When you recall legendary League Championship Series top laners, who do you think of? Is one of them Marcus “Dyrus” Hill, one of two players who earned a spot at the first five World Championships? Or maybe it’s Jeong “Impact” Eon-young, the import from Korea who made a home in North America after winning the World Championships? Where does Eric “Licorice” Ritchie stand? Does he deserve to be acknowledged as one of the best top laners North America has ever seen?

For most of his career, he has repeatedly proven that he knows how to put his head down and get the job done. He isn’t as bold as Rayan “Sniper” Shoura, who loves to play up his personality when the broadcast team focuses on his player cam, or as keyboard-happy as Ean “APA” Stearns, who earned himself the nicknames of “YAPA” and “Yaptain America” for fooling around in all chat during the competitive match. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Licorice stands out differently.

Licorice at MSI 2023 (photo by Riot Games)

Eric Ducking Ritchie’s Debut

In his first season, Licorice was a shining beacon of what could happen when teams invest in a North American player. It’s becoming less common as teams spend money importing someone from a region that might be considered better. He started playing competitively in 2015 in the Challenger series, where he admitted to having doubts about his skill. It wasn’t until he signed onto Cloud9’s main roster three years later that people began to notice his talent. C9 was on a different level of prestige for the talented top laner, but the self-worrying didn’t stop there. There were concerns that he would not rise to the occasion and be able to hold his own against his opposing laners, most of whom have been on the League Championship Series stage for multiple seasons. Licorice rose to the occasion and worked with his teammates to make it to the World Championship during his rookie year, surprising himself and NA fans. They locked in 4th place at the World Championships through sheer determination and skill.

After Worlds was finished, the infamous off-season left a lot of uncertainty regarding where players would call home for the upcoming 2019 season. Licorice proved that he deserved to keep his spot on C9. He proved to be the top laner who puts his head down and gets the job done with minimal fuss. Compared to the year before, they finished 2nd during the regular spring season and summer. Even though TL was able to beat them again in the summer playoffs, C9 put up more of a fight and was able to take the series to 5 games. With him as one of the strongest solo laners on their roster, C9 became the titan that many teams dreaded to face after finishing 1st in both the regular spring split, playoffs, and the classic show match. In 2020, C9 wanted to move in a different direction and give a new player a chance to showcase his talent. After the reputation Licorice built for himself, FlyQuest saw what made him unique and wanted him on their roster. Unfortunately, the other puzzle pieces did not fit together. In the bigger picture, Licorice tried to find the same level of success with C9 to prove that he was a well-rounded player who didn’t rely on his team to carry him for the win, but they fell short of that expectation with an 8th-place finish.

Licorice with C9 in Spring 2018 (Photo by Riot Games)

Our Golden Guardian

The following summer proved even worse, where they finished 9th place. Licorice admitted that FlyQuest saw him as someone who could lead their team to victory. With a less-than-stellar record, he was surprised when Golden Guardians reached out and stated they still believed in him. However, he knew that this was the chance he needed to clear up his name. Even though GG didn’t have the best record, it was the opportunity that Licorice needed. The organization struggled at first, with continuous subpar performances, but in 2023, that all changed.

In the Spring Split, Licorice and his team beat the allegations that they were a mid-tier team at best, making it to the finals against the now dominant C9. Joshua “Jatt” Leesman reiterated that GG had never had a win rate better than 50% in a split. Even though the 9-9 trend continued for spring, GG found themselves slaying their opponents in the lower bracket to make it to the final round in Raleigh, North Carolina. On Saturday, April 8th, Licorice and his team faced FLY, which secured the 2nd seed during the regular season. They fought hard in the best of 5, refusing to roll over and let FLY take the series without a fight like they had in 2020. Even though they lost the first game, GG returned with a vengeance in game 2. It was a tough series with viewers on the edge of their seats, but he was victorious at the end, where they would face their most formidable opponent of the play-off run yet, C9.

The Mid-Season Invitational loomed on the horizon for Licorice. Even though he was no stranger to international play at this point in his career, the doubts lingered. It’s always nerve-wracking to face the best teams worldwide, whether it’s MSI in the spring or the World Championships in October. Even though the GG boys did not win the trophy, the team gave a respectable showing in their debut at an international tournament.

Once MSI finished, Licorice and the rest of the Guardians had their eyes on the Summer Split. Most fans wrote them off despite the publicity after their better-than-expected MSI performance. They said, “Making it to MSI was a fluke.” To the viewers' surprise, the boys dominated the regular season and broke their records. They secured a 72% win rate, matching C9 with their record of 13 wins and five losses. Even though their playoff run didn’t go as expected, the team focused on qualifying for the World Championship.

Golden Guardians at MSI 2023 (photo by Riot Games)

The Devastating Off-Season

Then came the shocking announcement from GG that they were pulling out of the LCS after Riot Games decided it should be an 8 team league. With the last-minute decision, some players were without a team for the upcoming 2024 season. Licorice was just one of them, alongside fellow teammate Trevor “Stixxay” Hayes and opponents like Mohamed “Revenge” Kaddoura.

Despite showing how hard he was willing to work and transform feedback into results, many rosters were already decided. Since the decision was towards the end of the free agency period, Licorice could not play in the Spring Split. However, he did not let this deter him. He was invited to be on the broadcast, for which many fans were thankful. He has proven in interviews that he understands the game and can utilize that knowledge.

The Return of Licorice

With MSI completed and the summer split around the corner, many people’s favorite top laner has returned in the Dignitas lineup. Among other roster changes, including the signing of Mingyi “Spica” Lu, Nicolaj “Jensen” Jensen, and Jesper “Zven” Svenningsen, the organization has proven that they are not messing around. DIG wants to go to Worlds, and they will stop at nothing to get it.

The clouds have parted, and the sun is shining once again. Licorice has finally found a new home with Dignitas. His consistent playstyle, easy-going personality, and experience can bring a lot to this team. DIG will thrive in the upcoming season with his nurturing nature, and I cannot wait to see him on stage again.