How is Europe's performance at LoL Worlds 2022 looking so far?
The first set of round-robin games at the League of Legends World Championship group stage 2022 has ended. Teams will take a two-day break after four intensive days of gaming. With only half the field moving forward, there have been some shocks.
Before going into the shocks, where does the current state of play leave Europe against the Asian teams? Here’s everything you need to know going into the next stage.
North American teams bomb hard
The big surprise of the championship thus far is that the North American teams went 0-9 over the four days. One team underperforming is one thing, and NA isn’t expected to perform too well at Worlds, but such devastation has meant that all the North American teams sit dead last in their groups and have zero chance of moving forward.
Anyone who placed bets on the North American continent will be disappointed. However, entering a NY sportsbooks promo code will give you another chance to save face and bet on a winner. As the North American teams have crashed out with a whimper, the way is open for Europe and China to battle it out for the title. It’s an intriguing turn of events that has had the community up in arms.
With all that in mind, where does all this leave Europe against the usual domination of the Asian teams?
Rogue lives up to its billing
Rogue came into the tournament as LEC’s first seed after a series of impressive performances. However, nobody was quite sure how they would perform on the biggest stage of them all.
Within their group, they never slipped once. Rogue outfought DRX and added wins against Top Esports and GAM to get the perfect start. As the number one seed, it should come as no surprise that they experienced some early success. However, there are still greater challenges to come.
The group of death
Aside from Rogue living up to their billing, most of the first round’s interest went to Group A. Most fans expected the group to form the resident “Group of Death,” and that’s exactly what has happened.
Currently, it’s the most competitive group, with T1, Fnatic, and EDward Gaming tied for the top spot with 2-1 records. The only team to fail to win a single match was Cloud9, which is the team that will be guaranteed to leave in just a few days.
The standout team was Fnatic, a team from the European Union (EU). Most analysts agree they have the greatest chance of getting out of the group and moving on to the next round.
Unfortunately, they could not build on Rogue’s performance and deliver a flawless production. The free kills they gave away against EDward Gaming ruthlessly exposed their flaws, which makes it difficult to pin any hopes on them being a favorite for the tournament.
In lesser tournaments, Fnatic may have been able to get away with such mistakes and win the tournament, but at this level, those mistakes will be continually punished. Fans of Fnatic will hope this was just a blip rather than a genuine weakness.
Can EU teams defeat LPL?
Realistically, this tournament is now a battle between two EU teams and the remaining Chinese teams. However, as the other Asian teams have failed to live up to expectations, some clear favorites have emerged.
In particular, Royal Never Give Up appear to be the biggest threat to Rogue. Royal Never Give Up has easily put on the most dominating performance of the tournament so far. They have gapped each of their opponents, with little resistance against them.
Europe has done exactly what was expected of it this year. Neither team has overperformed or underperformed. In a tournament where a record 100 champions are being contested, this is already shaping up to be a championship that could go either way.
As it stands, Rogue is the best hope for a European victory at this tournament. The question is whether they can overcome the threat from China. It’s still too early to tell if either side has another level they can reach. Most veterans of the game will agree that this championship could come down to a single round pockmarked with individual mistakes.
Conclusion
The championship will resume soon, and another few days of intensive gaming will reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the contenders. If Europe can repeat its performances, there’s no doubt they will be contenders in the final act.
Who is your money on to win the whole thing and be crowned world champions?
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