2020 LoL European Championship Spring

24 January, 2020 - N/A Berlin, Germany

The League of Legends European Championship, or LEC for short, is the premier franchise circuit for European pro LoL teams. The continents' top ten teams  face off across two seasons each year to determine the top dogs of the region.

Each season comes with a separate prize pool as well as qualifying spots for international events including the Mid Season Invitational and Worlds.

Preview

The 2020 LEC season is mere hours away, so there’s a very good reason to get excited. You might not be a fan of the European region and its many talented teams, but their results over the last two years made it impossible not to regard them as some of the best and most capable challengers in the world of competitive League.

2020 will, then, provide us with just as much entertainment and will, one can hope, be equally as competitive as 2019. The ten LEC permanent partners went above and beyond last year in an attempt to leave a mark, and while not all of them succeeded, we were not left indifferent after witnessing their valiant efforts.

Europe, as a region, is still pretty top heavy, so don’t expect any huge upsets or unexpected twists and turns this time around. This, however, doesn’t mean that top-tier play will be absent. On the contrary. The fight in the middle will be absolutely insane, with the LEC having more well-rounded gatekeepers than ever. The meta shifted quite a bit, and with almost every team undergoing immense change during the off-season, the playing field has been leveled. This means that anything can happen during the first few weeks of play, so have that in mind if you’re looking to bet on the LEC. 

As the season develops, however, the current and former “kings of Europe” should, by all means, start to differentiate themselves from the pack, much like they did in basically every year in the past. They’re simply too good across the board not to finish at the top of the region once all is said and done. G2 didn’t make even a single change to their starting line-up (not counting the swap between Caps and Perkz), whereas Fnatic made just one: they brought over Nemesis’ former jungler Selfmade from SK Gaming. He’s not exactly and upgrade over Broxah (who’ll now compete in the LCS for Team Liquid), but he’s a stellar performer nonetheless. We can therefore expect both of these two giants to dominate. 

As for the middle of the standings, basically anything can happen. Many mid-tier teams upgraded considerably over the course of the off-season and they’ll be far more equipped to challenge both G2 and Fnatic. Teams like Origen and Rogue definitely stand out as two serious challengers, and we also have the likes of Schalke 04, Team Vitality, MAD Lions and Excel who are also worthy of a shoutout. 

How well they’ll fare against the reigning, defending champions still remains to be seen as it all boils down to their synergy and ability to adapt to the meta. 

To summarize, if things pan out as expected, the upcoming Spring Split should be a lock for the history books. So many exciting new storylines, new up and coming rookies, grizzled veterans and stacked teams that’ll compete at the highest of levels.

If you’re a fan of the LEC, it’s a good time to be alive, that’s for sure.

With that out of the way, let’s focus a bit on a couple of important factors at play: 

The Format

The regular season format remains unchanged. This means both splits will be played in the Best of 1 format in a double round robin. The playoffs, however, changed considerably. In the Spring Split, the top six teams will advance further, and they’ll fight in a proper double elimination bracket, much like they do in competitive Dota 2. So there’ll be a Winners Bracket (also known as the Upper Bracket), and a Losers Bracket (or the Bottom Bracket, if you will). This means that both finalists — regardless of their rank prior to reaching the finals — will have to win at least two Best of 5s before fighting for the title. 

This will also give the teams who fail in the beginning another chance at redemption. We’ve seen just how entertaining these lower bracket runs can get and they’re definitely a welcome change. 

Then once the playoffs conclude, the six teams that participated get a set amount of Championship Points which they will then carry over to Summer, much like they did in the past. The team that won the split will represent Europe at the Mid-Season Invitational.

So in a way, not a lot has changed for Spring, at least not in the grand scheme of things.

The Summer Split, however, is way different. 

After the regular portion of the split has concluded, teams will be awarded a set number of Championship Points. So that’s before the playoffs. Then, the top eight teams advance to the playoffs, instead of just six. Teams will then be ranked based on the amount of points they’ve accrued across both splits — so a team can finish first in Summer and still not be the first seed in the playoffs. 

After they’ve all been ranked, the playoffs will commence (double elimination format). 

Finally, the Regional Qualifier is a thing of the past. Instead, the first three teams in Summer will represent Europe at the World Championship. It’s as simple as that. So how well a team performed in Spring changes nothing in the grand scheme of things. If they’re good enough to finish third in Summer, they’ll lock down a ticket for Worlds. 

