Sources: Citadel Gaming to retain full roster following NACL promotion

Days ago, the NACL Qualifiers finished, where the top three teams qualified to play in NA’s Tier 2 league. Of those three, Citadel Gaming, an organization new to the League of Legends scene, was one of the most dominant. With a roster filled with players with not only Tier 2 experience, but four players who’ve even played in the LCS, Citadel is poised to make a real run for next split’s NACL trophy, and look to fight for a spot in the LTA North with the same roster.

Citadel Gaming is an esports organization founded in 2024, with a stated mission of "building a fortress for future champions." Competing in other games like Teamfight Tactics, Apex Legends, Marvel Rivals, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, their entrance into LoL came in early 2025, when they announced the formation of a team to compete in the NACL Split 1 Open Qualifiers. That team, featuring three of the same five players as their current roster, did not qualify. Now, in the next split, things have turned around for Citadel.

Citadel’s players will be familiar to big NA LoL fans. Toplaner Philip “Philip” Zeng played a split on FlyQuest in the LCS, qualifying for the playoffs in a memorable run. Jungler Kenneth “Kenvi” Espinoza played three splits on the perennially struggling Immortals, and botlaner Tony “Instinct” Ng subbed briefly into TSM. David “Diamond” Bérubé, the team’s support, has started multiple splits for teams like FlyQuest and Dignitas. And besides their Tier 1 experience, all five players have found great results in Tier 2, with three players, including midlaner Bradley “Bradley” Benneyworth, having found championship titles in several Academy and NACL splits.

Commenting on their experience to Sheep Esports, Instinct emphasized his intention to channel that into a LTA North qualification: “Anything less than a promotion is unacceptable. Individually, we all have a lot of success in Tier 2. It is time to make the final push together.” To do this, the team would have to finish top two in the upcoming NACL split, and then beat out Disguised, the current LTA North guest team, as well as competitors from the Latin American LRN. It’d be a tough task, but with these five players, the opportunity to succeed is real.

During their NACL qualification run, Citadel first played in the Open Qualifiers, where they competed in a 64-team bracket filled with countless amateur NACL aspirants. There, they swept 2-0 through their four early matchups and advanced after a close 3-2 victory over collegiate roster UCI. At the ensuing promotion tournament, where the four top OQ teams and two bottom NACL ones clashed, Citadel found no trouble dispatching both opponents 2-0 to earn their place in the NACL.

With their eyes on the prize, Citadel’s goal to succeed in their new league of the NACL, make it to the promotional tournament, and earn their way back to the very top of NA is one story to watch out for.

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