Clayton “CaptainFlowers” Raines has announced his departure from This or That, a short weekly show produced by the North American League of Legends (LCS). It features casters debating various topics, with a format that forces them to choose between two topics.
CaptainFlowers’ departure
“No, I don’t have coronavirus. No, the show won’t be canceled. I’m not sure who’s going to be the new regular but I have faith they’ll do the show justice,” added CaptainFlowers in a Twitter post. “Thanks to every single person who left positive comments or messages about the show. It made my day reading those.”
Today, I'm stepping away from This or That. I've been dealing with a lot of personal stuff for a while now and this feels like the right call for me at this point. Yes, this is what I really want and 100% yes I'll still be on LCS as soon as it gets going again. Thanks y'all <3
— Clayton Raines (@CaptainFlowers) March 16, 2020
This or That saw the addition of CaptainFlowers in February of 2019 after Joshua “Jatt” Leesman left the live broadcast team to join Riot Games’ balance team. He joined caster Sam “Kobe” Hartman-Kenzler, and the two have since filmed multiple episodes together. Topics have ranged from which player contributed the most during a specific game to debating a team’s future success.
This or That replacement
While his departure during the current coronavirus situation means that an upcoming episode may be delayed, there are several others on the casting team that could fill in for him. This includes Isaac “Azael” Cummings Bentley, Gabriella “LeTigress” Devia-Allen, Neil “pr0lly” Hammad, or even the return of Jatt himself. CaptainFlowers has confirmed that he will come back to the LCS after settling his personal problems, though, which could mean the show only needs a temporary replacement.
With the coronavirus outbreak, the 2020 LCS Spring Split has been suspended to prevent the spread of the virus. The league originally suspended post-game interaction, but as the situation progressed, it also removed live audiences, tailgates, and press.
However, the LCS may be able to transition to an online game system. This is similar to what the Overwatch League has done, with teams competing at their own facilities and LCS referees making sure that the competition is fair.
