Worlds 2022 Preview – Dawn of a new era in the LEC

The third part in Fragster’s League of Legends Worlds 2022 preview series covers the four teams representing EU’s LoL European Championship (LEC).

Rogue

If there’s a phrase that could adequately describe Rogue’s 2022 season, it would have to be “at long last”. Certainly, Rogue’s ascension to the top of the LEC had been long and grueling. They underwent two grand finals appearances and multiple regular season Top 3 placements before finally lifting the league trophy in the summer 2022 playoffs after beating regular powerhouse G2 Esports 3-0.

 The cast that made the team’s achievement possible includes mid-laner Larssen, top laner Odoamne, and support Trymbi, two of which joined the lineup through the team’s academy. They were helped by two players who were acquired in the offseason: Malrang, a player who has distinguished himself as an unrelenting jungler that facilitates the team’s offensive, and Comp, an equally electric ADC who joined the team after departing from Vitality and became one of the best in his role in Europe.

With these two on board, Rogue took a further step in their progression by conquering the LEC, and with the first seed in their possession, they now look to conquer the world.

G2 Esports

When G2 announced it would make sweeping changes to its LoL roster following the end of the 2021 LEC summer split playoffs, many had thought that its era of dominance had truly ended. Furthermore, they also assumed their return to the top of the league would be long and difficult. Instead, G2 wasted little time to usher in a new stretch of excellence in the LEC.

Contrary to their customary way of building a roster by snatching the hottest free agents around, the team opted for talented young players as a way to reconfigure their playstyle surrounding caPs and Jankos, two of the scene’s greatest players in history. Gone are the days of playing around the superstar that is its mid-laner. Now, G2 is exhibiting a more fluid and balanced playstyle that enhances its bottom lane while also keeping a focus on to mid and jungle.

That change of direction led to their immediate success in the season, with a spring split championship, subsequent MSI appearance, and a runner-up finish in summer obtained in the process.

G2 may have a new identity compared to its past (and illustrious) iterations, but with its revamped lineup that continues to impress, they look to replicate it in Worlds 2022.

Fnatic

Similar to archrival G2, Fnatic also experienced their own retooling during the offseason. After a disastrous showing in Worlds 2021 where they had internal issues and played without ADC Upset, the team brought in Wunder, Razork, and Humanoid to bolster their bot lane for the ensuing season.

With the team’s newest acquisitions, Fnatic continued to roam near the top of the league, finishing second in the spring playoffs and third in the summer playoffs to secure their ninth overall Worlds appearance and fifth in consecutive fashion.

Whereas Fnatic was blighted by issues last year which led to their early exit from the competition, the team is more than ready to ensure such a situation doesn’t repeat itself. Moreover, with a team that bestows an impressive array of players, they look to orchestrate a deep run in the event they know far too well.

MAD Lions

As a result of the CIS’ LoL Continental League’s (LCL) cancellation, the spot that would normally be awarded to the champion was given to Europe as the region’s fourth seed. By way of technicality, MAD Lions obtained a spot for Worlds 2022 despite losing both of their series in the LEC summer playoffs. It’s a dispirited way for a team to book its ticket to NA, but for the MAD Lions, they’ll take it regardless.

Despite the struggles, the two-time LEC champions boast a formidable group of players that feature Turkish top laner Armut, Elyoya, and Kaiser. They are accompanied by league MVP Nisqy, who has refound his footing in an emphatic way after taking a break from competition for the first half of the year, and UNF0RGIVEN, who received a callup to the LEC after playing in the ERLs for nearly four years.

All that goes without mentioning its award-winning coaching staff, headed by Mac, which propelled the team to considerable heights such as when they finished first in the regular season table for the summer. Despite floundering in the late stages of the year, MAD are by no means a pushover for any team that comes their way.

Header: Kirill Bashkirov/Riot Games