OpTic Gaming’s League of Legends general manager, Romain Bigeard, has announced his departure from the organization.
Having joined OpTic Gaming upon their entry to the NA LCS this year, Bigeard has now announced that he is parting ways with the team “due to a difference of opinion regarding the future of the LoL department.”
During his time with the team, OpTic’s inaugural season in League of Legends, they finished 9-place in the Spring Split and 7-place in the Summer, falling just short of reaching the playoffs in the final weeks of the Summer season.
Formerly the team and community manager at Unicorns of Love, Bigeard is a popular figure in the League of Legends community, known not only for his managerial roles but also for appearing at events in a variety of extravagant costumes, often using extensive body paint. As such, Bigeard was something of an icon for the team in his own right.
The departure comes amid rumored ongoings at both OpTic Gaming and parent company Infinite Esports & Entertainment. In recent weeks the organization suffered a setback in Overwatch as academy team GGEA was removed from Contenders NA after missing the roster deadline for Season Three. That report also suggested there was a hiring freeze going on at Infinite.
In addition, Infinite Esports Director of International Development Ali ‘Alicus’ Saba announced his departure from the organization after just a year. OpTic Gaming also parted ways with their DotA 2 team following a top-eight finish at The International 2018.
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During a stream on October 7, OpTic Gaming content creator Davis ‘Hitch’ Edwards stated that OpTic CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is currently considering a return to a more active role in the organization.
H3CZ took a step back following investment into OpTic Gaming by Infinite Esports & Entertainment, stating that he wanted more personal time after spending years with very limited structural support in building and running the organization.
Since that time, however, many fans have been less happy with the direction the organization has taken, with decisions such as the closing of the Halo division upsetting long-term fans, while others see the international expansion with teams such as OpTic India and OpTic Brazil as diluting the exclusivity that the OpTic brand once implied.