This is a much more logical (and fair, even) set-up to the one in the past. This means teams should, therefore, focus on developing synergy in Spring, and even if they fumble and fail to get on the same page, they’ll have more than enough time to find redemption and, ultimately, attain success in Summer. Also, this guarantees that only the best teams in the region will get the honor of representing it, which is definitely a plus. 

The Teams

This is where the real fun starts. 

We'll still watch the same ten permanent partners, but their line-ups changed so much over the last couple of months that you probably don't recognize most line-ups. So let's go over everyone and dive a bit deeper into their chances of leaving a mark.

The list below will also be our preliminary tier list or power ranking, rather. The key word here is "preliminary" and you should definitely take things with reserve. No one can predict how the upcoming split will unfold as there are simply too many factors at play. It's fair to assume who'll compete in the finals, but everything up to that point is completely up in the air, so if you're looking to bet on the LEC, proceed with caution. 

1. G2 Esports — The defending champions are bound to dominate yet again in 2020. They still have the same five-man line-up, which is enough reason to get excited for the things to come. With so much talent and potential, there's no telling how high they can go. At the moment, they're predicted to blow away all opposition much like they did last year. That said, there is a fascinating thing going on: Perkz and Caps will rotate. This means the Croatian mid lane legend will once again play in his original role, whereas Caps will try his hand at an entirely different position. This is, quite frankly, an unexpected decision, but seeing how they have nothing to lose, it might end up as a positive move. If things don't go according to plan, the two behemoths will simply swap yet again and proceed as was originally planned. Caps is insanely talented and if Perkz could pull off such a transition last year, there's no reason why Caps wouldn't be able to do the same. 

Overall, they're regarded as the number one team and with good reason. They're simply too talented and capable not to end up at the very top. How big of a fight they'll encounter this time around still remains to be seen though. Either way, expect insane, top-tier play from the moment they step foot on stage. 

2. Fnatic — The former "kings of Europe" are entering 2020 with their sights set on the title, and, frankly, if they play as well as they did last year, they might even stand a chance of dethroning G2 Esports. They did make a change to their starting line-up, however, and it's going to impact their play in ways we simply cannot predict. On the one hand, Broxah was their foundation more often than not. His consistency was key as he was impactful on both bruisers and tanks alike. He did have a couple of dips in performance throughout his stint with Fnatic, but whenever Fnatic needed him to deliver, Broxah came through. He's one of the best junglers in the history of the region, and losing a player of his caliber is definitely a big blow. 

On the other hand, Selfmade is every bit as aggressive (if not more) and has more than enough mechanical prowess to dominate over his opposition. His impressive play earned him the "Rookie of the Split" award in his very first LEC appearance, and it was definitely a landslide victory. He already played with Nemesis back in MAD Lions, so their pre-built synergy will provide Fnatic a noticeable upper hand in the earlier portions of the split when everyone else is struggling to synergize. He might not be able to fill the void immediately, but Selfmade definitely brings a unique set of abilities to the table. In that sense, maybe Fnatic will prosper even more than they did with Broxah.

Either way, it'll be exciting to see them grow, develop, and eventually challenge G2 for the LEC throne. Even though they're not perfect, his Fnatic line-up has all the right tools to compete at the highest of levels. 

3. Origen — Origen made a couple of key changes coming into 2020, but it's still hard to give them our full benefit of the doubt after everything that transpired in 2019. On the one hand, they began the season in style and even finished right behind G2 Esports in Spring. Their Summer Split, however, was downright abysmal, and why things went downhill so fast is a mystery that is still left unresolved. They're were a solid, well-rounded roster, but they lacked firepower and got most of their wins through intelligent team play and macro. Now, that's definitely a positive thing overall, but they could rarely go blow-for-blow with teams that could outperform them mechanically. Once they matched macro-wise, they struggled. Finally, they never had a true hardcarry, a player who would carry them over the finish line and dominate beyond comprehension.

Origen definitely upgraded during the off-season, but they still lack that one true phenom who's going to allow them to compete with the likes of G2 and Fnatic. Some might say that their newest marksman Upset (of Schalke 04 fame) will do the trick, but the talented German player rarely lived up to the immense hype that was placed on his shoulders both by the organization and fans alike. He's solid, at times fantastic, but nowhere near what people expected. We can't know whether that was because of Upset in particular, or Schalke as a team. Nonetheless, he'll have prove his worth over the coming months. Xerxe is definitely a huge upgrade over Kold, and will definitely propel both Alphari as well as Nukeduck.

