League of Legends

LEC Summer 2023: MAD Lions And G2 Qualify For Worlds

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After the monumental change to move the LEC to three splits per year, we have finally reached the Summer Split. Here, champions will be forged, and the final attendees of the LEC Finals chosen. G2 and MAD Lions have already qualified. They will be joined by the winner of this split, plus the three-highest-scoring teams in Championship Points. From there, those six teams will battle it out for four places at Worlds. However, we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

HotNewHipHop is here to give you the perfect tool to follow along with all the action. In this article, you will find every roster move and an easy-to-understand breakdown of all ten teams’ rosters. Furthermore, you will be able to find the result of every game, as well as regularly-updated standings.

Rosters And Transactions

Top Jungle Mid ADC Support
Astralis Finn 113 LIDER Kobbe JeongHoon
Excel Esports Odoamme Peach Abbedagge Patrik LIMIT
Fnatic Oscarinin Razork Humanoid Noah Trymbi
G2 BrokenBlade Yike Caps Hans Sama Mikyx
KOI Szygenda Malrang Larssen Comp Advienne
MAD Lions Chasy Elyoya Nisqy Carzzy Hylissang
SK Gaming Irrelevant Markoon Sertuss Exakick Doss
Team BDS Adam Sheo nuc Crownie Labrov
Team Heretics Evi Jankos Vetheo Flakked Mersa
Team Vitality Photon Bo
Daglas		 Perkz Upset Kaiser
Names that appear in this table only reflect confirmed roster moves.

April 2023

  • 8th: Team Vitality release coach Mephisto.
  • 10th: Team Heretics mid laner Ruby is listed as inactive.
  • 28th: Fnatic ADC Rekkles role-swaps to support and is listed as inactive.

May 2023

  • 12th: Fnatic release inactive top laner Wunder.
  • 16th: Jungler Xerxe leaves Excel Esports to join Spanish ERL team Giants.
  • 19th: Team Heretics release inactive mid laner Ruby.
  • 23rd: Inactive Excel support Targamas joins Karmine Corp. Meanwhile, inactive Team Vitality ADC Neon joins Vitality.Bee. Elsewhere, Team Heretics ADC Jackspektra joins Team Heretics Academy.
  • 26th: Unicorns of Love jungler Peach signs with Excel Esports.
  • 28th: Team Heretics send ADC Jackspektra to Los Heretics.
  • 31st: Team Heretics promote ADC Flakked from Los Heretics.

June 2023

  • 6th: Fnatic release support Advienne.
  • 7th: Inactive mid laner Vetheo joins Team Heretics from Excel Esports.
  • 8th: KOI release support Trymbi.
  • 9th: KOI sign free agent support Advienne
  • 10th: Fnatic sign ADC Noah from Polish team Zero Tenacity and free agent support Trymbi.
  • 23rd: Inactive Astralis mid laner Dajor joins Spanish team Rebels Gaming
  • 30th: Team Vitality bench jungler Bo and promote academy jungler Daglas

July 2023

  • 4th: Team Vitality jungler Daglas returns to Vitality.Bee

LEC Finals

The LEC Finals will take place in Montpellier, France between August 19 and September 10. The top-three teams will qualify for the Swiss Stage of Worlds 2023. The fourth-place finisher will qualify for a best-of-five qualifier against the fourth-place team from the LCS. The winner of that best-of-five will qualify for the Worlds Play-In Stage.

Qualified:

G2 (Winter split champions)
MAD Lions (Spring split champions)
Excel Esports (Summer split berth)*
Team BDS (Highest championship points)
Fnatic (Second-highest championship points)
SK Gaming (Third-highest championship points)
*Excel Esports finished 2nd in the Summer split but earned the split’s berth as G2 had already qualified for Finals.

Upper Bracket Round 1

G2 3 – 1 Team BDS
MAD Lions 3 – 0 Excel

Lower Bracket Round 1

Fnatic v Excel
SK Gaming v Team BDS

Regular Season Match Results

Per the new league format, the split’s regular season will comprise of three weeks of three matchdays each. The top eight teams qualify for the GSL round of the playoffs.

