The latest update from the League of Legends scene in China, the LPL, reveals the outcomes of its first week. As the league entered the initial week of the three-week period leading up to the Chinese New Year, almost all teams participated in two matches. While the results from this pre-New Year period don’t entirely define a team’s season, it’s crucial to acknowledge their significance in shaping the overall performance. Here is the standings:
Before the Chinese New Year on February 10th, teams will play 4 or 5 matches based on their schedules. Most teams have already completed their first two matches, with only OMG (Oh My God) playing against their opponents on Summoner’s Rift three times and JDG (JD Gaming) facing off once. Apart from these exceptions, some teams will engage in 5 matches before the Chinese New Year, while others will share the Rift in 4 encounters. Here’s a breakdown of the results and performances of LPL teams up to this point:
0 – 2
Rare Atom, didn’t have the desired start to the season. Despite making three changes to their roster after a 4 – 12 performance last season, they struggled especially with their new mid laner VicLa. With four maps played so far, Rare Atom failed to secure a victory in any of them. They seem to be unable to utilize the tools at their disposal. Rare Atom has four matches left before the Chinese New Year, and leveraging these opportunities may require significant changes to their team dynamics.
Going through a renewal process, Ultra Prime introduced four new players to their lineup, keeping only their AD Carry, Doggo, unchanged. Unlike Rare Atom, Ultra Prime didn’t present a disconnected performance. Displaying typical issues of a newly formed team, such as organizational and coordination shortcomings, Ultra Prime showcased potential. While progressing in playoffs might seem challenging, their improvement during the adaptation phase could significantly influence their future. Ultra Prime has five matches before the break, and these fixtures will undoubtedly put them to the test.
EDward Gaming (EDG), started the season with two new additions to their bottom lane. However, these changes didn’t seem to bring about significant improvements. The matches revealed struggles in maintaining their game discipline and sticking to their game plan, especially during the games where the gap between Fisher and JieJie widened. Despite entering playoffs with below-average game plans last season, EDG might face challenges in the battle for a playoff spot if they can’t address these issues. EDG is one of the teams playing five matches before the Chinese New Year.
1 – 2
Among the teams that completely revamped their roster, Oh My God (OMG) retained only their Support player, ppgod, and used Able, their AD Carry, sparingly. However, unlike other teams, OMG lost their top trio due to other teams acquiring those players. OMG, who finished last season impressively in the 5th position, couldn’t retain the trio responsible for that success. The newcomers, Cube, xiaofang, and Angel, haven’t lived up to expectations yet. While they dominated against Team WE in their first match, they struggled to execute their game plan in the following two matches. OMG has only two matches left before the Chinese New Year.
1 – 1
Being the first team in the 1 – 1 tier among the 9-team cluster, ThunderTalk Gaming made only one change in the support position compared to the previous season. They played like a mid-tier LPL team, showing competitiveness and discipline in their won match. However, they appeared helpless against Weibo Gaming, a team expected to be at a higher level. Despite being considered a strong candidate for the playoff race, ThunderTalk Gaming faces uncertainty regarding their deep playoff run. They will enter the Chinese New Year having played four matches.
Although Royal Never Give Up (RNG) started the season with a victory, they faced a complete breakdown against BLG. RNG is known for frequently encountering such issues before the Chinese New Year. The team struggled to synergize with their new bottom lane duo, Lwx and Ming. However, they signaled a potential resurgence after the break, hinting at a stronger presence in the upper echelons of LPL. RNG faces three crucial matches, defining their path in the playoffs.
Among the teams with a slow start, LGD Gaming strengthened their roster with a new top laner and two new AD Carries. Despite not finding what they are looking for in the bottom lane, Burdol’s transfer has been beneficial for LGD. Even in the lost matches, Burdol contributed significantly, challenging the opponent’s gameplay. LGD, with three more matches before the Chinese New Year, will determine how they utilize Burdol’s top lane performance.