Overall, they're a team that's brimming with talent and experience. Four out of their five players have been competing at the highest of levels in the LEC for years and they're a lock for the playoffs almost by default. That said, they're not predicted to go any higher than third place. 

4. Rogue — Rogue is definitely one of the most fascinating teams in Europe right now. They essentially went from being a bottom-tier dweller, to challenging even the best of teams in the region. They needed a bit of time to synergize, get on the same page and once it happened, it was as if they transformed into an entirely different team. And the thing is, they weren't just good -- they were phenomenal. A night and day different in every regard. By the time the dust settled, Rogue had a metric ton of hype behind their backs and their peculiar narrative got a lot of people excited for the future. 

Who would've thought, coming into 2020, that Rogue would be regarded as such a talented, even stacked team? And yet here we are. Against all odds, they're one of the most feared rosters primarily because of their bravado and fearless play. 

Then again, the majority of people are possibly swayed by a solid amount of recency bias. Did Rogue improve in a staggeringly short amount of time in 2019? They absolutely did. Did they look like a Top 5 team? For sure. But it happened so long ago (and under unique circumstances), that it's possible for it not to happen again. These things are relative, and 2020 might show us a different shade of Rogue, one that is perhaps weaker than we expected coming into the tournament. Regardless, they have a full year of experience under their belts, they've upgraded in the one key area they had to (ADC), and are extremely confident. That's a recipe for success, now all that's left for them to do is get on the Rift and execute.

Keep an eye on this line-up as it could potentially upset the status quo. 

5. Schalke 04 — Where does one even start with Schalke? They're a mix of recognizable faces, and a couple of up-and-coming talents that have stood out last year. So, in short, there are no rookies, but the less experienced players on this roster (that being Abbedagge and Dreams) have yet to prove their worth on the biggest of stages. They're solid, and at times even great, but their play often left a lot to be desired. Overaggression, the tendency to get caught out and overstep are some of their biggest (and most obvious) problems. Despite this, they're both talented and are more than worthy of starting in the LEC. If they work on their issues and adapt, they'll compliment their more seasoned teammates nicely.

Beside them, we have Odoamne, Gilius, and FORG1VEN. Now, their experience is undeniable, but they're not exactly the hottest of commodities coming into 2020. In a way, all three will be looking to make a statement this year.

We're giving Schalke the benefit of the doubt this early on primarily because of their veteran presence. They don't have anything special going for them, other than a couple of legends who are, in many ways, past their prime (at least to a certain extent). FORG1VEN, while undeniably talented, probably won't dominate as he did in the past, and Odoamne wasn't particularly impressive last year either. So if they don't push this Schalke 04 line-up over the finish line, there's no one else left to do it for them. Now, make no mistake, Schalke is by no means a weak team. On the contrary, but they're lacking in a couple of key areas. It is this deficiency that will eventually hinder their growth and subsequent chances of attaining success. In other words, once they peak as a five-man line-up, that's it. If they happen to peak as a mid-tier gatekeeper, they'll stay there throughout the year. 

Be that as it may, they have more than enough bravado and firepower (not to mention confidence, for better and worse) to go blow for blow with the best teams in the region. Expect them to start the season off swinging. 

6. Excel Esports — Excel is a fascinating bunch, that's for sure. After an abysmal 2019, they will be looking to improve -- in any way, shape, and form -- and actually mount an offensive. They had a couple of solid plays and moments throughout 2019, but they were too few and far between to actually warrant anything higher than tenth place. The fact that they ended tenth isn't such a big problem, but rather the fashion in which their entire season developed. But that's the past, and the organization has made multiple fascinating moves during the off-season to ensure their 2020 season goes a lot differently. 

They re-signed Expect and Caedrel, and brought over Mickey, Patrik (from Origen), and Tore from Splyce (formerly known as Norskeren). That's quite a fascinating mix of players, and they're not half bad. They're all solid, well-rounded, and they match stylistically as well. If they sync up as well as they could, they're bound to become an aggressive line-up that's always down to skirmish, regardless of the state of the game. But perhaps the biggest surprise is that they've signed former G2 Esports and Fnatic coach Youngbuck to lead the charge. That's a huge signing as Youngbuck possesses immense experience (not to mention many trophies and accolades) and will surely elevate this Excel line-up to newfound heights. 

Will it be enough, however? They're certainly a solid team that could, by all means, compete for a playoff spot. That said, they're by no means a top-tier challenger that's going to upset the established order.