Team Record
G2 [Q] 8 – 1
Fnatic [Q] 7 – 2
Excel Esports [Q] 5 – 4
Team Heretics [Q] 5 – 4
Team BDS [Q] 4 – 5
SK Gaming [Q] 4 – 5
MAD Lions [Q] 4 – 5
KOI [Q] 4 – 5
Astralis [E] 3 – 6
Team Vitality [E] 1 – 7

Week 1

June 17

MAD Lions 1 – 0 Team Vitality
Team Heretics 1 – 0 SK Gaming
KOI 1 – 0 Excel Esports
G2 1 – 0 Team BDS
Fnatic 1 – 0 Astralis

June 18

Team Vitality 1 – 0 SK Gaming
Excel Esports 0 – 1 Fnatic
MAD Lions 1 – 0 G2
KOI 0 – 1 Team BDS
Team Heretics 1 – 0 Astralis

June 19

Excel Esports 0 – 1 SK Gaming
Team BDS 0 – 1 Astralis
KOI 0 – 1 MAD Lions
Fnatic 0 – 1 G2
Team Vitality 0 – 1 Team Heretics

Week 2

June 24

SK Gaming 0 – 1 Team BDS
Excel Esports 1 – 0 Team Heretics
KOI 0 – 1 Fnatic
Team Vitality 0 – 1 G2
Astralis 0 – 1 MAD Lions

June 25

Excel Esports 1 – 0 Team BDS
Astralis 1 – 0 Team Vitality
Team Heretics 0 – 1 KOI
G2 1 – 0 SK Gaming
Fnatic 1 – 0 MAD Lions

June 26

Team BDS 0 – 1 Team Heretics
MAD Lions 0 – 1 Excel Esports
G2 1 – 0 Astralis
KOI 0 – 1 SK Gaming
Fnatic 1 – 0 Team Vitality

Week 3

July 1

Astralis 1 – 0 SK Gaming
MAD Lions 0 – 1 Team Heretics
Team Vitality 0 – 1 KOI
Excel Esports 0 – 1 G2
Fnatic 1 – 0 Team BDS

July 2

Excel Esports 1 – 0 Astralis
Team BDS 1 – 0 Team Vitality
G2 1 – 0 KOI
Team Heretics 0 – 1 Fnatic
SK Gaming 1 – 0 MAD Lions
  • Team Vitality’s loss officially eliminated them from playoff contention. Furthermore, SK Gaming’s win confirmed Team Vitality’s 10th-place finish.

July 3

Team BDS 1 – 0 MAD Lions
Team Vitality 0 – 1 Excel Esports
KOI 1 – 0 Astralis
Team Heretics 0 – 1 G2
SK Gaming 1 – 0 Fnatic

Group Stage

Group A

G2
Team Heretics
Team BDS
KOI

Results

G2 2 – 0 KOI
Team Heretics 1 – 2 Team BDS
G2 2 – 0 Team BDS
KOI 0 – 2 Team Heretics
Team BDS 0 – 2 Team Heretics

Group B

Excel Esports
SK Gaming
Fnatic
MAD Lions

Results

Fnatic 0 – 2 SK Gaming
Excel Esports 2 – 0 MAD Lions
SK Gaming 1 – 2 Excel Esports
Fnatic 2 – 0 MAD Lions
SK Gaming 0 – 2 Fnatic

Knockout Stage

Lower Bracket Eliminator: Team Heretics 1 – 3 Fnatic
Upper Bracket Final: G2 3 – 2 Excel
Lower Bracket Final: Excel 3 – 1 Fnatic
Grand Final: G2 3 – 0 Excel

The post LEC Summer 2023: MAD Lions And G2 Qualify For Worlds appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Worlds 2023: Teams, Format, Results

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The 2023 League of Legends World Championships, better known as Worlds 2023, represents a major change for the long-running tournament. Ahead of the 2023 pro season, Riot Games announced that major format changes would be coming to the season-ending tournament. Since 2017, the tournament has operated a play-in stage, a group stage, and a knockout stage.

