The 2019 LEC summer playoffs start on Friday with the top six teams this season competing for a spot at the final in Athens.Â
G2 Esports already secured a spot at the 2019 Worlds Championship, where they will look to continue their international dominance.
Splyce and Rogue will kick off the 2019 LEC Summer playoffs.
Rogue comes into the match as the underdog, as this is a young roster that lacks big names. The improvement from Rogue is undeniable, as they finished the 2019 LEC Spring season in tenth place and are now in playoffs.
Splyce on the other hand is an experienced team that’s accustomed to this level of competition. Splyce comfortably secured third place in the regular season and is looking to make a long run in the playoffs.
In the regular season, Splyce took two victories over Rogue, so it is fair to say that Splyce has a good understanding of Rogue’s style. Rogue is coming off a more challenging schedule than Splyce. They faced Origen, G2 Esports, FC Schalke 04 and Fnatic, while Splyce had easier opponents to end the split.
This is an opportunity for Rogue to establish themselves in the LEC as a true contender.
FC Schalke 04 and Team Vitality made it to the playoffs under very different circumstances. Schalke secured its place in week eight while Vitality had to play a tiebreaker for sixth place. But that difference doesn’t make Schalke the superior opponent on this match.
Despite having positive results through the season, Schalke is a team that often makes costly mistakes, especially in the jungle and the mid lane. They funnel their resources into the bottom lane and close games as best they can.
The numbers are in Schalke’s favor in this series. They already took two games from Splyce in the regular season. If Vitality plays a smart game and punishes Schalke in the jungle and mid lane, they have a fighting chance.
Two winners from the round one move to this stage.
Fnatic and G2 Esports will clash in the second round of playoffs in what could be a preview of the finals.
The regular season was a formality for G2, just a way to kill time before Athens. The 2019 Mid-Season Invitational champion effortlessly dominated the competition. They could afford to throw games and play unorthodox picks because they knew they were the best team in the league.
In the playoffs, G2 is an entirely different monster. The players can move to different roles, play almost any champions, and this time they’re focused on winning. Fnatic is the first opponent in playoffs, a team that is considered the second-best in the league.
Fnatic has a chip on its shoulder. They keep getting close to the title, only to end up falling short. The days when Fnatic was the final boss in Europe are way behind. This is their chance to prove that they still have agency in Europe and to get out of G2’s shadow.
Based on championship points, G2 has already qualified for the 2019 World Championship. If Fnatic makes it to the finals, they will also qualify for Worlds. The only way Fnatic misses Worlds is if Splyce makes it to the final, no matter the final standing.
The loser between Fnatic and G2 gets a second chance in the third round. They will face the winner from the previous round. The loser ends up in third place and the winner moves to the finals.
The winner between Fnatic and G2 will face the winner from round three. The champion automatically qualifies for Worlds as the first seed, while second place receives 90 championship points.
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