As MLG Anaheim rapidly approaches, many fans find themselves unfamiliar with some of the Challenger teams competing in the Spring Championship. With $30,000 and a spot in the LCS 2014 Spring Promotion Tournament on the line, any of these four teams could easily be top contenders in the LCS next season. Get to know the teams down below and make sure to tune in starting Saturday, June 29 at 12:00 PM PDT on lolesports.com to see who will have a chance at making it to the professional circuit.

Saturday, June 29th

• 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM, Team Salad Bar vs. compLexity
• 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM, FXOpen vs. Curse Academy

Sunday, June 30th

• 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM, NA Qualifier Final Match

Curse Academy:

• Top Lane – Keenan “Rhux” Santos
• Jungler – Christian “IWillDominate” Rivera
• Mid Lane – Eugene “Pobelter” Park
• AD Carry – Johnny “Altec” Ru
• Support – Dylan “AtomicN” Newton

Consistently occupying one of the top three spots on the Ranked 5v5 ladder, this well known Challenger team sits beneath the NA LCS team Curse, and their consistent scrimmages with some of the best players in the region clearly shows. Time and time again, Curse Academy proves they can place top three and are often fan favorites to win as a result. In the past year, they have reached No. 1 in the CLG Premier Series, the National ESL Premier League V, and the We Will Do It Ourselves Cup, as well as second place at the SoloMid IPL6 Qualifier. With 3 former LCS players in Rhux, IWillDominate, and AtomicN, they are certainly no strangers to both high-level Challenger and professional competition. 

compLexity:

• Top Lane – Patrick “MegaZero” Glinsman
• Jungler – Tyler “Lautemortis” Nicholls
• Mid Lane – Neil “PR0LLY” Hammad
• AD Carry – Christopher “FrostedCupcakes” Shin
• Support – Abe “MeyeA” Nguyen

As the only former LCS team competing in the MLG Spring Championship, compLexity arguably has more to prove than some of the other competitors. After losing its spot to Cloud 9 in the Summer Promotion Tournament, the team decided to stay together and make several roster changes. With its new lineup, the team has exhibited a strong showing throughout the MLG online qualifiers, and seeks to win the 2014 Spring Promotion Tournament spot to make its way back into the pro league. With many veteran pro players and FrostedCupcakes, a highly ranked AD Carry, compLexity looks hopefully toward the Championship. 

FXOpen e-Sports:

• Top Lane – Jon “Westrice” Nguyen
• Jungler – Simon “heavenTime” Jeon
• Mid Lane – Taylor “Arthelon” Eder
• AD Carry – Robert “ROBERTxLEE” Lee
• Support – Philip “NydusHerMain” Sohn

Comprised of players known mostly from former professional teams and streams from the top of the ranked ladders, FXOpen e-Sports has made fewer competitive appearances than the other three teams vying for the top spot at MLG Anaheim. Although its team has not been to many events together, several of its players are among the most veteran in the competitive scene. With several roster changes at the end of May and beginning of June, the strength of its current lineup will be mostly unknown until MLG’s Championship.

Team Salad Bar:

• Top Lane – Kevin “Hirishin” Duong
• Jungler – Alex “Ghoztzero” Dubois
• Mid Lane – Edmund “EHomda” Hom
• AD Carry – George “DkBnet” Truong
• Support – Duke “ArcZSlash” Pham

Team Salad Bar is once again after a spot in the North American LCS. After losing in the group stage of the 2013 Summer Promotion Tournament, the team stayed together and continued to participate in NESL’s Go4LoL tournaments. As one of the lesser-known teams in the Spring Championship, many are unsure what to expect. 

Who do you think will win the first North American Spot from MLG? Tweet me @KatanaMordecai to have your say.