Starting in 2023, the scope of the play-in stage will be reduced and modified. Firstly, the play-in will no longer feature teams from South Korea or China. Furthermore, a maximum of one team from Europe or North America will be present. The last of the eight teams to qualify for the play-in stage will be determined by a preliminary qualification tournament.

Furthermore, the Worlds Qualifying Series will pit the fourth seed from Europe against the fourth seed from North America. Subsequently, The winner of this best-of-five series will compete in the Worlds play-in stage.

Additionally, the Worlds group stage has been replaced by a Swiss Stage format. Teams will play a maximum of five matches, with their opponents determined by their previous results. Subsequently, the top eight teams in the Swiss Stage will progress to an unchanged single-elimination bracket.

When Is Worlds 2023?

Worlds 2023 will be held between October 10 and November 19, 2023.

Where Is Worlds 2023 Being Held?

Worlds 2023 is being hosted by South Korea. Games will be played in Seoul and Busan. Furthermore, the Grand Final will be hosted at Gocheok Sky Dome, a domed baseball stadium in Seoul. Additionally, it is the first time since 2018 that South Korea has hosted Worlds.

What Is The 2023 Worlds Song?

The official song of Worlds 2023 has not yet been released. The Worlds song is traditionally made available in October, usually around one or two weeks before Worlds begins. However, the Worlds 2022 song was “STAR WALKIN’” performed by Lil Nas X.

How Much Do You Get For Winning Worlds?

The prize pool for Worlds varies each year. There is a base prize pool provided by Riot Games. Furthermore, the prize pool is supplemented by the sale of in-game events and tickets for the event. However, the prize pool for the Worlds 2022 is $2.25 million. In 2022, the tournament champions received 22%, or $489,500, of the prize pool.

Who Won Worlds 2022?

Worlds 2022 was won by LCK team DRX. They defeated fellow Korean team T1 in a thrilling Grand Final in San Francisco. However, DRX have struggled immensely in 2023. If DRX do fail to qualify, it would be the first time since 2020 that the defending champion failed to make the subsequent Worlds.

Who Has Qualified For Worlds 2023?

22 teams will qualify for Worlds 2023 based on their performance in their regional Summer split. Furthermore, the 22 places at Worlds 2023 are divided as follows:

  • 4 teams from South Korea’s LCK
  • 4 teams from China’s LPL
  • 3 teams from Europe’s LEC
  • 3 teams from North America’s LCS
  • 2 teams from Southeast Asia’s PCS
  • 2 teams from Vietnam’s VCS
  • 1 team from Brazil’s CBLOL
  • 1 team from Latin America’s LLA
  • 1 team from Japan’s LJL
  • 1 team from the Worlds Qualifying Series (LEC or LCS)

Teams Still In Contention

Furthermore, here are all the teams still in contention.

  • LCK: Hanwha Life Esports, DRX, DPlus, KT Rolster
  • LEC: G2, MAD Lions**, Team BDS, Excel Esports, Fnatic, SK Gaming
  • LCS: Cloud9*, NRG*, Team Liquid*
  • PCS: PSG Talon, Beyond Gaming, CFO Flying Oyster, Frank Esports
  • VCS: GAM Esports, Team Whales, Team Secret, CERBERUS Esports, Team Flash, Saigon Buffalo
  • CBLOL: RED Cainds, PaiN Gaming, LOUD, INTZ
  • LLA: Rainbow7, Estreal Esports

*Teams have qualified for Worlds but their seeding is yet to be determined

**Teams have qualified for Worlds but their seeding is yet to be determined

Qualified for Worlds 2023 Swiss Stage

Gen.G
T1
Hanwha Life Esports/KT Rolster
DRX/Dplus/TBD
JDG
Bilibili Gaming
LNG
Weibo Gaming
MAD Lions/TBD/TBD
MAD Lions/TBD/TBD
MAD Lions/TBD/TBD
Cloud9/TBD
Cloud9/TBD
NRG/Team Liquid

