The Spring Playoffs have been decided in the four major regions, with the likes of Kingzone DragonX, Royal Never Give Up, Team Liquid and Fnatic all attending the Mid-Season Invitational later this month.
Peanut leading the way
Kingzone, formerly known as Longzhu Gaming, are perhaps the most established team at MSI as they dominated the LCK 2017 Summer and 2018 Spring Splits.
The addition of Peanut to the Jungle means they have yet another playmaker in an already absurdly good line-up.
Kingzone have talent in abundance, with perhaps the least appreciated being Mid laner Bdd. While SKT’s Faker has made all the headlines, Bdd has been happy to sit in the background, but he has arguably been the most dominant Mid laner over the last year.
Although preferring Mid lane mages that can both waveclear and transition into Side lane pressure, Bdd’s impact on the entire map has continued to be impressive.
Uzi finally wins
Uzi’s curse was finally lifted as he won a trophy after falling short so often in the past.
Considered the best AD Carry in the region, Uzi’s brilliance was rewarded when China’s Royal Never Give Up defeated EDG 3-1.
The team’s other members certainly played their part though, with Xiaohu starring in the Mid lane in particular.
Royal Never Give Up’s overall abilities will certainly be tested at this year’s MSI as the top teams all continue to improve.
A match against Kingzone would certainly be thrilling, with the AD Carry battle between Uzi and PraY a must-watch affair.
Bwipo steps in
Fnatic are a curious case as they have managed to adapt to a different Top laner late in the season.
sOAZ, who is one of the biggest names in Europe, was unable to continue playing due to a hand injury, with Bwipo stepping in to fill his shoes.
Surprisingly, the team did not miss a beat, dominating a savvy G2 Esports side in the Playoffs 3-0, with the likes of Caps and in particular Rekkles leading the way.
In arguably one of the best splits in the history of the European LCS, Rekkles dominated his competition from start to finish during an incredible season.
The final hurdle for Rekkles is a good showing at upcoming international events such as MSI, where he will hope to continue his unbelievable form.
Fnatic as a whole perhaps lack the quality of the likes of Kingzone, but their minimal risk style and prolonged success mean they are one of the most consistent teams attending the tournament.
Liquid looking good
Team Liquid are representing North America and, after a slow start, they finished the split well.
Billed as the North American super team, Liquid were expected to dominate the league from the start. However, a lack of synergy and a misunderstanding of player roles and abilities meant they struggled initially before moving through the gears at the end of the campaign.
With AD Carry Doublelift the star of the show, the team only dropped one game in the Playoffs as they finally realised their potential.
Questions do remain about their abilities at the highest level though and it is unclear how much they can achieve on the international stage. However, given their wealth of talent, Team Liquid have a good shot at making an impact in the competition.
There is a great deal of quality in the AD Carries at this event and Doublelift has the chance to show he is even better than Rekkles.
Conclusion
The four leading teams will now wait to see who joins them in first Berlin and then Paris for the Finals when the $1million overall prize pool will be on the line. Two remaining teams will join them in the Group Stage, which will be determined beforehand through the Play-In rounds.
