DIG Licorice -“I imagine [Fearless Draft] would get really confusing”

Dignitas top laner Eric "Licorice" Ritchie sat down with esports.gg to chat about the upcoming split, how scrims are going, and his most hype matchup.

Taking some time between photo shoots at LCS Asset Day at the Riot Games Arena, Licorice "talks [his] split" about his new team, the new LCS format, and tons more. Licorice is one of several new faces to the Dignitas roster for Summer Split 2024, giving the team a significant new look for the second split of the year.

Esports.gg: How are you feeling about the big changes to the LCS format, with the league moving to best-of-threes?

Eric "Licorice" Ritchie: "I’m very excited about the best-of-threes. I think having more options to do mid-series adaptations is going to be exciting. I think I’ll feel more able to try new things and adjust , either it goes well and then we can keep doing it, or they ban something and they adjust. If it goes poorly, you can try something else. So I’m excited about that part of it. 

"I do think that us only playing each team once is kind of a bummer. Like, I think that will just make each game have really really, high value. Or, each series will have really, really high value on the season. I think if you have a bad day against the bottom teams, I imagine that could be really, really punishing for your place in the standings." 

So you feel like Bo3s favor you as a top laner, with more opportunity to respond to what your opponents do?

"Yeah, I’m somebody who likes to play a lot of different things. I’m always trying new picks and trying to find niche counter-picks to everything. I think it will hopefully give our team more confidence to give me more space to try more things."

So the Singed is back, that's what I'm hearing.

"I mean, you never know. "

Mark mentioned in his pre-split announcement video that moving the LCS to Fearless Draft is something Riot is open to. How do you feel about the possibility?

"Honestly, I’m not too sure. I know a lot of people are excited for Fearless. It’s weird. "

It's certainly interesting, but I'm not sure if it's good for the game.

"Yeah, honestly that’s exactly how I feel about it. I think it’d be a lot of fun to play Fearless draft. I also feel like it would be really easy to become dizzy and confused. Thinking that you can’t play something, or that the enemy team can play something that they can’t. Or you think they can’t play something that they can. I imagine it would get really confusing. "

Dignitas has a brand new look this split, how do you feel about the roster and how are you guys settling in?

"I’m really excited about the new roster. I mean, we only just started scrimming recently, and we started off losing every game. Which, I think, is expected when we’re a totally fresh team scrimming teams that have been together for years. But, we’ve improved really fast and we’re now doing quite well in scrims already. I think we have a lot of talent, and I think we have a real shot at the trophy. "

Anybody you're particularly enjoying playing with? Alternatively, is anybody running it down in scrims?

"I think everybody, a little bit. I think Isles is the most stable, but he’s the support. And he was already here last split. I dunno, man, I just play top lane. I’m just on my island, I like it when my team makes good decisions, and when they don’t make good decisions, then I don’t like that so much. "

Where do you see the top lane meta right now? Will we be seeing everybody tank duty, is it back to fighters, what's your opinion?

"I think it’s kind of a mix of everything. I know they’re nerfing Twisted Fate next pick, but there’s a solid mix of like, Skarner’s really strong, a lot of the bruisers are really strong, TF is still looking strong. It’s a little all over of the place, right now. I  mean, I really hope lane swapping is dead, ‘cause it’s just really boring. Top lane just doesn’t get to play the game, really. Yeah, I really hope lane swapping is gone. I dunno, it seems like you can play a lot of different things. I’m really excited for the meta. "

Do you think any of the item changes from mid-season will affect the top lane?

"I don’t think the items are going to be too impactful on top lane. I think Overlord’s Bloodmail is the main item that’s new for top lane. But you built it, like, fourth or fifth. It’s not gonna make something playable that wasn’t already playable. "

Who are you most excited to play in best-of-threes?

"I’m probably most excited to play 100 Thieves, because River is there, and Sam, my old coach from Golden Guardians, is there. So, I’m excited to play against them on stage."

Dignitas' first game is on June 15, against Cloud9. This is sure to be a popular match, as every member of Dignitas' roster, minus Spica, has played for Cloud9's LCS team at some point. For more scheduling info, check out our guide.