Los Ratones Founder Caedrel makes NLC debut

Streamer and founder of esports team Los Ratones, Marc ‘Caedrel’ Lamont, is making his NLC debut as the starting support.

The former professional jungler steps onto Summoner’s Rift in today’s match against DMG Esports (DMG), teaming up with ADC Martin ‘Rekkles’ Larsson in the bottom lane. As a result of the swap, the starting ADC Juš ‘Crownie’ Marušič will be coaching temporarily.

According to Caedrel’s stream, the lineup will only apply for the first game of the series against DMG, with both Crownie and Rekkles returning to their initial roles in the following games and then the series against Verdant.

This marks the second time a team owner has competed in the NLC this split, after Jake ‘DonJake’ Morley played for his own team, Ruddy Esports.

Even though Caedrel is usually co-streaming Los Ratones’ matches, he has played with the team before during the NNO Cup Season 2, an invitational tournament hosted by German team No Need Orga. On that occasion, the team defeated 5 Pigs 1 Team in the final, taking home the €10,000 (~£8,661) prize pool.

Since its creation in November last year, Los Ratones has become one of, if not the most popular team in the EMEA League of Legends tier-two scene. Fueled by Caedrel’s popularity and other key personalities in the team, such as Simon ‘Baus’ Hofverberg, the team created an impressive fanbase, recording 360,545 peak viewers during the Grand Final between Los Ratones and NORD Esports in the NLC Winter split, according to Esports Charts.

Over the past year, several personalities have tried to build streamer teams, yet none of them have been able to match Los Ratones’ success.

On top of record-breaking engagement, Los Ratones has won both EMEA Masters Winter and Spring, showcasing strong competitiveness.

Earlier this week, Los Ratones also scrimmed against Mid-Season Invitational participant GAM Esports. Even though the team lost the series 2-1, it further proved that the streamer team is more than just pure entertainment.