Former Napkins in Disguise manager discusses the team's split and the state of the Challenger scene

This article was originally published on GameSpot's sister site onGamers.com, which was dedicated to esports coverage.

This article and interview was conducted by former Cloud 9 Analyst Alex Penn

Earlier today, Challenger League of Legends team Napkins in Disguise disbanded as Jungler Christopher 'ScubaChris' Lee and manager Angel Vigil tweeted that the two were done with competitive League of Legends. This move came as a shock to the rest of the North American scene, as the squad had a guaranteed spot in the 2014 LCS Spring Promotion tournament beginning in December. There they would have had the opportunity to join the salaried ranks of well known professional teams such as Cloud 9, Team SoloMid, and Counter Logic Gaming if they performed well.

The effects of the dissolution of Napkins in Disguise on the 2014 LCS Spring Promotion tournament is still up in the air. According to Riot Games' esports coordinator, J.T. 'Tiza' Vandenbree, if three of the qualifying members form a squad then they will be able to participate in the tournament.

onGamers was able to secure a confirmed list of the players eligible to continue with the Napkins in Disguise tournament spot:

1. Francis
2. nubbypoohbear
3. InnoX
4. FlappyBearfish
5. Gleebglarbu
6. ScubaChris
7. MissTeak
8. Yazuki
9. Phy

If three of these eight players do not form a roster in time for promotion, then a third place match will be held in the currently running NA Promotion Qualifier #2 by WellPlayed.org to find a team to replace them.

The former Napkins in Disguise manager, Angel Vigil, agreed to speak with onGamers about the end of Napkins in Disguise and the state of the North American challenger circuit.

Can you tell me about the driving forces that went into Napkins in Disguise parting ways?

There was a lot things that really led to the team disbanding. Being a challenger team in North America is really rough. We've been a team for over a year, and it just seemed like more negative things were happening then positive. I would say the ride was fun for awhile, but it got old and stale.

As you mentioned, the team has been together for over a year and has failed to qualify for LCS in both 2013 qualifying tournaments. Were differing career goals and personal progress one of the many things that led to the team's eventual demise?

I think the whole team had the same goal, especially in the most recent form it took with Brunch instead of Flappy. They all wanted to get into the LCS. I will say there is a player that had planned on leaving regardless if we stuck together or not. That was the last sort of straw for the team.

With the 2014 Spring Promotion only a week away, the qualification position can still be given to a new NiD roster as long as it contains three players from the qualification squad. Are there any players who are eligible to fill the three player requirement outside of the known five players who participated in the qualifier?

The only other players that could do something with it, that weren't really part of the active roster, are Francis and Yazuki.

compLexity Gaming's manager, Phy, and NiD analyst, iAmJesus, tweeted about having "one more trick up our sleeves, you might still see NiD at the qualifiers" and that "Nubby and gleeb staying with 3 others for NACL/LCS." Do you know if there are currently any plans in place for this move?

I know that Gleeb and Nubby both still want to compete. If they were to get Flappy or Yazuki to play, I could see them making another run. Though the team would hardly be the same.

You have also stated that you are "done with the competitive league scene." You mentioned that being a challenger team in North America is really rough, was this a determining factor in your reason to retire from managing League of Legends teams?

Yeah. Managing a challenger team is super rough. The hours are long, the pay is nearly non-existent, and the stress is high. I think my situation is a little different than most managers. I was a part of the team essentially. I formed the team, and did everything that didn't include playing. From normal manager work like forming schedules and stuff, to team therapist. It fit my skills well, since I like to have my hands in everything, a micromanager to the fullest. But I think it took it's toll on me mentally. I became overwhelmed and depressed. When things went wrong, it felt like it was all my fault. I became super hard on myself, and it just wasn't a healthy situation for me. I think many of the players had similar feelings.

What are your thoughts on the Coke Zero sponsored challenger league coming out of Riot in 2014? What would that league have to accomplish to reignite your interest in being a part of the another challenger team in your future?

I would need to see more sponsor interest in challenger teams themselves. Coke Zero funding the league is fantastic, and a step in the right direction, but that doesn't mean that money will be getting into the hands of the challenger teams. Prize pools are nice, but they aren't consistent/reliable cash flow. Only the top percentage gets that money, and to get to the top percentile now a days in LoL you have to spend hours playing the game. It's a full time job, without any benefits.

For sponsors to be interested in challenger teams, the community needs to step in and support these players. There is a LOT of talent in the NA challenger scene, and I am not sure the community understands the impact they have in bringing them out. Quas most recently getting picked up by Curse is a good example of the community spotlighting a player and that player getting a chance to prove himself. There are other players like Quas in the NA scene, they just need a healthy place to grow.

While the Korean scene is held above the rest of the world when it comes to an infrastructure standpoint, their equivalent of a challenger circuit, NLB, is still held almost completely online with most teams lacking organizations, salary, or housing. Do you feel like the challenger scene in North America may feel a bit more entitled than other regions around the world? How exactly do you believe the North American challenger scene should be set up?

I think the culture in North America is different. There is a universal way people live life here, and by not following what everyone else does, you are titled as a bum or an outcast. Sitting at home, on your computer all day is deemed unacceptable but most of America. So the only way to reconcile that stigma is to earn money and fly to fancy events. I don't think it's a sense of entitlement, more so the expectation if you work hard for something you will be rewarded. Whether that reward be money, or flying to a LAN.

You could argue that getting into the LCS is your reward, but the system heavily favors relegated LCS teams. So even if you work your butt off, the reward still seems far off. We were once regarded as one of the top 3 challenger teams, and we worked out butts off to get there. That doesn't ensure us an LCS spot, or even an even shot at one. There are 3 slots, so only three chances to get in.