TL;DR
- Dignitas Academy assembled an unprecedented veteran-heavy roster including Olleh, Damonte, and Akaadian
- Community reactions range from excitement about LCS-level competition to concerns about talent development
- The roster may serve as elite training partners for Dignitas’ main LCS team
- This approach challenges traditional Academy team purposes and development philosophies
- The strategy reflects broader industry trends in professional League of Legends team building
In a strategic move that’s reshaping expectations for Academy teams, veteran support specialist Kim “Olleh” Joo-sung has officially joined Dignitas Academy, completing what many are calling the most experienced roster in NA Academy history for the 2020 season.
“Assembled Exodia. Welcome our new support, Olleh, to DIG 2020!” the organization announced through their social media channels, signaling their ambitious approach to building competitive depth.
This signing represents a fundamental shift from traditional Academy team building philosophies, where organizations typically prioritize developing raw, unproven talent rather than stacking rosters with established professionals.
Olleh brings extensive competitive experience as a fan-favorite support player, best known for his dynamic partnership with star ADC Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng during their tenure with Team Liquid from late 2017 through 2018.
During this period, Olleh cultivated a distinctive public persona through candid discussions about his relationship dynamics with Doublelift, including humorous anecdotes about communication challenges and cultural exchanges that endeared him to the League community.
Following his successful run with Team Liquid, Olleh transitioned to Golden Guardians, where he continued to demonstrate his value at both the LCS and Academy levels, maintaining his status as a respected competitor who previously represented Immortals at the prestigious 2017 World Championships.
His international tournament experience provides invaluable insight and leadership potential that could significantly benefit Dignitas’ developmental ecosystem.
With Olleh’s addition, Dignitas has finalized what many analysts consider an unusually experienced Academy roster that defies conventional wisdom about developmental squads.
This veteran-heavy approach began taking shape in December when the organization secured former Clutch Gaming mid lane standout Tanner “Damonte” Damonte and seasoned jungler Matthew “Akaadian” Higginbotham, who joined existing members Kim “Fenix” Jae-Hoon and Tom “Rodov” Rodov.
The resulting lineup features players with substantial LCS experience, creating what essentially functions as a secondary professional roster rather than a traditional development team focused on nurturing emerging talent.
From a strategic perspective, this composition allows for high-level internal scrimmages and provides insurance against performance slumps or roster changes on the main team.
Fans critique Dignitas filling 2020 academy team with older talents
The League of Legends community quickly recognized the unusual nature of this roster composition, with one Reddit user highlighting the complete lineup while humorously noting its resemblance to a standard LCS-caliber team rather than typical Academy composition.
Multiple fans expressed strong performance expectations, with one commentator declaring it would represent an “absolute disaster” if the team failed to dominate the Academy circuit, while others anticipated significant memetic consequences for underperformance.
Beyond immediate competitive expectations, several community members speculated about alternative strategic purposes for assembling such an experienced squad.
Many theorized that beyond simply competing in Academy tournaments, this veteran-heavy roster might serve as elite in-house training partners for Dignitas’ primary LCS team, providing high-quality practice opponents that could accelerate main roster development.
While some community members jokingly celebrated the influx of “new faces” and “rookies” in the traditional sense, others identified significant concerns about this roster-building philosophy.
The fundamental issue revolves around the traditional purpose of Academy teams as platforms for developing emerging talent from collegiate circuits and amateur ranks.
By fielding a roster dominated by established veterans, Dignitas appears to be prioritizing immediate competitive strength over long-term talent cultivation, raising questions about the organization’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of professional players.
This approach reflects broader industry conversations about whether the competitive League ecosystem adequately supports developmental pathways for aspiring professionals.
From a tactical standpoint, this approach mirrors strategies seen in other competitive titles where organizations maintain experienced secondary rosters for specific strategic purposes beyond simple player development.
Understanding these strategic roster decisions can help fans appreciate the complex considerations behind team building in professional League of Legends.
Action Checklist
- Research traditional Academy team purposes versus modern strategic adaptations
- Compare Dignitas’ approach with other organizations’ Academy strategies
- Monitor Academy tournament performance to evaluate strategy effectiveness
- Analyze how veteran presence affects rookie development opportunities
- Track player transitions between Academy and main rosters throughout season
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