Following Luminosity Gaming’s third-place finish at the Pokémon Unite North America Regionals, LG • Overlord, a two-time World Champion and one of the most recognized players in the scene took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his insightful reflection after a disappointing showing.

“I don’t really know what to say,” Overlord wrote, opening a post that quickly pivoted from disappointment to accountability. While fans may speculate on draft decisions or mechanical execution, Overlord’s comments centered on role adaptation, team cohesion, and strategic preparedness.

He mentioned that for the first time in all the tournaments he had joined as part of LG, the player found himself in an off-role: not in the driver’s seat, but playing on the weak side. Interestingly, he was not in his comfort position as the central player, notably the hard carry of the team. Luminosity Gaming is known for swapping player roles, mainly between Kyriaos, Trainer, and Overlord, but during the NA Regionals, Overlord was operating primarily in the top lane. This is often considered the weak side or the hard lane, as in Pokémon Unite the top lane provides less experience to farm compared to the bottom lane. Defeating an Indeedee, which spawns in the bottom lane at 9:45, 9:40, and 9:15, grants a higher amount of 5-7 EXP, aiding teams in catching up or extending their lead. In contrast, defeating a Baltoy in the top lane grants only 2 points and less EXP, though Baltoys spawn more frequently at 9:45, 9:40, 9:00, and 8:40 each provides less EXP individually, resulting in slower growth in that lane.
“I didn’t play as well as I should’ve,” he admitted. “I could’ve played better in my role, no doubt.” Despite his championship pedigree, the role shift highlighted the challenges within the current Luminosity lineup and raised questions about the team's adaptability and synergy. As shown in the NA Regionals, the team chemistry was there, but synchronization was lacking during crucial moments in the games.

Beyond individual performance, Overlord addressed broader team issues. He noted that the level of preparation and professionalism leading into the tournament was not what he expected, citing unaddressed known weaknesses from previous competitions such as the Pokémon Unite Asia Champions League (PUACL). These exposed gaps were exploited by opponents like Orange Juicers in the Winners’ Finals, contributing to their eventual loss.

“The level of professionalism leading up to this tournament was simply unacceptable from us,” Overlord wrote. “Our weaknesses were exposed at ACL, yet we did nothing to improve upon them.”

Luminosity Gaming’s struggles have been mounting. At PUACL, the team was eliminated by Alter Ego, a squad they had previously never lost to — in a 2-0 sweep. While they bounced back to secure third place over Zeta Division, the loss ended their previously undefeated offline streak.

PUACL 2025 FINALS Bracket Stage | Pokémon UNITE Asia Champions League 2025

During PUACL, their last game draft versus Alter Ego showed bans on Hoopa and Comfey on their side, while securing Psyduck as their support. Their opponents secured Umbreon and Blissey, leaving Luminosity with no answer for Alter Ego’s Inteleon poke, as they had no healer in their composition. This mirrored their draft choices in their last game before exiting the NA Regionals — banning Suicune and Blissey while securing Alolan Raichu. Their opponents responded by banning Hoopa and Psyduck, securing Zacian and Gyarados. Once again, with the absence of a healer to pair with Alolan Raichu and provide team healing, Luminosity had no answer to Inteleon poke and the opposing brawl-heavy composition.

NA Regional Finals | Pokémon UNITE Championship Series
At the NA Regionals, Luminosity Gaming, with Overlord in the lineup exited the tournament in third place in a major upset, defeated 3-1 in a Best of 5 series against U Need Coaching, a team featuring former LG members. This year’s defeat continued their known “curse” of never winning regional finals.

Tensions appeared to affect in-game decision-making. “For the first time, I let my emotions control how I played,” Overlord admitted. He also took responsibility for leadership shortcomings, acknowledging, “I failed my job as a leader by not taking control when I needed to.”

It’s worth noting that along with Trainer’s self admitted mistakes and overall team’s individual underperformance, before the NA Regionals, Overlord had been staying in Japan, scrimming with Japanese players — even with the current World Champions, FENNEL, in an effort to understand and grasp the differences in meta between NA and Japan. This experience may have contributed to his game oversights upon coming back home as he got used to the newly learned meta and adjusting again as NA largely emphasizes strategic timing and calculations, while the Japan meta is known for brawl compositions and effective teamfights.


Photo courtesy of @Overlord98TV on X, see pinned post

Despite the setbacks, Overlord remains forward-focused. He emphasized his intention to address individual weaknesses before tackling broader team issues. His confidence in the roster remains, noting that the team still has the potential to be Luminosity’s strongest iteration yet.


Via @PokemonUnite on X 

With NAIC (North America International Championships) on the horizon and the Pokémon Unite World Championships returning this August in Anaheim, Luminosity Gaming will need to demonstrate not only refined strategy and better execution, but also a united front. “This is a mountain that we’ll have to climb,” Overlord wrote. “But I know everyone on the team has it in them,” he added.

Can Luminosity Gaming and Overlord rebound from their NA Regionals performance, conquer NAIC and challenge for a third world title this August?