Qualified for Worlds 2023 Play-In Stage

PCS Summer Champion
PCS Summer Runner Up
VCS Dusk Champion
VCS Dusk Runner Up
CBLOL Split 2 Champion
Rainbow7/Estreal Esports
DetonatioN FocusMe
LEC Finals 4th Place/Golden Guardians

Changes From 2022

Three regions will no longer be represented at Worlds from 2023. Firstly, the TCL, which represents Turkey, vacated its Worlds spot to become part of the European Region League system. Similarly, the LCO, which represents Oceania, vacated its Worlds spot and will seek qualification through the PCS. Finally, the LCL, which represents Russia, has been suspended since the Russian Invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

With the elimination of Team Bliss and Chiefs Esports Club from the PCS playoffs, Worlds 2023 will be the first since 2016 not to feature any teams from Oceania.

Worlds 2023 Rosters

Team Top Jungle Mid ADC Support
Gen.G Doran Peanut Chovy Peyz Delight
T1 Zeus Oner Faker Gumayusi Keria
LCK 3
LCK 4
JDG 369 Kanavi Knight Ruler MISSING
Bilibili Gaming Bin XUN Yagao Elk ON
LNG Zika Tarzan Scout Gala Hang
Weibo Gaming TheShy weiwei Xiaohu Light Crisp
LEC 1
LEC 2
LEC 3
Cloud9/TBD
Cloud9/TBD
NRG/Team Liquid
PCS 1
PCS 2
VCS 1
VCS 2
CBLOL
LLA
DetonatioN FocusMe Yutapon Steal Aria Milan Harp
LEC 4/LCS 4

Worlds 2023 Play In

The Worlds 2023 Play-In Stage will be conducted using the GSL format. The top two teams from each group qualify for a best-of-five series. The winners of those series will then qualify for the Swiss stage.

Group A

TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD

Group B

TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD

Worlds 2023 Swiss Stage

Team Match 1 Match 2 Match 3 Match 4 Match 5
LCK 1
LCK 2
LCK 3
LCK 4
JDG
Bilibili Gaming
LNG
Weibo Gaming
LEC 1
LEC 2
LEC 3
LCS 1
LCS 2
LCS 3
TBD
TBD

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The post Worlds 2023: Teams, Format, Results appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

LEC Summer 2023: Finals Begin This Week

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After the monumental change to move the LEC to three splits per year, we have finally reached the Summer Split. Here, champions will be forged, and the final attendees of the LEC Finals chosen. G2 and MAD Lions have already qualified. They will be joined by the winner of this split, plus the three-highest-scoring teams in Championship Points. From there, those six teams will battle it out for four places at Worlds. However, we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

HotNewHipHop is here to give you the perfect tool to follow along with all the action. In this article, you will find every roster move and an easy-to-understand breakdown of all ten teams’ rosters. Furthermore, you will be able to find the result of every game, as well as regularly-updated standings.

Rosters And Transactions

Top Jungle Mid ADC Support
Astralis Finn 113 LIDER Kobbe JeongHoon
Excel Esports Odoamme Peach Abbedagge Patrik LIMIT
Fnatic Oscarinin Razork Humanoid Noah Trymbi
G2 BrokenBlade Yike Caps Hans Sama Mikyx
KOI Szygenda Malrang Larssen Comp Advienne
MAD Lions Chasy Elyoya Nisqy Carzzy Hylissang
SK Gaming Irrelevant Markoon Sertuss Exakick Doss
Team BDS Adam Sheo nuc Crownie Labrov
Team Heretics Evi Jankos Vetheo Flakked Mersa
Team Vitality Photon Bo
Daglas		 Perkz Upset Kaiser
Names that appear in this table only reflect confirmed roster moves.

April 2023

  • 8th: Team Vitality release coach Mephisto.
  • 10th: Team Heretics mid laner Ruby is listed as inactive.
  • 28th: Fnatic ADC Rekkles role-swaps to support and is listed as inactive.

