Why the LEC can win the World Championship

The League of Legends Summer Split is in full swing for all the major regions and by the looks of it, this year’s World Championship could be the biggest we’ve ever seen. With Invictus Gaming having an international presence that rivals that of SK Telecom’s 2015 squad, NA and EU starting to develop powerhouses, and the LCK starting to look better than ever, the competitive scene is growing to its best state yet.

But when it comes to favourites, it’s no longer the LPL or the LCK taking the cake. Now, there are new faces in the mix, more specifically, the LEC teams. While some might be hesitant to take on the notion that the LEC has a shot at winning their second ever World Championship, there’s good reason as to why this is possible.

Recent performances

At last year’s World Championship, the LEC managed to bring not one but two teams to the playoff stages and both of these teams managed to make it to the semifinals. These two teams were G2 Esports and Fnatic.

Fnatic pulled off a great upset by taking out Edward Gaming in what was almost a complete sweep while G2 Esports upset the tournament favorites, Royal Never Give Up, with a close 3-2 win.

While G2 Esports and Fnatic both fell to the eventual champions, Invictus Gaming, they still showed that the LEC was no longer a region that couldn't stand their ground against the Eastern regions and this held up at the 2019 Mid-Season Invitational.

G2 Esports was the team that represented the LEC at 2019’s MSI and they did not disappoint. With a standout performance during the Groups Stage, they qualified for the playoff bracket portion of the tournament and eventually won the entire thing by taking out a healthy SK Telecom team followed by an extremely solid Team Liquid roster.

From 2018 to 2019, the EU region has taken the world by storm. They made it to the finals of both major international tournaments and the players from the LEC are considered some of the best in the world. If you don’t believe me, then take a look at names such as G2 Esports’ Caps or Fnatic’s Rekkles.

Insane-calibre rosters

As I mentioned before, the LEC has some of the best players in the world playing there right now and the proof is definitely in the pudding. Just take a look at the different lineups of the top teams in the EU region.

G2 Esports has stars like Jankos in the jungle, Perkz in the bottom lane, and Caps in the mid lane. What’s more, their mid laner, Caps, is currently a top five mid laner in the entire world, especially after his standout performance at MSI.

Another top team, Fnatic, has names such as mechanical genius Nemesis in the mid lane, Hylissang in the support position, and international superstar, Rekkles, in the AD Carry role. For many, Rekkles is considered to be the best player in EU since he’s had a history of taking on Chinese and Korean talents and winning.

In fact, at the 2015 MSI, he and Febiven were the reason Fnatic almost took out one of SK Telecom’s best rosters ever in a close 2-3 match.

You’ll also find other great names in the LEC such as Febiven and Hans Sama of Misfits Gaming, mithy of Origen, and Jizuke who is the mid laner for Vitality Gaming. 

The players in the LEC have the talent and the mechanics to rival that of the Eastern players but more importantly, they have the rosters and the lineups that can win a World Championship.

A lack of big threats

Contrary to the 2015, 2016, and 2017 World Championships, this year’s Worlds tournament may not see the powerhouses we saw before. In 2015, we had SK Telecom and KOO Tigers. In 2016, there was ROX Tigers and Samsung Galaxy, and in 2017, there was RNG and Longzhu Gaming.

This year, there won’t be that many powerhouses. While Invictus Gaming may have won the title last year, their loss to Team Liquid in the MSI semifinals proves that the LEC and LCS still have a shot.

And as for previous teams such as SK Telecom and RNG, they’re going through building years which means that their rosters won’t be as strong if they make it to the international stage.

That being said, this could be the year that NA and EU shine. Of course, EU has always done better than NA internationally, and they could really the take the cake in 2019.

Since the 2018 World Championship, the LEC has only grown in strength. With top-tier teams such as Misfits Gaming, Vitality Gaming, G2 Esports, and Fnatic, we’re experiencing a revolution in which the LEC has now become a global contender for the trophy.

This year could be their year and no matter what teams make it to the 2019 World Championship, it’s certain that the EU region is going to a tournament favorite for the title.