LEC Summer 2022 semifinals recap

The first weekend of the LEC Summer 2022 playoffs delivered on the hype, following a turbulent League of Legends Superweek.

If you blinked, you probably missed it. Two matches that went the full distance, ending in Silver Scrapes, and a G2 win recap the first week of the 2022 LEC Summer playoffs. 

Winners bracket

G2 take care of Misfits

By securing the first seed through Championship points, G2 Esports had the luxury of choosing their opponent in the first round of the playoffs. They chose the fourth-seeded Misfits and faced them on Friday. The first two games ended in uncharacteristic blowouts, with both teams taking one game. Game three proved to be the decider, with a 40-minute nail bitter going over to G2. The game featured Nikolay “Zanzarah” Akatov’s signature Skarner pick, but instead of paying the QSS tax, G2 just out team fought the Misfits team composition.

Rasmus “caPs” Borregaard Winther had a masterful performance with the Azir pick, out dueling Matúš “Neon” Jakubčík with his signature Sivir. It was a valiant effort on the side of Misfits but the collective experience of G2 kicked in and they made fewer mistakes heading into the late game. Game four saw caPs pull out the rarely seen Renekton mid but after a rough early game, they managed to prevail. Cracking the Misfits base in 19 minutes, securing a sizable lead on Victor “Flakked” Lirola Tortosa’s Zeri, and finishing the game and the series 10 minutes later. With this win, G2 advance to the winner’s bracket semifinals, facing Rogue for a spot in the Grand Final.

Rogue edge out MAD Lions

In a hectic five-game series, Rogue managed to beat the MAD Lions and deny them World’s berth just yet. They can still make it as the third seed but will need to qualify through the Play-In stage. They split the first two games, courtesy of their bot laner’s performances. Unforgiven finished game one with a KDA of 20, and Comp scored a penta kill in game two.

The MAD Lions won game three, calling out Rogue’s bluffs, who banned Teemo and picked Jhin for no particular reason. Game four saw the Rogue show on full display, with their main carries Emil “Larssen” Larsson and Markos “Comp” Stamkopoulos, dominating the Rift.

The stage was set for game five and Silver Scrapes, so Rogue pulled out the vintage Caitlyn/ Lux combo in the bot lane. The game evolved into a fiesta after securing a massive early game lead, but after securing Dragon Soul, Elder Dragon, and Baron Buff, Rogue closed out the game in 44 minutes. With this win, Rogue qualified for the main stage at Worlds as Europe’s second seed. Meanwhile, the MAD Lions will look for revenge through the lower bracket, facing the winner of the Misfits and Fnatic matchup.

Losers bracket

Fnatic reverse sweep Excel

The weight of the entire world was on Fnatic’s shoulders heading into this one, and it was looking bleak two games in. In their second playoff appearance, Excel managed to secure a 2-0 lead, abusing the fact that Fnatic left Yuumi open. Patrik “Patrik” Jírů showed great performances, bringing out the Nilah for the second time in the LEC — this time with a lot more success.

However, after a 45-minute banger game three filled with throws on both sides, Fnatic managed to avoid the sweep. Game four was another game of inches, and Excel’s inexperienced roster started to show cracks in their armor. Losing another close game despite having their power picks spelled doom for their game-five chances, with Fnatic capitalizing on their mistakes. Game five delivered in terms of intensity, but Fnatic secured a 5000 gold lead through smart macro play and completed the reverse sweep through sheer team fight dominance.

With this exhausting win, Fnatic keep their season alive, facing off against Misfits on Friday in the lower bracket. The winner of this match will fight for the fourth and last Worlds spot, so with everything on the line, expect an explosive series. Tune in to the LEC and Riot broadcasts on Twitch and Youtube, starting at 5 pm CEST during the entire weekend.

Header: Riot Games