The Realm of the Unknown

The teams listed below are impossible to rank at this point in time. There are simply too many question marks regarding each and every one of them. They either drastically changed during the off-season, or lost some of their most important players which should, in turn, heavily affect their play. Most of them could, by all means, surprise us not just throughout the entire season but early on as well. Either way, we'll need a couple of weeks before we can fully assess their strengths and weaknesses. 

Team Vitality — A challenger whose power level is impossible to read at this point in time. Only two players remain from the 2019 Vitality line-up (top and support), which means we're effectively looking at an entirely different team. There's a lot to like overall, but seeing how the region upgraded as a whole, this Vitality line-up will have to fight harder than ever in order to climb up the standings. They'll have former Splyce head coach Duke by their side, so that's definitely a plus, but they're not predicted to do much overall. Perhaps the most interesting thing is that this Vitality should be vastly different stylistically to the one that came before it. Without Jiizuke and Attila, they lost quite a fair bit of their aggression, which may or may not end up being a negative thing.

They'll gradually develop into an entirely different challenger, one that's depleted of its former aggression. Or at least that's what most expect. 

So much like MAD Lions, this teams will either surprise us positively or quietly slot into the bottom of the standings. Either way, watching their progress (or lack thereof) will be an interesting journey. 

SK Gaming — Another fascinating contender that didn't change much during the off-season. They've lost Selfmade and Dreams, but have brought over Trick (former two-time LEC MVP, of G2 Esports fame) and up-and-comer support Limit. Now, these two signings aren't exactly seismic in nature, but they're more than solid enough to ensure that SK doesn't drop much in the standings. They'll retain most of their core, and if Trick performs as well as he did in the past, this line-up should, by all means, be able to compete for a playoffs spot. Whether or not they'll earn it still remains to be seen, however. They're by no means a powerhouse and they'll face an uphill battle from the very get-go. 

MAD Lions — This is perhaps the toughest one to predict. After Splyce rebranded into MAD Lions (which affected management as well), the organization decided to field a vastly different line-up. Humanoid is the only player from Splyce that remained signed, and he'll be accompanied by four up-and-coming prospects. Now, on the one hand, they're four amazing talents who are bound to carve out a spot for themselves in the LEC. That's a given. On the other hand, they've yet to compete against LEC caliber teams. To dominate in the "B leagues" is commendable and worthy of the highest praise, but the LEC is a completely different beast altogether. 

That doesn't mean they won't find success, but rather that it might take them a while before synergizing and actually deciding on how they want to play the game. Regardless of what eventually happens, they have a ton of potential and should not be underestimated. That said, it's impossible to know at this point in time whether or not they'll be a big enough threat early on in Spring. So, at worst, they'll be a bottom-tier team with a lot of potential, and at best they'll reach Top 6 sooner rather than later. 

Either way, if you're betting on/against MAD Lions, proceed with caution as they're bound to surprise us. 

Misfits Gaming — Finally, we have Misfits Gaming, a team that should, almost certainly, end up tenth in Spring. After imploding beyond comprehension in 2019, Misfits opted to sign a much younger (and cheaper) line-up. That's a good approach as they'll re-build from the ground up without any weight on their shoulders. To the average viewer, none of these players ring a bell (other than, perhaps, their top laner Dan Dan). They're definitely solid overall, but without any concrete on-stage experience, they're bound to struggle against many (if not all) LEC teams. Don't expect much from Misfits this year either. 

Verdict

Overall, a lot has changed over the last couple of months. The region still has a couple of top-tier behemoths, but many of the teams below G2 and Fnatic will look a lot different than they did last year. This means some of them will struggle more than others, and that it's going to be hard to actually predict anything with confidence over the next couple of weeks. Despite this, top-tier play should not be absent. Many new talents will have their grand debut on the LEC stage, which is even more reason to tune in and watch the spectacle unfold.

Finally, if you're betting on the LEC, make sure to watch as many games as you possibly can because many important factors change and fluctuate on a weekly basis. A team might dominate in week one, and then just implode in week three without any apparent reason. Because of this, it's important to stay up-to-date. 

Tournament Format

Group Stage:

Double round robin with Best-of-One matches. The top six teams qualify for the seasons playoffs.

Playoffs:

Double elimination bracket with Best-of-Five matches. The top two teams of the season are seeded directly into the upper bracket finals. The third seed chooses whether they play either the fifth or sixth seed, with the fourth seed facing the leftover seed.

Winner qualifies for the 2020 Mid-Season Invitational.