
China’s LPL has become League of Legends’ best region in recent years, ending Korea’s dominance with victories from Invictus Gaming, FunPlus Phoenix, and EDward Gaming.
The LPL will return to play in January, with some absolutely massive changes. Legendary players return, franchise names depart their organizations, and it promises to be as bloody as ever.
The LPL will resume play in 2022 beginning on January 10th, as it announced on Twitter earlier today.
The LPL’s schedule will make it difficult for western fans to catch the games, unless you’re matching Christian “IWillDominate” Rivera’s sleep patterns. The first match will be taking place at 1:00 a.m. PT, with similar timeframes to come for the ensuing matches.
The exact dates of every match have not yet been announced, but the format will likely remain the same from previous splits. The LPL is unique from other leagues in that it has successfully incorporated multiple stadiums and locations for matches within a single league. Mirrored round-robin is the standard for every major region, with some small exceptions like the LCS’ Lock-In and the LEC’s cross-split scoring.
Jian “Uzi” Zi-Hao’s return is set to come on January 16 when Bilibili Gaming takes on Weibo Gaming.
Uzi, the mad dog of the LPL, has returned to professional play for 2022 after a leave of absence due to health and wrist issues. His return to the LPL on the Bilibili Gaming roster is one of many large moves that have altered the landscape of the LPL. Previous world champion Kim “DoinB” Tae-sang has departed FunPlusPhoenix, 2020’s Suning Gaming roster has been reunited with the addition of Kang “TheShy” Seung-lok, fans have a lot to look forwards to.
EDward Gaming took home the Summoner’s Cup in an upset showing this year over Korean favorites Damwon KIA in the Worlds 2021 finals. This means even more eyes on the LPL from other regions coming into 2022, with some exciting roster shuffles that could change everything.
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