May 2023

  • 12th: Fnatic release inactive top laner Wunder.
  • 16th: Jungler Xerxe leaves Excel Esports to join Spanish ERL team Giants.
  • 19th: Team Heretics release inactive mid laner Ruby.
  • 23rd: Inactive Excel support Targamas joins Karmine Corp. Meanwhile, inactive Team Vitality ADC Neon joins Vitality.Bee. Elsewhere, Team Heretics ADC Jackspektra joins Team Heretics Academy.
  • 26th: Unicorns of Love jungler Peach signs with Excel Esports.
  • 28th: Team Heretics send ADC Jackspektra to Los Heretics.
  • 31st: Team Heretics promote ADC Flakked from Los Heretics.

June 2023

  • 6th: Fnatic release support Advienne.
  • 7th: Inactive mid laner Vetheo joins Team Heretics from Excel Esports.
  • 8th: KOI release support Trymbi.
  • 9th: KOI sign free agent support Advienne
  • 10th: Fnatic sign ADC Noah from Polish team Zero Tenacity and free agent support Trymbi.
  • 23rd: Inactive Astralis mid laner Dajor joins Spanish team Rebels Gaming
  • 30th: Team Vitality bench jungler Bo and promote academy jungler Daglas

July 2023

  • 4th: Team Vitality jungler Daglas returns to Vitality.Bee

LEC Finals

The LEC Finals will take place in Montpellier, France between August 19 and September 10. The top-three teams will qualify for the Swiss Stage of Worlds 2023. The fourth-place finisher will qualify for a best-of-five qualifier against the fourth-place team from the LCS. The winner of that best-of-five will qualify for the Worlds Play-In Stage.

Qualified:

G2 (Winter split champions)
MAD Lions (Spring split champions)
Excel Esports (Summer split berth)*
Team BDS (Highest championship points)
Fnatic (Second-highest championship points)
SK Gaming (Third-highest championship points)
*Excel Esports finished 2nd in the Summer split but earned the split’s berth as G2 had already qualified for Finals.

Upper Bracket Round 1

G2 v Team BDS
MAD Lions 3 – 0 Excel

Lower Bracket Round 1

Fnatic v Excel
SK Gaming v TBD

Regular Season Match Results

Per the new league format, the split’s regular season will comprise of three weeks of three matchdays each. The top eight teams qualify for the GSL round of the playoffs.

Team Record
G2 [Q] 8 – 1
Fnatic [Q] 7 – 2
Excel Esports [Q] 5 – 4
Team Heretics [Q] 5 – 4
Team BDS [Q] 4 – 5
SK Gaming [Q] 4 – 5
MAD Lions [Q] 4 – 5
KOI [Q] 4 – 5
Astralis [E] 3 – 6
Team Vitality [E] 1 – 7

Week 1

June 17

MAD Lions 1 – 0 Team Vitality
Team Heretics 1 – 0 SK Gaming
KOI 1 – 0 Excel Esports
G2 1 – 0 Team BDS
Fnatic 1 – 0 Astralis

June 18

Team Vitality 1 – 0 SK Gaming
Excel Esports 0 – 1 Fnatic
MAD Lions 1 – 0 G2
KOI 0 – 1 Team BDS
Team Heretics 1 – 0 Astralis

June 19

Excel Esports 0 – 1 SK Gaming
Team BDS 0 – 1 Astralis
KOI 0 – 1 MAD Lions
Fnatic 0 – 1 G2
Team Vitality 0 – 1 Team Heretics

Week 2

June 24

SK Gaming 0 – 1 Team BDS
Excel Esports 1 – 0 Team Heretics
KOI 0 – 1 Fnatic
Team Vitality 0 – 1 G2
Astralis 0 – 1 MAD Lions

June 25

Excel Esports 1 – 0 Team BDS
Astralis 1 – 0 Team Vitality
Team Heretics 0 – 1 KOI
G2 1 – 0 SK Gaming
Fnatic 1 – 0 MAD Lions

