International Summer Update
10 July — by League Analyst
The Summer Split is in full swing and teams across the world are fighting for a spot at the Word Championship. The LEC is currently on break, so instead of the usual recaps, we’ll take this chance to check in on the other major regions. Who are the kings on top of the Summer Split hill, and are there any contenders rising to the challenge? That is what today’s breakdown is taking a look at.
League of Legends Pro League (LPL)
We’ll start off with China, where the competition is fiercer than ever. Who is at the top? Is it the defending world champion? Maybe the defending MSI champion? It’s actually neither, right now it is Victory Five who stands on top of the mountain. V5 has never attended the big international events, so some of you might not have heard of them before. The team made huge changes coming into 2022 and has been fighting at the top ever since. Their roster might not be as stacked as some other teams, but you can never underestimate a team with Rookie in the midlane. Are they actually the best team in the region? I would argue that it is too early to make that call, especially with the level of competition breathing down their necks, waiting for any cracks to appear in their armor.
The wildcard in the LPL that I would like to highlight is JD Gaming. Now, despite being 7–1, it has to be said that JDG has been far from clean in their victories. But even with that being said, they have been able to take wins from teams like TOP, EDG and LNG. This is not a team expected to fight for Worlds spots, but if they continue to win out, it’s not impossible that they get out with one of the lower seeds. Despite falling over themselves from time to time and not having the most competitive roster on paper, if JDG happens to wake up on the right side of the bed, they can challenge the best teams in the world.
League of Legends Championship Series (LCS)
Maybe not as exciting as the LPL but competitive nonetheless, it is our favorite region, the LCS. The big question brewing in the league is: which of the big four teams will miss out on Worlds. EG, 100T, TL and C9 are all familiar organizations that have made a name for themselves in the region, but with only 3 Worlds spots available, one team will be forced to watch from the sidelines. Currently, it is the Spring Spit champions in EG that are sitting on top of the standings, continuing their solid performance after their first international showing.
It’s very hard to see a world where a team besides the big four makes it to the championship. If I had to pick one, it probably would have to be Counter Logic Gaming. They don’t have the name power compared to the big boys, but the CLG players have shown some signs of life in the early weeks of Summer. Their toplaner Dhokla has been a big standout, making his return to the league after almost 3 years in the lower leagues. It’s not often we see players have the grit and willpower to work their way back to the top after multiple thought years. Seeing these glimpses of success are proof of his dedication and it would be a huge accomplishment if CLG could challenge for a Worlds spot in 2022.
League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK)
Last up we have the fallen kings, it’s the LCK. Losing to the LPL in the last couple of international events have undoubtedly hit hard, but if you think that the LCK can be underestimated, you are out of your mind.
Gen.G and T1 are leading the wolf pack on their road to revenge, and they have some very hungry teams following their lead. It’s easy to look towards the 2020 World Champions in DWG or the Deft led DRX squad, but the team that I want to highlight today is Liiv SANDBOX. Their jungler Croco has been a leading force together with the returning ADC in Prince. The mechanically driven ADC has been popping off in their games and the hype has spread throughout the entire roster. Their early games are not outstanding, partly because of some suboptimal laning performances. But if this squad is ahead when the midgames comes around, their ability to close out has been outstanding. Can they win the LCK? Most likely not, but they are one of the contenders that we might get to see on the international stage later this year.
And with that we’ll conclude today's breakdown. Thank you all for reading! If you found this interesting, follow me (League Analyst) on Medium and 👏this article. I’m trying to get to 100 followers to get back into the Medium Partner Program, so if you want to support me, please drop a follow!