Notable among the teams to watch, Team WE made three new transfers, keeping only their Jungler and Support from the previous season. Experiencing coordination issues typical of a new team in their first match, Team WE achieved valuable victories in the next two matches. Team WE has the potential to be a top-tier team during the season, causing problems for upper-tier opponents. Facing three expected top teams (FPX, NIP, LGD) before the break, Team WE can make the LPL Winter Season more intriguing with the victories they secure.
Unlike many teams, Invictus Gaming (iG) retained their roster from the previous season. However, they continue to exhibit the same flaws as the last season. While easily securing victories against lower-ranked teams, they struggle against higher-ranked opponents. iG remains a team that will be used as a reference to measure whether a team can enter the playoffs. iG will play three LPL matches before the Chinese New Year.
FunPlus Phoenix (FPX), started the season with two new Junglers and a new Support. Despite starting with Moyan in the jungle for the Anyone’s Legend match, they quickly transitioned to their other new transfer, milkyway, after Moyan’s underwhelming performance. FPX lost that map but looked much more organized with milkyway. New transfer Deokdam is filling the void left by Lwx since 2017. FPX is one of the teams with three matches left before the break.
Introducing an entirely new roster in the new LPL season, Anyone’s Legend managed to secure a victory against FPX in their initial matches. While they successfully clinched a win against FPX, they struggled to establish a game plan against Team WE, a team with a more cohesive strategy. It’s normal to witness such challenges from such a newly formed team. Anyone’s Legend, facing an upcoming series against stronger opponents (BLG, LGD, and Ultra Prime) before the break, will present how these encounters shape their season in both positive and negative ways.
Considered one of the ambitious teams in the LPL, Top Esports (TES) set its sights not only on winning the LPL but also on claiming the Worlds Championship. However, one of the major concerns for the team, even on paper, is inconsistency. Therefore, anticipating several surprising defeats during the regular season, TES began their journey with a loss against BLG, one of their active rivals. Yet, they rebounded with a victory against EDG. With two matches remaining against Rare Atom and Weibo Gaming before the break, TES has the opportunity to ease their path towards the championship. Throughout the season, expect to witness both impressive and less favorable performances from this team.
As the final team in the 1 – 1 tier, LNG Esports made a significant change by parting ways with Tarzan, among the world’s renowned junglers, who had not lived up to expectations in the last two seasons. They brought in Weiwei as the replacement. Despite their unexpected loss to TT Gaming, LNG regained their composure with a victory against OMG. However, a challenging fixture awaits them with matches against Weibo Gaming, JDG, and BLG before the break. Their performances in these tough encounters will determine the narrative of their season.
1 – 0
JD Gaming (JDG), kicked off the season with a highly anticipated match against Rare Atom, asserting their dominance and claiming victory. The team now faces a challenging schedule ahead. With two matches remaining before the break, JDG will strive to secure victories against formidable opponents, NIP and LNG. These matchups will be crucial for JDG, especially after their disappointing performance on the Worlds stage last season. The outcomes of these games will provide insights into how well JDG’s recent double-lane transfer adjustments will fare.
2 – 0
Bilibili Gaming (BLG), the first team with a perfect 2 – 0 record, began the new season with the middle lane addition, Knight, and the substitute support, LvMao. Starting with the challenging part of their schedule, BLG has handled it smoothly, meeting expectations. Now, with two seemingly easier matches (Anyone’s Legend and EDG) remaining for the second week, BLG will conclude the third week with an encounter against LNG before entering the Chinese New Year break undefeated.
Making changes to their top duo, Weibo Gaming remains a championship contender this season. Having played only two easier matches so far, Weibo emerged victorious without significant issues. The team is well-prepared for their challenging matchups against LNG, RNG, and TES in the remaining three matches before the break.
Despite being a newly formed squad, Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP) stands out as a well-established unit working around a cohesive game plan. Facing two mid-tier teams, they secured victories without much difficulty. NIP has two matches left before the break, encountering LNG and OMG. If they come out of these matches unscathed, NIP will take a significant step towards the championship.
The FPX vs. Team WE match, scheduled for January 29th, will be available for viewing on LPL’s official YouTube and Twitch channels in English.