Two legends of their respective regions, Crumbzz and Alex Ich, have come together to start a new Challenger team that will make their debut this coming Summer season. While the rest of their roster and team name are still to be determined in the coming months, we got to talk with the Western veterans coming off the official announcement of their new team.

You recently left Dignitas at the beginning of the season. Is there a specific reason why this new Challenger team along with Alex Ich brought you back to the competitive scene so suddenly?

Crumbzz: Leaving Dig had nothing to do with me wanting to stop playing competitively. It was just an environment that I no longer felt like I could perform well and be happy. The opportunity came up almost as soon as I had departed Dignitas and I had to jump on it. The primary reason being that I feel that Alex like myself have a lot to prove again, and we are both veterans, which is in my opinion an excellent foundation for a new team.

Dignitas have had a rocky season through various reasons, and most importantly due to their lack of head coach up till this week. If you had been the coach of Dignitas from week one, how would you have directed the team?

If I was the head coach of the team I would be almost like a military drill sergeant, having strict rules that have to be enforced and consequences that will have to be met. If these aren't, they'll be replaced with eventual replacement. This way the players would have no instances of being complacent. I think that would be the way that I would handle the Dignitas squad.

The Challenger scene is becoming more and more competitive in NA with teams like TSM and CLG investing into teams. Are there any current NACS teams that you think can do well in the NA LCS next season?

Seeing as how the team is relatively new and we cannot compete in the current split I have not had the chance to study the current Challenger teams in such a hurry. Especially considering the fact that I am so new to the scene. But from the instances I have seen, there doesn't seem to be a Challenger team that would be competitive within the LCS.

Outside of the players already in the NACS, are there any unknown talents in solo queue that you feel could make an impact in the professional scene with a proper training environment?

At the moment that's exactly what I'm looking for, so if you see anyone let me know.

You will be going to IEM Katowice to be one of the analysts during the events. Any predictions on who will be playing in the final and which team will be walking out of Katowice as the champions?

I think it's a pretty safe bet to say that the GE Tigers will make it into the finals seeing as how they are the clear favorites with an undefeated record in the LCK. But as for the other side of the bracket, I think the competition will be a lot closer because of how random the teams there can play. Between WE/TSM/CJ and Gambit whoever is having the best day would win. I wouldn't say there are clear favorites.

There has been a lot of discussion recently about the changes to the jungle during this season and the most recent patch. What are your thoughts on the current state of the jungle?

I think that at the moment the jungle is still the most influential role in the game just because it can get the lanes rolling very well. The downside is that in competitive matches, teams don't take that many risks in the laning phase meaning that the jungler likely doesn't get big advantages and therefore finds himself in a position of a utility/ward bot with minimal damage. The days of carry junglers like Kha'zix or Nocturne could be long gone.

How are you finding the transition from the European LCS to the NA Challenger scene? Is it hard acclimating to a new region?

Alex Ich: I haven't played in LCS for a while already, and switching from LCS to challenger scene is relieving a lot of pressure, but at the same time LCS allows you to keep yourself in shape. So overall I would like to get back there to start competing on top level. I don't think there is much difference between EU and NA scene though. All in all, I am really enjoying playing with the people in the Challenger scene and really excited about my team’s vision and future prospects.

Your former team, Gambit Gaming, have had an up-and-down season, with them now playing some of their best play since you left the team. They've played with both Niq and Betsy, finally choosing Betsy as their starter. Which of the two mid-laners would you choose to build a team around?

I think it is really hard decision for anyone. Switching players is always hard, especially if they were performing good enough to be there. I think Betsy is better choice, especially right now when NIQ hasn't played League for couple of weeks and is out of shape, but in my opinion he really needs to prove himself long-term.

You and Crumbzz have been in the professional scene for a long time, but you two have always been in separate regions. How does it feel playing with him and building a team together?

We have both earned a lot of haters and a lot of people underestimate us a lot. I don't really want any hype around us building a team together but at the same time we both need and want to prove a lot to the community and ourselves. At the very least, I know it’s going to be a lot of fun!

You have a lot of fond memories from IEM. Do you have any predictions for IEM Katowice?

No predictions. My heart belongs to kings of IEM - Gambit Gaming. I hope they get IEM boost and crush everyone. #GOGAMBIT

Have there been any players in NA solo queue/the Challenger scene that have left a positive impression on you?

There are a lot of good players here. I don't see much difference in playing solo-queue in different regions. It is always the land of throws. It is fun and annoying at the same time, mostly depending on your mood. I think the best players you can meet in solo-queue are mostly LCS players and Challenger series players. Honestly, there aren’t really a lot of good players outside the teams right now in solo queue.

A year from now when people are talking about Alex Ich, what do you want people to say about you with your new team?

Well first of all we need to get to challenger series and LCS, that's our goal. But ultimately I want them to know me as a team-player who never gives up and will never stop fighting.

We would like to thank the Chris Badawi, Alberto "Crumbzz" Rengifo and Alexey "Alex Ich" Ichetovkin for the interview. theScore will continue to bring coverage as their new Challenger team attempts to move up the ranks in North America.