Ask any League of Legends esports fan which what the biggest event in the European calendar is, and you’re likely to get just one answer: The League of Legends European Championship. This championship takes place twice a year: once in spring, and again in summer — meaning there’s plenty of League of Legends esports action for you to take part in.
Now that the 2021 summer split is over, attention has begun to turn to who will assume the mantle of victory in the 2022 spring season. There is, of course, no guaranteed way to work it out for sure. Not even the world’s favorite esports gamers like Ssumday or N0tail can predict that. However, it is possible for fans of the game to assess the teams as they currently stand and make an informed prediction on which ones might have the best chance of success.
MAD Lions
No analysis of the potential winners of the next round of the League of Legends LEC could begin without considering the winners of the last one. MAD Lions, which hail from Spain, took the top spot during the summer split in 2021 —so it’s not out of the question that they will reach it again.
The MAD Lions team certainly seem to feel positive. Towards the end of last month, the team’s head coach, James “Mac” MacCormack, described the series of successive wins his team had secured as heralding “the age of lions”. While there’s still a while to go before the next European season, it’s likely that the team will be spending the next few weeks — and the world championships — feeling very positive about their prospects.
Fnatic
The final of the League of Legends European Championship at the end of last month was certainly a nail biting one — or at least at the start. The second place team for the tournament, Fnatic, managed to put up a good show despite not making it past the talent of MAD Lions to reach the top spot.
However, that doesn’t mean they’ll be unable to surge to the top when next year’s esports season rolls around. In fact, those who enjoy betting on esports and taking in esports odds ought to take note, as it could mean that they’ve got the momentum required to make a big win. After their recent defeat at the final hurdle, the team made some suggestions for the reasons behind the defeat, but rounded off on a positive note. “Against the odds, we climbed the mountain”, they said. “And we’re immensely proud of the teams’ journey and their successes all split.”
Rogue
Rogue also put up a good show in the recent European games — even though they didn’t make it as far as their counterparts in Fnatic and MAD Lions. They showed some strong potential. They were the first team to qualify for the World Championships later in the year following their 3-2 beating of Misfits, meaning that their skills are likely to stand them in good stead when next year’s European Championship rolls around.
The final game against Misfits was a strong showing from the team, suggesting there’s some strong underlying skill there. They managed to take Misfits down in just over half an hour, making it look largely effortless.
G2 Esports
Finally, it’s also worth exploring the prospects of G2 Esports. This team was beaten solidly in the European Championships. The EU-wide team was also knocked out of the prospect of entering the World Championships by Fnatic.
In some senses, they’re the underdog when it comes to next year’s European Championships, but there’s an argument to be made that their poor performance this time around was simply a fluke. This year was the only time in the history of G2 Esports’ career that they failed to qualify for the World Championships. On the whole, they retain their status as one of the finest esports teams in the world — and it will take a few more beatings before they lose that.
Ultimately, the esports world is a somewhat unpredictable one. The presence of such a sheer number of talented gamers in this field means that the potential directions of victory are diverse. For those looking to enjoy a wager or two on the outcomes of games, however, it’s important to be able to take an educated guess —reading up on the teams and players involved is one way to do just that.