Rogue vs SK Gaming

To start things off, we have a fairly solid clash between Rogue and SK Gaming. Granted, with the LEC being so darn top-heavy, most match-ups are bound to be relatively one-sided. Still, both teams love to skirmish, and while they might not be particularly clean in execution, their capacity to team fight and trade heavy blows should make things quite entertaining.

SK Gaming have started the split off on a much higher note than most people expected, and they deserve a ton of praise for the fact. They don't have much to work with, all things considered, with a line-up that's at once both confusing as well as underwhelming. It's not all abysmal, of course, with Trick, Crownshot, and ZaZee being far better than most people give them credit, but as a whole, as a five-man unit, SK Gaming fails to impress. Still, they don't care much for the odds or what people think about them. They're doing many things right (the result of an improved and bolstered coaching staff) and are playing to their strengths for the first time in two years. They're fearless, and when they draft well they can definitely compete on even footing, at least in the early and mid stages of the game. At 4W-4L, they're a pretty solid (albeit inherently flawed) mid-tier contender, and they have an equally solid chance of reaching Top 6 should they continue growing as a team.

By the same token, Rogue are looking like a far better team than most expected. Now sure, they've been getting a lot of hype over the last year and while most of it is well-deserved, they never quite popped off, for whatever reason. They always had amazing games and moments of brilliance, but once push came to shove, they fumbled and failed in a multitude of ways. There was always something missing. They're talented and have a metric ton of potential, but unless they can maintain a certain level of play and double down on their strengths, then it's all in vain.

Fortunately, if their most recent games are any indication, they've finally grown enough as a team to actually challenge for a spot at the top. With six wins on the board and just two losses, they're looking like one of the best teams in the region. Whether or not they'll be able to maintain such a stellar level of play remains to be seen, but with Origen falling off a cliff performance-wise, Rogue has a chance to reach Top 4 and potentially even lock down a ticket for the World Championship in China. Obviously, there are many games left to be played and a lot can chance in a couple of weeks' time, but they at least have a puncher's chance.

After their surprising win over Origen, we simply have to give them the benefit of the doubt. They're by no means clean or commanding (especially if they fail to start off on the right foot early on), but they're far more dangerous and layered than SK Gaming and should be able to get the win without much trouble.