2022 World Championship

The League of Legends World Championship is the biggest esports event in the world, consistently breaking records in regards to viewership.

The best League of Legends teams in the world has been competing for a year across multiple circuits and events globally to prove themselves and earn a spot at the World Championship stage.

Preview

2022 World Championship Knockout Stage Preview

After several weeks of mind-blowing action (and more beatdowns than you can shake a stick at), we’ve finally reached the point most folks look forward to the most: the Knockout Stage! Eight teams, all of which are staggeringly talented and capable beyond measure, will now duke it out in the oh-so-phenomenal Best of 5 format.

What’s not to like?

This Worlds sure has been a crazy ride although, in all fairness, things do seem to be resolving in fairly typical fashion. We have three teams from the LPL, one from the LEC, and a whopping four from the LCK. That’s… exactly what we all thought would happen. There’s simply too big of a gap these days — there’s really no other way to put it. The East and the West are competing across opposite sides of the canyon and, by the looks of it, it seems to be wider than ever.

Asian teams are faster to react, to adapt, to shift and change and evolve based on what the meta demands. They fight and compete without reserve. It’s staggering, really, the ease with which they engage and execute — as if their lives depend on it. There’s no hesitation, none whatsoever. It’s an interesting thing to behold, no doubt, and it’s also frightening when contrasted and compared to what their Eastern adversaries are doing. Today’s meta is both flexible and volatile, but the giants of the LCK and LPL seem to have it under control. They have a myriad of different strats and team comps with which they can get the job done, and are seemingly capable at pulling anything off given the right prep time and set-up.

The LCK, too, seems to be a step above the rest. This gap might not be as tremendous, but it does exist all the same. The meta has shifted and they’re the biggest beneficiaries of said shift. They’re still fallible, make no mistake, but they’re nowhere near as precarious in a position as some of their contemporaries. They offer the best of both worlds: immaculate teamfighting and mind-blowing macro. They’re slow and subdued when it benefits them, and yet ferocious and aggressive whenever there’s a need for it. It’s like poetry in motion, watching them play.

The Knockout Stage will, therefore, deliver in every way, shape, and form. Of that you can be certain. The match-ups, too, are insane: 

All four of these are enticing enough to have one start watering at the mouth. Well, JDG vs. Rogue might not be a historic clash of titans, but that one, too, should be competitive enough to deliver. T1 vs. Royal Never Give Up is what most folks would describe as a “certified banger,” with Gen.G vs. DWG KIA being a fair bit more melancholic — it’s a shame one of these two towering giants will have to pack their bags in a few days’ time. It’s in moments like these that we so desperately crave a double elimination format (the one fans have been clamoring for for years).

Last but certainly not least, we have a clash of two top-tier teams in DRX vs. EDward Gaming, both of which happen to be quite flawed and inconsistent. We’ve seen their flashes of brilliance, though, and we were not left indifferent. Who’ll come out on top? That feels nigh impossible to predict. Seven out of these eight teams all have a shot at doing some damage, with three if not even four having all the right tools to go the “whole nine yards.”

So, with that little introduction out of the way, let’s take a closer look at all four quarterfinal match-ups!

An Asterisk Worth Noting — COVID-19

A topic we all hoped we’d be able to avoid. Unfortunately, it has reared its ugly head yet again. Numerous players — mostly those from the LPL — are currently experiencing severe symptoms and, needless to say, it’s going to impact the way they perform but also prepare and practice. They’re struggling on multiple fronts, and we’ve heard many horrific stories of players barely eating and having time to recuperate.

These factors have already left their mark so if you’re going to bet on this year’s Knockout Stage, do keep that in mind — it’s a bit more complicated than it was before.

2022 LoL World Championship — Quarters Preview

Our first match-up at hand is a wholly fascinating one: it is the quintessential underdog story. Whether that’s something of interest or not will depend heavily on your passion for storylines and whatnot, but even if that isn’t the case it’s still an interesting clash that, by all metrics, seems to have a foregone conclusion.

In other words: betting on this one should be an absolute breeze.

