Riot Games
The 2019 League of Legends World Championships marks the conclusion of the Regular Season for all regions. It is an annual tournament hosted by Riot Games where teams compete for the title of best League of Legends team in the world. Teams also earn a 70-pound Summoner’s Cup trophy along with a $1 million USD prize.
There are a number of teams already qualified to attend the event, and more yet to be decided. Let’s take a look at the ones we know of right now.
Former champions: Invictus Gaming
The winner of the 2018 World Championships is Invictus Gaming, after they swept Fnatic in a 3 – 0 match. The same organization has also qualified for this year’s World Championships, despite a lackluster performance during the Regular Season.
The former champions lost to Team Liquid at 2019’s Mid-Season Invitational and then placed 6th in the 2019 Tencent League of Legends Pro League Summer Split. They went on to do even worse with a 7 – 8th place finish at the 2019 LPL Summer Split Playoffs. However, the team still managed to defeat Top Esports in the LPL Regional Finals to qualify.
FunPlus Phoenix and RNG
One other team that has qualified for the 2019 Worlds Event includes FunPlus Phoenix, thanks to their victory in the 2019 LPL Summer Split Finals. In addition, Royal Never Give Up has qualified with their Championship Points in the 2019 LPL Season.
The New SK Telecom T1
Multiple-time World Champions SK Telecom T1 (SKT) have also qualified for the 2019 World Championships. After losing to Samsung Galaxy at the 2017 Worlds Event, SKT did not find much success in the 2018 Season. The organization ended in 7th in the 2018 LCK Summer Split and missed the chance to go to Worlds.
After making roster changes, the team seemed to be on a positive trajectory in the 2019 Season. They placed 2nd during the 2019 LCK Spring Split but took first in the Playoffs. While they lost to G2 Esports at 2019’s Mid-Season Invitational, SKT have once again qualified for Worlds after taking first in the 2019 LCK Summer Playoffs. With poster boy Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, the LCK team is a big contender for the throne.
Griffin: Can they beat SKT?
Another worthy contender is Griffin, the other qualified team from the LCK. The organization is considered very new, as they only entered the League of Legends scene in 2017. The roster qualified for the LCK in 2018’s Summer Promotion. They then broadcast their presence in the LCK scene with a second-place finish in the newly-joined 2018 LCK Summer Season.
The team did not make any roster changes going into the 2019 season. Griffin continued their dominant streak with a 1st place finish during the 2019 LCK Spring Split, only losing to SKT at Playoffs. This repeated itself in the 2019 LCK Summer Split, where the team again lost to SKT during Summer Playoffs. The LCK’s third seed will go to DAMWON Gaming, which qualified through the LCK Regional Finals for the Play-In Stage.
European powerhouse: G2 Esports
Berlin-based organization G2 Esports most recently defeated Fnatic in the 2019 LEC Summer Finals. After disappointing results in the 2018 EU LCS Season, the team released players and added on new talent. Since then, they have placed first at every event in the 2019 Season. G2 Esports has solidified themselves as one of the best League of Legends powerhouses with their first-place finish at the 2019 Mid-Season Invitational.
The G2 roster placed first at the 2019 LEC Spring and Summer Splits. They also took first at 2019’s North American vs Europe Rift Rivals event. With this Summer Split Champion title, they have qualified for the 2019 Worlds Event. Luka “PerkZ” Perković said, “Honestly, I could not care any less about Rift Rivals.” Despite being able to say that after winning the 2019 Mid-Season Invitational, G2 Esports has never won a Worlds Event before. Can the European team step up and set their names in stone?
There is one more seed allocated to the LEC region, but this will be determined through the 2019 LEC Regional Finals. It will most likely be given to Fnatic, the number two LEC team. We’ll know for sure come Sept 15.
Team Liquid out of Groups?
North American esports organization Team Liquid placed first during the 2019 LCS Summer Split Playoffs after winning against Cloud9. Both teams will proceed to the 2019 World Main Event. The only time Team Liquid has ever been to the World Championships is last year, though it joined the League of Legends scene in 2015. On the other hand, Cloud9 has made the trip to the Worlds every year. This is despite not making it to the Top 4 until the 2018 Worlds Event, where it placed 3 – 4th.
After beating Invictus Gaming at the 2019 Mid-Season Invitational, Team Liquid is another possible contender. The North American team has placed first during the 2019 LCS Spring and Summer Splits. Cloud9 did better at last year’s Worlds Event, but they only achieved a second-place finish during the 2019 LCS Spring and Summer Splits instead.
Clutch Gaming’s rise
Soon-to-be-rebranded organization Clutch Gaming will also take part in this year’s Worlds Event. After merging with Dignitas, Clutch Gaming managed to score a 4th place finish in the 2019 LCS Summer Playoffs. This was after a 9th place conclusion to the 2019 LCS Spring Split. Will North America finally be able to bring home their first Worlds Championship title?
Other 2019 World Championship contenders
Some of the other competitors include Taiwanese esports organization J Team and ahq Esports Club. J Team has previously made appearances at the World Championships under the Taiwan Assassins name before it was acquired and rebranded. Ahq Esports Club last made it to the Worlds Event in 2017.
One more team that will directly proceed to the Main Event Groups Stage is the 2019 VCS Summer Split Champion. And four other teams will advance to the Main Event from the Play-In Stage Knockout Round.
Finally, there are 12 additional teams that will have to compete with each other in the initial Play-In Stage to advance to the Main Event. This includes one third seed team each from the LCK, LEC, LCS, LMS, and a second seed team from the VCS. In addition, seven teams will take part as first seeds from other regions. This includes CBLOL team Flamengo Esports, LLA team Isurus Gaming, OPL team MAMMOTH, and TCL team Royal Youth. The teams that will participate from the LJL, LLA, and LST have not been determined yet.
The 2019 League of Legends World Championships occurs on Oct 2 and end on Nov 10. Check out Daily Esports for more information about the location and schedule of the Worlds Event. Let us know in the comments who you think will win.
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