June 26

Team BDS 0 – 1 Team Heretics
MAD Lions 0 – 1 Excel Esports
G2 1 – 0 Astralis
KOI 0 – 1 SK Gaming
Fnatic 1 – 0 Team Vitality

Week 3

July 1

Astralis 1 – 0 SK Gaming
MAD Lions 0 – 1 Team Heretics
Team Vitality 0 – 1 KOI
Excel Esports 0 – 1 G2
Fnatic 1 – 0 Team BDS

July 2

Excel Esports 1 – 0 Astralis
Team BDS 1 – 0 Team Vitality
G2 1 – 0 KOI
Team Heretics 0 – 1 Fnatic
SK Gaming 1 – 0 MAD Lions
  • Team Vitality’s loss officially eliminated them from playoff contention. Furthermore, SK Gaming’s win confirmed Team Vitality’s 10th-place finish.

July 3

Team BDS 1 – 0 MAD Lions
Team Vitality 0 – 1 Excel Esports
KOI 1 – 0 Astralis
Team Heretics 0 – 1 G2
SK Gaming 1 – 0 Fnatic

Group Stage

Group A

G2
Team Heretics
Team BDS
KOI

Results

G2 2 – 0 KOI
Team Heretics 1 – 2 Team BDS
G2 2 – 0 Team BDS
KOI 0 – 2 Team Heretics
Team BDS 0 – 2 Team Heretics

Group B

Excel Esports
SK Gaming
Fnatic
MAD Lions

Results

Fnatic 0 – 2 SK Gaming
Excel Esports 2 – 0 MAD Lions
SK Gaming 1 – 2 Excel Esports
Fnatic 2 – 0 MAD Lions
SK Gaming 0 – 2 Fnatic

Knockout Stage

Lower Bracket Eliminator: Team Heretics 1 – 3 Fnatic
Upper Bracket Final: G2 3 – 2 Excel
Lower Bracket Final: Excel 3 – 1 Fnatic
Grand Final: G2 3 – 0 Excel

The post LEC Summer 2023: Finals Begin This Week appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

MonteCristo Claims LCS Considering Relocation Out Of LA, Merger With CBLOL

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Divisive caster and esports personality MonteCristo has made some bombshell claims about the state of the LCS. Speaking on the Last Free Nation podcast, the former League of Legends caster relayed some of the rumblings that he had heard coming out of Riot Games. “Even if it [league revenue] goes down, it’s quite easy to break even if you just have league minimum salaries,” he said. “If the league moves out of Los Angeles, it becomes even easier in many ways. I’m not sure it’s going to happen, so I’m not trying to put it out there saying, like, ‘This is something that is going to happen’, but those conversations have occurred at Riot. I know that factually. And why wouldn’t they? It makes logical sense. The LCS doesn’t need to be in Los Angeles.”

Furthermore, Monte said that a merger with the Brazilian CBLOL was “on the table”. Riot Games’ other major esport, VALORANT, operates an Amercias league that covers both North and Latin America. “My hope is that they move it fuck out of Los Angeles to decrease costs, because the more the costs are decreased around production, the more of the money that is made in revenue can go to getting better players and teams,” he continued. “If the league stays in Los Angeles, the teams are going to make the logical decision to cut money to spend on the teams themselves, on the players, on the coaches, on the infrastructure. That is what will happen. You will have worse teams.”

Read More: Jojopyun wins LCS Summer MVP

LCS Looking To Anchor Long-Term Viability

The LCS is in a dire spot right now. The ongoing 2023 Summer Split has had an average of 72,210 viewers according to Esports Charts. That’s a 34% drop from the Spring split and a 37% drop from the 2022 Summer split. Two series remain in the current split, with NRG and Team Liquid facing off before the winner plays Cloud9 in the Grand Final. Aside from steadily decreasing viewership, orgs are suffering through an “esports winter” amid prolonged financial struggles. Seven of the league’s 10 franchises dropped their academy team earlier this year.

