Denmark's own Rasmus "Caps" Winther born November 17, 1999 has built himself quite an impressive career as a professional League of Legends player and it didn't even take him long. Despite his young age, he quickly managed to captivate the gaming community with his exceptional skills and unique playstyle. Just like the Vikings he established himself as someone unpredictable (but in a good way), leaving no doubt that his name will stay connected with the history of esports, for a long time.
Caps, League of Legends' second youngest prodigy, started his journey at the age of 15 when his passion for MOBA games was ignited. In a large part, he owns it to his brother, Christopher “Ryze” Winther, who competed professionally in Dota 2. It quickly turned out that the gaming talent ran in the family, as Caps was excelling in a different MOBA title at the same time. Like a flash, he was climbing the ranks of European SoloQ.
Finally, with a burning desire to follow in his sibling's footsteps, Caps embarked on his own adventure into the world of professional gaming, joining Enigma Esports in 2015. They weren't very successful in terms of tournament results, but Caps, as a mechanically gifted player who had yet to reach his full potential, quickly made waves as one of the superstars.
He was mostly competing in small European tournaments but his journey was slowly gaining on speed. Even the last place his third team, NEVR, was awarded did not slow down the momentum he gained. On contrary, he made it to the highlights of the tournament, which finally put him on the map.
His flashy plays, mainly those in SoloQ, earned him the name of "Baby Faker", but none of the major European organizations were willing to invest in a player who was too young to compete at the World Championships. Undeterred, Caps and a group of European players purchased smurf accounts in Turkey, hoping to make an impression in a new region.
Their gambit paid off as he caught the attention of numerous teams, eventually leading to Caps joining the Turkish team Dark Passage, and the 2016 TCL Playoffs were theirs. The first place gave them an opportunity to fight for a place at Worlds during an international Wild Card Tournament. Sadly, baby Faker was too young to attend it.
Nothing was lost though -- Fnatic liked what they saw, and took young Caps under their wings. They decided that his aggressive playstyle and ability to outplay opponents in team fights will match the new roster, built around Rekkles, like no other.
Fnatic and Caps quickly established themselves as good fits, and the 2017 EU LCS Summer Split was there to prove it, as Fnatic fought tooth and nail to win the championship. They came third, but this only solidified Caps' status as a rising star in the League of Legends world and set the stage for future achievements.
It was the turning point for Fnatic, as the organization brought in fresh talent, including rookie Bwipo and Unicorns of Love's Hylissang, to match their roster. With Caps on mid, Fnatic dominated the EU LCS 2018 Spring Split, securing the top spot with an impressive 11-4 record. They were then on the way to the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2018.
The emotions kept growing as the MSI 2018 tiebreaker match against Team Liquid was one for the ages, but Fnatic was just on fire. Victorious and probably quite happy, they moved on to the Knockout Stage. Sadly, despite their efforts, it was either just not their day or Royal Never Give Up was simply too good, leaving Caps hungry for more success.
The year was not over though and Worlds 2018, for Caps was like Thor touching Mjølner after a long time. His performance proved him worthy of the EU 1st Seed and earning MVP honors for both the regular season and finals of the playoffs. Despite their dominance, Fnatic ultimately fell short, losing 3-0 to Invictus Gaming in the finals.
Caps' career took an unexpected turn in 2019 when he left Fnatic to join G2 Esports. With Caps in the mid-lane and Perkz moving to bot lane, G2 Esports dominated the LEC, securing the 1st seed, and giving Caps an opportunity to prove that everyone who contents caps is quickly let down.
At MSI 2019, G2 Esports was a force to be reckoned with, defeating heavyweights SK Telecom T1 and eventually facing off against Team Liquid in the finals. G2 Esports emerged victorious, and Caps was crowned the MVP of MSI 2019.
G2 Esports carried their momentum into Worlds 2019, with Caps being hailed as the tournament's greatest player. Well, most of the best plays belonged to him, to be honest. The team made it to the finals, but FunPlus Phoenix proved to be an insurmountable challenge, handing Caps another 3-0 defeat. Still, Rasmus Winther was overall in his Claps form (the good one that is), becoming the first European player of such a young age to get this far.
In the pre-season between 2019 and 2020, Caps made a surprising decision to switch from mid lane to bot lane. One may just wonder how but it actually helped his team prevail and maintain their dominance, securing first place in the LEC 2020 Spring Split regular season. Oh boy, there was a lot of falling and bouncing involved.
After losing to the rookie squad Mad Lions in a shocking 2-3 defeat, G2 had to fight their way through the losers bracket. But they bounced back, winning both the rematch against MAD Lions and the series against Origen 3-1. In the finals, G2 swept Caps' former team, Fnatic, with a convincing 3-0 victory.
Despite this success (Caps came back with an MVP title from the tournament), he decided to return to the mid-lane for the LEC 2020 Summer Split. According to their coach, the world was close to seeing a different result, but we're happy they went along with their decision as it is.
