The uber-funny LCS caster and life of the show This or That, Clayton “Captain Flowers” Raines has announced on twitter that he will be taking a sabbatical, his decision influenced by personal issues that he has been dealing with for ‘a while now.’ We won’t be seeing the humour of Captain alongside Sam ‘Kobe’ Hartman-Kenzler. Trackback to a few days before the announcement Riot suspended the caster for a week after he showed up late and a little drunk. The community had a mixed reaction, some lashing out on Riot, some defending the decision. This combined with the sudden announcement of a break is the cause of a lot of rumours on Reddit and Twitter.
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
But the fiasco has baseless rumours, ‘Captain’ defended Riot on the suspension decision, stating that actions have consequences and there is no bad blood. The parting announcement on twitter had a heartfelt reaction from the fans, as they shared the most memorable moments from the caster. A League of Legends subreddit thread where a fan thanked Captain for his work saw him replying to the community explaining that he is not permanently leaving LCS and will be back as soon as the coronavirus scenario dampens down. The decision is purely based to take care of himself first.
‘RiotKobe’, Sam, co-caster of the show was also seen on the thread giving out an earnest goodbye, saying ‘I’m really going to miss doing the show with you buddy. Especially since we can’t hang out at the office or go to the gym right now. I’m always here to talk or play some games though!’
We hope that Captain Flowers blooms again soon. We wish him the best of luck for everything he has given to LCS and League of Legends in general. Hope your replacement keeps your spirit and humour alive.