Since the beginning of time itself, the North American LCS playoffs have given League of Legends enthusiasts some of the most exciting gameplay, some of the most egregious gameplay, and some of the most baffling physical phenomena. Look closely, and you might be able to see liquid literally crumble under pressure.

The field of ten NALCS teams has been narrowed down to a post-season pack of Team Solo Mid, Immortals, Cloud 9, Counter Logic Gaming, Liquid, and the state of Nevada. These familiar faces will vie for their place at the 2016 World Championship. As we navigate the post-season, it’s easy to get lost. Can SKT still make worlds? Unfortunately that’s outside the scope of this hot take. Forward that inquiry over to Montecristo. Still, it’s easy to get confused. The formats are elaborate. Let’s dip our toes into these muddy waters and take a look at the top three ways NALCS teams will qualify for the 2016 League of Legends World Championship.

1) Bracket stage, baby!

First off, you’ve got your standard single-elimination-6-team best-of-five-reverse-blindfolded playoff bracket. Someone wins that one, right? Yes. It’s the centerpiece of the North American playoffs. Alleged two-time defending-champions CLG are going face off against an equally dubious Team Liquid in the first round of action. We assume Cloud 9 will have a first-round opponent as well. After the exhibition matches, 1st seed powerhouse TSM will play against the lower remaining seed, while Immortals frantically read over the newest patch notes. Two teams will emerge from the semi-final matches, meet up in Toronto, fall in love, and spend the rest of their lives watching VODs together. How sweet.

The summer split playoff winner will win a one-way trip to world championship pound town, population: South Korea’s three best (TBD) teams, alongside a supporting cast of various other Korean players. Hold onto your flash because it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

But we can’t let North America off the hook by sending only one regional embarrassment. Our forefathers fought valiantly against humiliation without representation.

Can you say bonus rounds?

2) The points do matter

Once TSM clinches the first world championship seed, we’re going to have to assess the remaining wreckage.

Who gets to be number two? That’s obvious. The team who saved up the most box top clippings over the course of both splits gets an all-expense paid trip to the 2016 world championship all the way in scenic California. Let’s see how our competitors have been keeping up:

Current standings for second place

* = forgot to get their parent or guardian’s signature and are therefore ineligible to participate in the sweepstakes.

Really nice stuff, keep it up! Don’t lose track of those box tops.

In this dog-eat-dog box top economy, we congratulate all the teams for striving to create their own competitive advantages. Our teams have gone all-out by putting up posters at local schools, rummaging through recycling bins, winning the spring split, and even taking out loans to purchase tens of thousands of units of cheerios in bulk. Anything is fair game as long as it’s in the spirit of education.

And of course, it all goes to a good cause. Last year, the proceeds were deposited directly into Reginald’s bank account, after his box top championship team took part in North America’s impressive 0-10 second-week-surge at worlds.

The future of our children’s education rests solely in your hands, North American pro-gamers. Thank you for participating.

3) Anyway,

The remaining viable teams are finally arranged, based on their accumulated fantasy points, in one of those brackets where everyone just gets beaten by Cloud 9 one after another. You know the one.

Here’s a VOD of last year’s gauntlet for those who don’t remember, or Liquid fans who’ve chosen to forget:

That about covers it

I can only hope that you now have a clearer picture of how the 2016 NALCS post-season will work.

Now let’s take a step back and appreciate the playoffs for what they are: a spectacle. As we spectate, let’s not forget what’s most important: the thrill of the game, making vindictive posts on Reddit, and keeping track of how frequently casters reference a “loss of tempo.”

No matter the results, the games are sure to captivate, confuse, and most importantly, chronicle the next chapter in North America’s longstanding history of intranational success.

For more unrelenting coverage of the NALCS post season bonanza, look no further than awayfromtypewriter.wordpress.com

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