EDG and RNG qualify for Worlds 2022

The 2022 season is done in the LPL, and now we know the four Chinese teams heading to Worlds.

As always, the LPL didn’t fail to deliver in terms of storylines. From RNG almost being the first MSI winner to not qualify for Worlds the same year, to all of the five-game series our hearts had to endure. The LPL Regional Finals kicked off just a day after JDG claimed the 2022 LPL Summer Split title while being played out through two rounds. The top four teams from the LPL in terms of Championship points, excluding the Summer playoffs finalists, were slotted into a waterfall format. In round one, the higher seeds RNG and EDG faced off, with the winner advancing directly into the Group stage at Worlds. Meanwhile, the loser would face off against the lower bracket winner in the V5 LNG matchup. 

Viper’s Zeri takes EDG to Worlds

After winning the Spring Split and MSI, RNG came in a bit slower into the summer split, just like last year. While fatigue is definitely an issue, the meta-shift certainly didn’t help them at all. Falling early to EDG in the Summer Playoffs gave him some time to prepare for the Regional  Finals but it wasn’t enough to win the rematch. EDG also fizzled out of the playoffs, being beaten two times in less than a week by eventual finalists TES. RNG jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead but failed to close the series out in the next three games. This reverse sweep started and ended with superstar bot laner Park “Viper” Do-hyeon getting his hands on Zeri for three straight games. With this win, EDG qualified directly to the main stage at Worlds, while RNG would await the winner of the LNG V5 matchup.

LNG stop Rookie from reaching Worlds

All eyes were on the mid-lane in this one, with former World champions fighting for another qualification. Super carry Kim “Doinb” Tae-sang managed to lead LNG to the next round, picking four different champions in the series. His opponent, season eight Worlds champion Rookie, also had an outstanding performance, but as a team, V5 made way too many mistakes. LNG took the first two games, spearheaded by the efforts of top laner Hu “Ale” Jia-Le. V5 managed to bounce back in game three slugfest that lasted 46 minutes. 40 minutes into the deciding game four, V5 had a 4000 gold lead behind Song “Rookie” Eui-jin signature Azir pick but lost the game after DoinB’s Taliyah destroyed V5’s ADC. 

RNG look for the double crown

The battle for the fourth and last Worlds spot came down to another five-game series, this time with LNG and RNG in the ring. If RNG  had lost, they would have been the first MSI winner to not make Worlds the same year. On the other hand, DoinB exited the last two World Championships on a bad note, and not making it this year would mean another disappointment. RNG jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the back of world-class bot laner Chen “GALA” Wei who dominated on the Lucian and Sivir picks. LNG took game three, with DoinB playing his third unique champion this series and them taking away the Jax that won the first two games for RNG. Game four developed into another 45-minute banger that LNG had no business winning with DoinB on the tank Nocturne in the mid-lane, but RNG kept getting caught until they lost the Elder Dragon. LNG were 5000 gold ahead in game five, but they lost Baron and third Drake in one fight and then RNG’s Fiora pick couldn’t be contained on the sides.

Header: Riot Games