Format

This year’s League of Legends World Championship will be played in China, with an all new 24 team style format. The tournament will feature a ‘play-in’ stage, featuring 8 of the best teams from respective wildcard regions (excluding the GPL, where Gigabyte marines have earned a direct spot creating room for the runner up), as well as the third seeds from North America, Europe, China and the LMS regions. These teams will face off in 4 groups of 3, with 1 major 2 randomly drawn wildcard region teams.

The tournament will feature a ‘play-in’ stage, featuring 8 of the best teams from respective wildcard regions (excluding the GPL, where Gigabyte marines have earned a direct spot creating room for the runner up), as well as the third seeds from North America, Europe, China and the LMS regions. These teams will face off bo1 double round robin in 4 groups of 3, with 1 major 2 randomly drawn wildcard region teams. The top two (seeded to #1 and #2) from each group will advance to round 2, consisting of four single bo5 matches between randomly sorted #1 and #2 seeds, with the winners advancing to the group stage as pool 3 teams.

The group stage will involve a bo1 double round robin with four teams in each group (one pool 1, two pool 2 and one pool 3 team).

Pool Participants 1 Korea #1, China #1, Europe #1, LMS #1 2 Korea #2, Korea #3, China #2, North America #1, Europe #2, North America #2, LMS #2, SEA #1 (qualified through MSI results) 3 Play-In Teams

The top 2 from each group will advance, sorted into #1 and #2 seeds.

The knockout stage format has not changed from previous years, with #1 and #2 teams from the group stage facing off in a single elimination bo5 bracket featuring 8 teams total.

Power Rankings

*this team’s international strength is relatively unknown and could swing up or down 3 to 4 places

S

Worlds Favourites



1. Longzhu Gaming

After a complete rebuild of the previous Longzhu super team, the team of once rising talents has risen to what seems to be their full potential, beating SKT fairly convincing 3-1 in the LCK Summer finals. Longzhu’s combination of the veteran bottom lane of Pray and GorillA and the fresh talents of Khan in the top lane, Cuzz jungle and BDD in the mid lane have proven to be a deadly combo, and perhaps the most favoured to take out worlds. The relative inexperience of multiple members of the squad internationally could play a very large factor towards how Longzhu performs at worlds, however, if the team performs at a similar strength to their playoff and end of season run, they should be viewed as the favourites to take the tournament. It seems that there is a fair gap between the top two and the rest of the strong teams at worlds this year, making it a head to head competition between the two giants. This bodes well for Longzhu, who has a 6-3 record over SKT over the course of the summer split.

2. SK Telecom

Even after a tough loss to Longzhu in the LCK finals, it would be very unwise to count out SKT to take out the title. Betting against SKT at worlds has historically been a bad idea, likely from both the strength of their coaching staff and experience of many of their players, however, this year SKT faces an obvious problem in the top lane, with both Untara and Huni looking quite weak in comparison to the competition of Khan and Cuvee. The main question is if this will be enough for Longzhu to overcome the inevitable ‘World’s buff’ for SKT – even though my gut feeling is telling me to rank SKT higher, from an analytical point of view it is hard not to rank Longzhu as the favourites to take out the tournament.

A+

Worlds Contenders



3. Samsung Galaxy

Samsung has qualified with a brilliant gauntlet run, narrowly beating the Afreeca Freecs 3-2 before sweeping KT Rolster 3-0 (although it was about as close as it could be for a 3 game series). Samsung has recently resorted to playing with Ambition, despite the majority of their group stage games being played with ex CJ player Haru. His veteran status and shot calling will be invaluable at worlds if they are to beat the two giants above. Samsung has continued to demonstrate an uncanny ability to edge out games that go past 40 minutes, which could set up some possible victories against SKT, Longzhu or lower ranking teams who do not have the same level of late-game strategy.

