After a rather disappointing 2018 Summer Split, the EU LCS’ Misfits is allowing Barney “Alphari” Morris and Nubar “Maxlore” Sarafian to explore their options for 2019.
Hello ladies and gents,
I'm still contracted under Misfits however they've allowed me to explore options.
If you're interested, feel free to contact me at [email protected]Have a pleasant day,
Maxlore
— Nubar Sarafian (@Maxlorelol) November 6, 2018
The top and jungle duo have been apart of Misfits for quite some time now. Alphari has actually been the top laner for the team since its inception into the EU LCS. Maxlore would end up joining Misfits the next year as the team’s jungler. Alongside the team’s ADC, Steven “Hans Sama” Liv, they are the longest tenured players on the team. 2017 would be a decent year for the organization, even reaching the World Championships that year. However, 2018 would be a different story.
Misfits’ 2018 Woes
The Misfits would never find consistent success in the 2018 Spring Split, ending the season in seventh place. They would lose too many games that they should have won. Their inconsistency would plague them throughout both seasons, and the state of the meta in the summer wouldn’t help either. The whole shakeup in the bottom lane would affect multiple teams, including Misfits.
At the beginning of the summer, Misfits would actually start off red-hot with an 8-0 record. Unfortunately, after the halfway point of the split, they would fall from grace pretty hard. People were able to adapt to the various champions being played, and Misfits’ shortcomings would be exposed. They would end up winning only three more games, ending in fifth place. Although the team would sweep the stumbling G2 Esports in the quarterfinals, they would end up losing to eventual summer champions, Fnatic.
Possible Destinations?
For Maxlore, the possibilities are endless for the talented jungler. Last year, he was one of the brighter spots on the Misfits roster. In fact, at some points, many people were considering Maxlore as one of the best junglers in the region. He is one of the smartest junglers in the EU LCS and is very consistent. He may not be the most mechanically gifted, but he is able to keep his performances to a high standard.
As for Alphari, he was also a very good top laner for the team in 2018. Although his performances would sometimes leave something to be desired, he wasn’t a glaring weakness for Misfits. He was pretty consistent when the team needed him, and with a better supporting cast, he could be great again. As a result, he could also have many destinations for himself come the EU LCS offseason.
It is understandable that with EU LCS franchising, many players will want to test their value in free agency. Maxlore may be one of the hottest commodities on the market, once free agency begins. His youth, plus his ability in the jungle will attract many teams. There are also multiple new teams entering the EU LCS, so a fresh start on a new organization may be good for both players.
Final Thoughts
As for Misfits, it may be hard for them to keep Alphari and Maxlore after their lackluster 2018. They have a pretty bad weakness in the mid lane, with Chres “Sencux” Laursen. They will need to address this problem in the offseason, as he was the reason for many of their losses. Their bottom lane is great, but clearly, they need some help carrying games. Only time will tell how Misfits plans to retool in the next months.
What are your thoughts on Maxlore and Alphari entering free agency? Let us know what you think in the comments below! If you want more EU LCS coverage, check us out here!
