Team du Sud: a short but dense story in the french LoL ecosystem

Fueled by pastis and unmatched energy, the streamer team Team du Sud sees its three years of esports participation come to an end during this offseason. Founded by Andreas "Slipix" Ergas and Maxime "Sixen" Tchoroukian, Team du Sud entered the French League of Legends circuit in 2022. After one year in the 3rd division, then in the 2nd and the 1st, the wave has finally crashed, leaving behind a memorable legacy.

Unlike other streamer structures like Karmine Corp or Aegis, Team du Sud truly started from the bottom since their first LoL roster was in the French 3rd division: the Open Tour. With established names in the French scene such as Dorian "LaFleur" Gastaud and Stéphane "Hyorai" Goussu, who had small experiences in the LFL, the Southerners were expected to be among the top teams in the French open circuit. However, 2022 was somewhat disappointing: TDS failed to reach the top 8 of the season despite several roster changes (including the return of Damien "Shemek" Soulagnet to competition) and thus didn't have a chance to climb to the second division the "normal way."

Nevertheless, with the LFL Division 2 seeing many of its teams come and go, TDS was among the four teams that would secure a spot in the antechamber of the LFL. For the 2023 season, TDS aimed high and wanted to do things properly. They recruited a stacked roster for the LFL2 2023 season. Volodymyr "Maynter" Sorokin and Matias "Matias" Manchin-Opheltes were two high-potential players, accompanied by veterans Mehdi "Boukada" Lahlou, Kim "Phantomles" Storm, and Théo "HONOR" Magania.

The roster did not disappoint: 1st in the regular season in Spring and Summer, 1st in both playoff phases of the season, they were the undisputed champions of LFL2, earning their promotion to the LFL after quickly dispatching their northern and southern neighbors: Lille Esport and IziDream. It is also worth noting that TDS made the proper changes during the offseason, recognizing that LFL2 would get stronger for Summer. TDS brought in new staff members Davide "Sotze" Di Guida and Dominik "DIEMdodo" Mansch, alongside new midlaner Mike Petrus Franciscus "Furuy" Wils.

With a well-deserved LFL ticket, TDS aimed to make a back-to-back-to-back promotion and establish themselves in the French top league. The change in scale was massive, and unfortunately for TDS, it might have been too massive. They finished both splits in 9th place (6-12 in Spring and 4-14 in Summer), allowing them to technically stay in the league, but this was in stark contrast to their excellent 2023 season.

However, the team achieved significant success in the media sphere. TDS was the one team in the LFL that no one could hate, and each of their victories was celebrated by the French audience. The atmosphere set by Sixen and Slipix was also greatly appreciated. TDS wasn't just loved because they were entertaining underdogs; they brought a warm and energetic vibe to the LFL that was often lost due to the league's competitiveness. Lastly, it’s impossible to talk about TDS' success without mentioning their 2024 jerseys, which were a massive hit and widely recognized as some of the best jerseys in the entire esports scene

TDS' legacy in the LFL will thus not be tied to their mediocre results, but to the joy and enthusiasm they brought to everyone who watched them play. In a league ecosystem that sometimes tends to be too serious, TDS was a welcome and refreshing surprise.

TDS had other esports projects alongside their LFL team. Notably, they had a Dofus roster that even won the title of World Champions in June 2023 and had a rivalry with Solary's Dofus team. Though Dofus is a small scene, this brought one additional title to TDS' trophy case.

TDS also maintained subdivisions in their League teams, with an academy roster in the French Open Tour in 2023 as well as a women and non-binary project, TDS Vice, that took part in the 2024 Coupe des Étoiles circuit. This project included players like Coline "Chouby" Reiter, Emeline "Kasane" Baudouin, and Natalie "Stratospanda" Kristiansen.