4. Royal Never Give Up

RNGU are coming off a narrow 2-3 loss to EDG in the playoffs, however – they have a much greater amount of star power in comparison, with Xiaohu in mid and Uzi in the ad carry position. RNGU have a much greater chance at challenging the Korean teams by sticking to their identity with mlxg continuing his heavy early game ganking style. RNGU have also shown in the past with a similar set of players that they have the ability to perform on the international stage, wherein comparison, EDG has not. Although it could be argued that Team WE have looked the better team, it is clear that RNGU wins in terms of individual talent, which gives them a much higher chance of challenging the Korean teams. Their heavy early game skirmishing style could also arguably be more effective at worlds, where other teams are less used to playing against different styles.

5. Team WE

Team WE finished the LPL playoffs disappointingly, narrowly losing 2-3 to RNGU and IG in the 3rd place match. However, they bounced back in the gauntlet against IG, beating them 3-2 (which further proves how much of a coin-toss the LPL playoffs were – more to come later). How Team WE will do on the international stage will be relatively unknown, however, they do have a few members with international experience such as Xiye and Mystic. Team, WE have looked the most solid and versatile team of the LPL and are definitely the strongest of the play in teams by far. Mystic’s uncanny ability to position safely while dealing maximum damage in team fights will also be invaluable if the team is to pull out some 50/50 games at worlds.

A-

Playoff contenders

6. TSM

TSM are coming off a relatively strong playoff run, beating Team Dignitas and Immortals 3-1. A major upside to the roster is the strength of their top laner Hauntzer. Although he will probably not beat the world class korean top laners of Cuvee and Khan, he will at the same time not get completely outclassed by them, which in this tank meta allows the strong carry players Bjergsen and Doublelift to carry games. TSM’s success this worlds will rely heavily on their pick and ban phase combined with their ability to adapt to the meta. In contrast to last year, Biofrost has developed into a much more solid player, the main question for TSM will be whether Svenskeren can stand up to the large amount of aggressive early game focused junglers such that will be present at Worlds.

7. G2 Esports

G2’s domination over Europe has continued this year, with convincing 3-0 victories in the playoffs against H2K and Misfits. Despite a very disappointing start to the summer split, G2 have seemed to have stepped it up and once again are on a different level to the other European teams (domestically, at least). Despite the roster’s previous lacklustre international performances, the fact that the roster has stayed together for a full year gives the team time to adapt and learn from their mistakes, which could possibly lead to a much stronger performance. G2’s top laner Expect has developed into quite a solid player, and their bottom lane combination of Zven and Mithy has developed a strong level of synergy which will be invaluable for the ardent censer meta we will see at Worlds.

8. Flash Wolves

While in previous years the Flash Wolves are normally closely challenged by rival team AHQ, this year it was a clear stomp in the playoff finals. This Flash Wolves roster has been untouched for two splits now, with all their members except ad carry Betty having experienced Worlds together as a team, which will be invaluable at this year’s Worlds. It is always hard to judge LMS teams due to the large disparity in the top teams (with this year’s results being influenced by the suspension of many of the Flash Wolves’ players), but it is likely the Flash Wolves will have a good chance of scraping into playoffs at Worlds this year. A big problem that the Flash Wolves is facing is the level of play Maple will bring to Worlds in contrast to previous years and their relatively weak early game in comparison to their strong mid/late game shot-calling.

*9. EDG

You might be thinking about why EDG has been ranked below RNGU AND WE despite beating winning the playoffs. This has been done firstly because a large amount of the LPL playoffs were so close that EDG looked like they won out of 50/50 luck rather than outclassing their opponents. Additionally, EDG has not shown in recent international tournaments that they are capable of playing at their full level, with last year’s worlds and their 1-3 record at Rift Rivals. The main player EDG will rely on to win games is former SKT sub Scout, however, they still have the glaring weakness of Mouse in the top lane as well as a big question mark over how rookie ad carry player Iboy will perform on an international stage. In comparison to the other two Chinese teams, where RNGU have star power and Team We have versatility, EDG only has a history of playing poorly at an international level – perhaps due to their coaching staff or simply nerves from their players.

