitely came as a surprise. We expected him to sign with another top-tier org but it seems that fate had other plans. Maybe he got fed up with all the pressure that comes with leading a stacked roster and the never-ending expectation of greatness. Regardless of what the answer might be, it’s safe to say that he’ll have a lot more fun going forward with BDS in the 2022 LEC season, now that he’s not carrying the community’s expectations on his shoulders.

Plus, it’s not like he’ll lead a bunch of greenhorns or inexperienced solo queue phenoms; we’ve heard rumblings of Karmine Corp mopping the floor with a good number of bottom-tier LEC teams, so he’ll have quite a capable line-up at his command. Is it a step down from G2? Absolutely, but after winning almost everything there is to win, Grabbz probably doesn’t mind. Why would he? He’s already accomplished more than any of his colleagues, so he might as well take on a different kind of challenge this time around.

All in all, Team BDS have assembled a very respectable line-up, one that could, by all means, perform a lot better than expected in the 2022 LEC season. Still, we’d be wise to lower our expectations and to give this organization a bit of time to settle in and find its footing.

That’s nigh impossible to predict at this point in time. Three of these players already have synergy so that’ll definitely help them out early on, but they’re nonetheless going to struggle every step of the way until they can get on the same page as a five-man unit.

One could argue that Team BDS have a higher skill ceiling than EXCEL Esports, Astralis, and (potentially) SK Gaming, but it’s still too early to make any kind of prediction with confidence. In any case, we can’t wait to see them step foot on LEC stage and show the world what they’re made of!