Currently, mid laner of G2 yields 2 more titles ( LEC 2022 Summer, LEC 2023 Winter Playoffs) and shows no signs of slowing down. It looks like this League of Legends esports player has a lot more to prove.
Caps' playstyle is one reason LoL Esports gained something valuable by adopting him. He is known for his aggressive approach to the game, which, sets him apart from other professional players, who mostly try to play it safe (and boring). By consistently applying pressure on his opponents he drives the pace of the match forward. This not only makes the matches in which he participates much more fun to watch but also allows Caps to create amazing situations for his team, as he often catches his opponents off-guard.
It's the reason he became a focal point of G2 as it is. His ability to create opportunities and outplay opponents, both in team fights and on mid-lane, makes him an essential part of the team's success, wherever he's playing. The aggressive playstyle and ability to adapt to different metas demonstrate his versatility and skill, making him a guy who's often talked about (mostly in a good way).
When someone mentions his name, you know it's going to be about how amazing he is, and how much he loves challenges. He doesn't want to take it easy, even if the cost will be him not reaching challenger in a certain season. That's what makes him such a great player.
"G2's midlaner, Caps, has a superpower. Whenever he plays a team from another region, especially Chinese and Korean teams, he would turn Super Saiyan. He plays so confident. The stronger the opponent, the more enthusiastic he becomes. If the enemy is a nobody, he'd play disinterested. He's like this every year. This guy is so good." (Uzi about Caps, on- stream)
Caps isn't just a beast on the Rift; he's pretty awesome on social media too. He's quite an active user, especially on Twitter and Instagram where he shares insights into his life, behind-the-scenes moments, epic plays (mostly his), and most importantly, his sense of humor.
With a whopping 220K followers on Instagram alone, it's safe to say he's got some major clout in the gaming community. No, it's not because of any leaks that are anticipated by fans, it's purely his personal charm because honestly, he's quite a chill guy with a lot of self-awareness.
He's not afraid to poke a little fun at himself, which makes his presence on social media even more entertaining and relatable. Unlike in the case of many other esports players and streamers, there are no dramas to be found. Everyone seems to simply love him, and if you share this view, his streams are a great place to visit!
All right, let's get serious again, for a second. We haven't yet mentioned the most important reason Caps is such a powerhouse in the world of LoL: his champion pool. This guy is the definition of versatility. Seriously, he's basically a Swiss Army knife when it comes to playing different champions.
Whether it's mages, assassins, or bruisers, Caps can play them all with incredible proficiency. This guy's got skills and no preferences. Need a mid-lane mage? Caps has got you covered. How about a sneaky assassin? Yep, he can do that too. A tanky bruiser to shake things up? You bet! He's like the ultimate pick-your-own-adventure book when it comes to his gameplay. You need an anti-tank mid-champion? Sure, he's picking Vayne this second. Yeah, Vayne, Mid, vs Syndra.
With such a diverse champion pool, Caps always kept his opponents guessing and make it nearly impossible for them to ban out his strongest picks during the drafting phase.
With all the mechanics it's sometimes easy to forget about the most precious thing in the world -- friendship, naturally. Luckily, Caps has plenty of this in his life. He has had the pleasure of playing alongside (and befriending) a lot of influential players throughout his career. I mean, we're talking about some seriously talented ones here, like Perkz, Rekkles, and Broxah, just to name a few. And the best thing about it? -- They all trust him and follow through, even if it seems stupid.
It's obvious that everyone there respects him and knows that if he wants to do something, it's probably a good idea.
And it pays off because when Caps teams up with amazing players, it's like watching a well-choreographed dance unfold on the Rift. They just seem to click, understanding each other's strengths and weaknesses, and knowing how to play off of one another. It's this synergy that has helped them achieve remarkable results in various tournaments.
At just 22 years old, Caps has already achieved so much in the LoL Esports scene that he could easily retire and people would still remember him as long as Riot Games will exist, or even longer. His latest achievements show that there's still so much potential for growth in him as well as room for improvement. With his love for challenges, you can bet that he'll continue to refine his skills, broaden his champion pool, and become an even more formidable force on the Rift.
So far he has played in major tournaments in two different teams but we know he has many more options and a lot of teams would love to put him on their roster. It's pretty exciting to think about what the future holds for Caps. He's on track to success in the League of Legends scene, and it would be nice for him to be considered the GOAT one day, just like Faker. And who knows, he may very well become one of the most successful players in the game's history. Let's just hope that the next great mid-lander will be nicknamed 'Baby Caps'.
Caps is a perfect balance of stubbornness (the positive kind though) and raw talent. His unique blend of aggressive playstyle, champion versatility, and impressive individual skill has not only allowed him to gain recognition on the international stage but also help out the people he played with, either by carrying them or at least being fun.
Whether you're a fan of his playstyle, his team, or simply an enthusiast of exceptional pro players in action, Caps is a name you won't want to forget. Be sure to keep an eye on this rising star as he continues to redefine what it means to be a legend in the world of LoL Esports.