10. Immortals

The addition of Xmithie to this Immortals roster has made a huge impact on this team, jumping from 7th in the spring split to a competitive series in the summer finals against TSM. Another invaluable aspect of this roster at worlds is the fact that 4 out of 5 players have had multiple international experiences – although a big question mark is how rookie ad carry Cody Sun will perform on the big stage. There is no doubt that the legacy Korean player Flame in the top lane will be hungry for success at worlds, which combined with the strong players of Xmithie, Pobelter and star support player Olleh overall make a very solid competing team at this year’s Worlds.

C+

Group Stage Contenders

11. Cloud 9

Cloud 9 are coming off a disappointing early exit from the NA LCS playoffs, losing 1-3 to Dignitas in the quarterfinals. However, the team bounced back in the regional finals, winning against CLG 3-1 in a series with multiple close games. How much C9 has improved since the playoffs is relatively unknown, however, there is still likely quite a large skill gap between C9 and the other top 2 NA teams. Although C9 are only ranked one position below Immortals, there seems to be a large gap between the top 10 teams at worlds and the rest, hence the jump from an A- to C+ rating.

*12. Misfits

Choosing between rankings Cloud 9 and Misfits in the rankings has been tough – when looking purely at domestic results it could be validly argued both ways when comparing team strength. However, a major factor that contributed to the lower ranking of Misfits is the fact that all of their players (barring PowerOfEvil – who has had experience at iem events) have not had previous international experience, which makes this team a big question mark at this year’s Worlds.

13. Fnatic

Fnatic are coming off a relatively disappointing end to the season, bowing out in the playoffs 3-1 against Misfits after finishing first in group A. However, Fnatic bounced back to have a strong performance in the regional finals, convincingly beating H2K 3-0. With the recent resurgence of G2 in the playoffs, Fnatic is in a similar boat to Misfits. Both seem to be very far from the first seed of their region, which has lead to the low rating of these two teams, especially when combined with Europe’s disappointing performance at this year’s Rift Rivals

*14. 1907 Fenerbahce

This one is going to be a controversial one, but let me explain my reasoning. The first point takes us back to the rift rivals tournament between Turkey and CIS, which are both considered to be strong wildcard regions. However, the tournament was a landslide, with Turkey finishing with an overall record of 16-3 (this result should, however, be diluted by the fact that some of the CIS teams were no longer at the top of the region by the time Rift Rivals started). Fenerbahce themselves finished the tournament without dropping a single game with a 7-0 record. This tournament not only proved Fenerbahce’s ability to perform internationally but also demonstrated the strength of the TCL. Fenerbahce also won the summer playoffs with ease, winning both the semifinals and finals against a mostly unchanged SuperMassive roster 3-0. Fenerbahce also has star power with Frozen in the mid lane – Longzhu’s former mid laner who was considered to be a top 5 LCK mid laner. Fenerbahce could very well be a dark horse if they are underestimated. Wildcard regions have shown in the past that their top teams have been able to challenge even first seeds from major regions – with the main example being the Gigabyte Marines taking TSM to 5 games at this year’s MSI.

*15. AHQ

In previous years, the LMS has steadily followed a pattern of there being a large gap between Flash Wolves, AHQ and the rest – with the Flash Wolves normally being slightly ahead. Unfortunately for AHQ in the summer split, it seems that the traditionally secure runner up of the LMS has slipped into ‘the rest’ category, despite finishing runner up once again. Interestingly, large gaps seem to be forming between the top team(s) in other regions as well, such as G2 and the rest in EU, TSM and IMT in NA and in the LMS’ case, The Flash Wolves and the rest. How AHQ will perform at worlds is a big question mark, however they have been rated much higher than HKA purely due to their experience at international events.

*16. Gigabyte Marines

The Gigabyte Marines burst into the scene at this year’s MSI, challenging the top seeds from various major regions. However, the roster should not be rated at the same level as half a year ago due to the roster shuffle that took place after the tournament – with Stark and Slay leaving, Archie moving to top lane and the addition of two new players. However, the highly anticipated roster seems to have developed good synergy, easily sweeping the GPL playoffs 3-0 against the Manilla Eagles and the GPL’s second seed, Ascension Gaming. The Marines still have a good chance of once again being the dark horses of this tournament.

