UK League of Legends champions qualify for EU Challenger Series (analysis & vlog)

Misfits (formerly Renegades Banditos) have qualified for the European League of Legends Challenger Series.

They beat Euronics in the first final of the qualifiers 3-1 today, putting them in the summer 2016 Challenger Series, where they will face Copenhagen Wolves, Huma, Inspire, Millenium and Team Forge, who also qualified today.

Misfits started their journey in the Challenger Series qualifiers at the start of the year as the (British) Banditos, but after failing to qualify, they entered the ESL UK Premiership instead.

From there, they dominated the league and beat ManaLight in the final to make it through to the CS Qualifiers once again.

At the start of the year their roster was very different, and their only remaining British player is currently Barney “Alphari” Morris, although fellow Brit Maxlore (who now plays for Giants in the LCS) did help out a few times in the CS qualifiers as a sub.

Misfits changed some of their players recently, bringing in Korean pros Wisdom and Dreams, as well as Polish mid-laner Selfie.

They renamed themselves to Misfits, after their owners Renegades were banned by Riot, and are now looking to reach the next level of competitive League of Legends.

Misfits won four of their five group stage matches (in stark contrast to Fnatic Academy’s one win and four losses), and topped their group convincingly to qualify for the EU Challenger Series.

Here’s how some of the players and people in the scene reacted:

HELL YEAH BABY WE MADE IT!!!!!!!!!

— Alicus (@AlicusOfficial) May 27, 2016

gg to ESG we win 3-1; maybe could’ve stalled second game if not for 3 infernal drags in a row but it happens. excited to play in cs 🙂
— Alphari (@Alpharilol) May 27, 2016

Congrats to Misfits, good friends and better players :^)
Thank me later for the morale boost at the shisha bar xoxo

— Matt Taylor (@Impalerlol) May 27, 2016

Yesssssss!
We are in challenger series !
GG Wp =] — Yuuki60 (@Yuukii60) May 27, 2016

Congratulations to Misfits in securing their spot for #EUCS

— Pete McKay (@RiotNavigator) May 27, 2016

EUCSicus. Congratulations to @Selfie1337, @Yuukii60, Wisdom, Dreams, @Alpharilol, @AlicusOfficial, & @Leonyx on qualifying for the #EUCS.
— Jacob ‘Brayll’ Wolf (@JacobNWolf) May 27, 2016

congrats to Misfits for making it into EUCS

— Shakarez (@Shakarez) May 27, 2016

“misfits representing the uk” they have 1 uk player?
— OLOF (@flaxxish) May 27, 2016

misfits made it
totally deserve it

thx for the opportunity to learn and congrats boys @Selfie1337 @Yuukii60 @AlicusOfficial @Leonyx \o/
— #LULUISAMISFIT (@drpuppetlp) May 27, 2016

Fun series to end on for the tourney. Congrats to Misfits on qualifying. Watch @RiotPulse and @StressCasts Cast 4G vs SK.
— Daniel Drakos (@lolTsepha) May 27, 2016

Really proud of the boys. I’m now 2/2 getting teams into the Challenger Series. GGWP! pic.twitter.com/U0NAKuybUR

— Leonyx (@Leonyx) May 27, 2016

Vlog analysis: How Misfits’ win can help inspire UK players

eSports News UK editor Dominic Sacco shared his thoughts on Misfits’ CS qualification and how it can inspire other UK League of Legends players in this video:

Dom Sacco

Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.

As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.