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League of LegendsThe North American League of Legends esports scene will forever be changed as we head into the 2021 season. The LCS Academy and amateur scene will start to unite as one, with an opportunity for players to make an impression in front of NA’s biggest organizations. Jonathan “Chime” Pomponio from Golden Guardians Academy shared his thoughts in an Esportz Network interview.
League of Legends Esports
A move that impacted many rosters was the recent closure of the Oceanic Pro League. Riot Games made the announcement in October, stating that all OCE players will now have their import status removed. This was a major shift for the region and potentially a positive one too. North America now holds a wider player pool to choose from, which is great for all parties.
Golden Guardians support Chime sat down with Esportz Network to discuss the latest patch changes, his new OCE teammates and his personal expectations for the 2021 League of Legends season and beyond.
Golden Guardians Academy Chime
Esportz Network: Riot has gone big this offseason with many changes including a giant overhaul to the items. How have you found this off-season and the new items?
Chime: My offseason has been good. Just a lot of in-houses and trying out the new items. Since this is technically my first offseason, it doesn’t feel weird. But I know a lot of pros are saying it’s unprecedently active.
EN: The support meta was a hit or miss depending on who you asked last year with Leona being the most played support at the 2020 League of Legends World Championship. How have you found the support meta in the preseason thus far?
Chime: The support meta is okay in my opinion. Leona is definitely a notch above the rest, but there are playable counters that I enjoy. My main issue is the restricted AD meta, which makes certain weak lane supports near unplayable.
EN: Riot, earlier in the year, announced major changes to how the academy scene and amateur scene will coincide with each other, how do you feel about the new changes and the new Proving Grounds tournament?
Chime: I’m excited about the changes. A lot of my friends are in amateur, so it will be exciting to play versus them at Proving Grounds. I’m also excited about the tier 3 teams and how they encourage their counterparts on the same org to work even harder.
EN: With the OCE region being disbanded, there has been a large influx of OCE players in both the LCS and the academy/amateur scene. Do you feel this will be a good thing for North America as there is a larger pool for teams to dip into?
Chime: The introduction of OCE players is definitely beneficial for the region as a whole. A fair amount of the Golden Guardians coaching staff and players are from OCE, and they seem to have a more aggressive and skirmish-like playstyle that I enjoy.
EN: “Tally” will be coming over from the Legacy Esports side that attended Worlds this year. How excited are you to play amongst players that have experience at the highest level such as worlds?
Chime: I’m definitely excited to learn from Tally’s experiences on the Worlds stage. I remember my first academy game, my heart was pounding and I was super nervous. But now that those nerves are gone, I want to learn how to shake them on larger stages.
EN: You are the only player returning from the 2020 roster, do you think the experiences you learned last year will help you be more of a leader to the newer players on the roster?
Chime: I think I grew a lot last split. In terms of leadership, I think I will be taking on a more vocal role on this new team, but it will definitely be a joint effort nonetheless.
EN: Finally, what are your goals and aspirations for this year, can we expect Golden Guardians to lift the Proving Grounds trophy at the end of the season?
Chime: My goal is to dominate the bottom lane with “Prismal” this split and show just how strong of a duo we can be. Ultimately, I hope to win academy and/or get my shot on the LCS stage.
Esportz Network would like to thank Golden Guardians Academy support Chime for taking the time to conduct this interview. We wish him the best of luck as he takes part in the academy scene for the 2021 season!
Written by Jordan Marney
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