17. Hong Kong Attitude

The traditional gap between the Flash Wolves and the rest in the LMS has not changed one bit this year, apart from the fact that AHQ seems to have slipped to join the others. However, HKA have do not have much international experience at riot tournaments – which tips the pendulum heavily against them. Combining that with multiple roster changes over the year makes it hard to rate HKA highly, however they will still likely be able to escape the Play In stage.

18. Gambit Esports

The newly created roster combining elements of Albus Nox and the original Moscow 5 team has dominated the LCL round robin, finishing with a 13-1 record. They were however challenged in the finals by M19 (formerly ANX, although only bare traces of the original roster remain) in a close 5 game series. While the return of the legendary roster to worlds has many fans hyped, it should be an uphill battle for the new team to challenge the major regions, as Gambit’s dominance over the region has fallen slightly towards the end of the Summer season. While the roster has some legacy players, it still has many exploitable weak points such as PvPStejos in the top lane, who recently swapped over from the jungle role.

D

Play In Brawlers

19. Team oNe

Team oNe were the unexpected victors from the Brazilian playoffs, winning against the more recognisable paiN Gaming org 3-1 in the finals. However, the team’s rookie status could prove to be their undoing at worlds. There will be multiple factors such as jet lag and the large increase of audience size that the inexperienced players will have to deal with, which could play a negative role in their traditionally macro oriented style of play. Additionally, Brazil’s performances at recent international events such as MSI and Rift Rivals – where they barely edged out victories against the weaker wildcard regions of LAN and LAS.

20. Lyon Gaming

Lyon Gaming have continued their dominance over the LAN region with an undefeated 11 win 3 draw record in the regular split and a 6-1 record in the playoffs. Lyon Gaming’s victories throughout the season have mainly come from superior laning and focus around strong ad carry player WhiteLotus – reliance on strong laning could be a negative factor for the team when matched up against major regions or other strong wildcard teams in the tournament. Lyon Gaming could very well surprise a few teams from their brute force playstyle, but it seems quite unlikely that they are getting out of play-ins.

21. Rampage

Rampage scraped into worlds after a close 5 game series between regular rival team DetonatioN FocusMe. Rampage has reverted to a very passive laning style that transitions into strong mid to late game team fighting, where they have demonstrated a lot of prowess. A very big problem that Rampage will face at worlds is the weakness of their two carry players Ramune and YutoriMoyashi in lane, who frequently fall far behind in cs and consolidate too much pressure, which could be a big problem when facing even stronger international players.

22. Dire Wolves

Dire Wolves have taken the crown of best OPL team from the Chiefs convincingly this year, with a solid 3-1 victory in the finals. Dire Wolves jungler Shernfire, who previously achieved rank 3 in the Korean solo queue ladder is their star player, being able to create early pressure and gain substantial cs leads over his opponents. Dire Wolves have the ability to play around their aggressive ad carry K1ng in team fights, which will be essential to the team if they are to have any chance of making it to the group stage.

23. Young Generation

Young Generation have regularly hovered below the Gigabyte Marines in both the VCS and GPL, and have never really reached the same level – apart from earlier in the summer split when the Marines were building synergy in their new roster. A key player for Young Generation will be Venus in the mid lane, who has demonstrated the ability to single-handedly carry games through brute force and mechanics.

24. Kaos Latin Gamers

KLG and Isurus Gaming’s rivalry has continued this year, however KLG edged it out in a 4 game final. Unfortunately, teams from the Latin America South region have failed to impress in almost all previous international tournaments. This likely will continue into thie year’s worlds. If KLG are to have any success however, it will be through their unpredictable jungler Tierwulf, who moved back into the jungling position at the start of the closing season.

This year’s Worlds expansion into 24 team competition is going to be very exciting, spoiler-free highlights can be seen on http://onivia.com/ which also regularly features Roccat prize giveaways

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