JD Gaming [LPL] vs. Rogue [LEC]

A fight between the number one seed from China and the European champions might sound fairly enticing, but in actuality, it’s probably the biggest mismatch of the entire Knockout Stage. There’s simply too large of a gap between them. There’s no other way to say it. JD Gaming hail from the most stacked, most competitive region the world of competitive LoL has to offer — and it’s not even close. To emerge victorious, to triumph in such a region is a true testament to one’s astounding strength and potential.

The LPL is ripe with towering giants and JD’s might and alacrity triumphed over all. That speaks volumes. They’re not perfect, of course, but their few flaws and weaknesses are not easily exploitable. And, well, it’s hard to envision a world in which Rogue actually get the upper hand no matter how well they end up drafting or playing.

There’s a wide chasm between these two line-ups. That is a fact, and it’s not even up for debate.

Rogue have, in all fairness, shown a tremendous feistiness. They had a fairly advanced read on the meta, too which, when paired with their stellar ability to creativity bore phenomenal results. They are the only European team that really delivered this year, so credit where credit is due. They weren’t, however, able to ride that momentum wave for long. Their performance in week two left a lot to be desired and they know it, too. 

Will they correct course and put on a show? That’s totally possible, but it’s still not going to be enough against a titan like JDG. They’re worlds apart performance- and talent-wise, and that kind of a gap simply cannot be narrowed within a few days’ time (or ever, for that matter). 

Rogue can definitely take a game off of the LPL champions, there’s no doubt about it — maybe even two. But the likelihood of them outperforming JDG three times within a five-game series is simply far too remote. It’s a “cut and dry” kind of match-up. 

Be that as it may, it’ll still be interesting to see how well they match-up on the biggest stage the world of competitive League has to offer. There are all these peculiar, enticing questions lingering in the air: will Rogue’s creativity end up being a bigger boon than we expect? They’re also used to playing the underdog — will that light a fire beneath them and, if so, will that zest be enough to cause an upset?

We’ll find out soon enough. In the meantime, betting on JD Gaming would be the only logical option.

Royal Never Give Up [LPL] vs. T1 [LCK]

This is what we’ve all been waiting for: the perennial clash of Eastern titans, both of which serve as the very foundation of competitive League as we now know it. This, in short, is a match-up as old as time, and the fact that it’s still so darn enticing — despite its “age” — speaks volumes.

Both of these teams (or organizations, rather) are synonymous with the regions from which they hail. They’ve been writing history for longer than we can remember and, by the looks of it, they donćt intend to stop any time soon. They’re still atop the world and are as relevant as ever. They’re probably not good enough to go the proverbial distance — we’re leaning more towards JDG and Gen.G — but are nonetheless incredibly capable and dangerous beyond measure.

Royal Never Give Up didn’t look all that good in their last two games but they did, in all fairness, have some pretty severe COVID-related symptoms, so those losses do need to be analyzed and observed through an entirely different lens.

T1 are the favorites, but they’re by no means guaranteed to come out on top. Of that you simply need to be aware of. They’re not perfect and can definitely be punished and exploited with the right game plan and approach. Gumayusi stepped up big time but is still somewhat holding his team back.

Zeus, on the other hand, isn’t. Heck, he’s T1’s shining star. His performance thus far has been nothing short of extraordinary. He might not be the best top laner at Worlds but is nonetheless a shoo-in for Top 2. He’s first in CS and gold differentials at the fourteen minute mark, first in forward percentage, and yet thirteenth in jungle proximity. He’s doing all the heavy lifting by himself and it speaks volumes about his individual talent and ability to perform on the biggest stage the world of competitive LoL has to offer.

These two are so evenly matched but RNG do, in all fairness, have the slightly more dangerous bottom lane — and that’s no small thing in today’s meta. If they’ve managed to solve their health-related issues, they could, by all means, end up pulling off an upset.

What we’re trying to say is this: don’t let the odds fool you. T1 and RNG are the only true members of the competitive League pantheon. The former has a whopping 140 international wins, the latter 124. Let that sink in. And these numbers are made all the more impressive once you factor in that the next closest team has a “meager” 77. They’re in a league of their own, so it’d be ludicrous to expect anything other than a five-game barnburner!

We’re leaning more towards RNG, but betting on T1 might be the more logical option here — they’ll enter this forthcoming Best of 5 renewed and reinvigorated, which is a stark contrast to RNG’s current (and most unfavorable) predicament.

Tournament Format