Relocating the league’s base of operations out of Los Angeles could help with the financial burden. LA is the second-most expensive city in America. It echoes plans from other organizations, such as the US government. With DC also increasingly prohibitively expensive, the US government has looked to move some government departments further west. Additionally, leaving the West Coast could help with viewership. LCS matches are currently played nine hours behind mainland Europe. Moving to the midwest, Chicago for example, would serve to cut that number to seven. Of course, as mentioned, nothing is yet confirmed. However, if Monte is hearing correctly, big changes could be coming for the ailing league.

Read More: Mystery team reportedly leaving the LCS

[via]

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Mystery Team Rumored To Have Sold Their LCS Spot

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According to League of Legends content creator Daniel “dGon” Gonzales, the North American LCS could see a bona fide exodus this offseason. Speaking on the Facecheck podcast, Gonzales claimed that a unnamed LCS team had already sold their franchise slot in the league and would be leaving before the start of the next split. Furthermore, Gonzales clarified that the team in question was not TSM, who had previously announced that they would seeking an exit from the league.

When asked if he was happy about the team that would be entering the league, Gonzales instead said that he was happy about who was leaving. Aside from the departing TSM, there are nine other teams in the LCS. Immortals have already been linked with a move away from the league. It was reported last month that Immortals had triggered a performance provision that could force them out of the league. Immortals have finished bottom two in five splits amid an eight split (4 years) period. That triggers a Riot Games safeguard that could potentially see Immortals leave the league.

Read More: LCS Summer 2023 tracker

Who Is Leaving the LCS?

Gonzales refused to say who was leaving. However, there are several teams that have indicated financial hardships over the past year. 100 Thieves, Cloud9, Dignitas, Golden Guardians, Immortals, NRG, and TSM all cut their academy teams when they Riot no longer mandated they have one. It’s hard to see who might be the team Gonzales claims to be leaving. The aforementioned Immortals seem like a pretty good bet. Elsewhere, perhaps the financial constraint of multiple superteams that went nowhere has caught up with 100 Thieves? Only time will tell if Gonzales’ reporting is accurate.

However, who might be joining the LCS? If Gonzales is correct, there could be multiple slots available ahead of 2024. Ahead of the Grand Final of Worlds 2022, YouTuber MrBeast said he was actively looking into joining the LCS in an ownership capacity. Could the time for MrBeast Esports be now? Then there’s Disguised Toast, the popular streamer whose League of Legends team just won the NACL Summer split. Perhaps DSG will take the step into joining the LCS proper.

[via]

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T1 Secure Top 4 Finish In LCK Behind Faker’s Return

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For a moment, it looked like T1 were going to crash out of the LCK Summer split early. With Faker sidelined with an arm injury, the perennial LCK contenders went 3-7 across the final 10 games of the regular season. That saw them finish fifth with a 9-9 record. While Faker was able to return for the regular season finale on August 4, it was a scary time for the team. However, despite qualifying for the playoffs, Faker’s absence had put them in a bad position. They would now need to survive a do-or-die best-of-five against an equally underperforming Dplus. The loser would be sent straight to the Regional Finals.

In the end, it appeared that they had little to worry about. T1 dispatched Dplus 3-1 to secure a minimum of fourth place in the league. The result allowed T1 to maintain their slim lead in the championship points standings. This will be crucial in determining seeding for the Regional Finals, as well as automatic qualification for Worlds. The two automatic qualifications spots from the LCK go to the Summer champion and the season’s championship points leader. T1 currently has 120 points, 20 points ahead of third-place KT Rolster.

Read More: Worlds 2023 hub

Faker Addresses Injury

Faker
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 20: Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok of T1 competes at the League of Legends – Mid-Season Invitational Bracket Stage on May 20 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games via Getty Images)

In the post-game press conference, Faker was asked about his injury. “I’m playing with a posture that allows me to be free from those main symptoms,” he said. “It’s getting better, and I’m still adjusting to the posture. I’m slowly building my game up.” Furthermore, Faker said he was hoping to face off against Chinese first seed JDG if T1 makes it to Worlds. JDG eliminated T1 at MSI earlier this year on their way to the tournament title. Meanwhile, T1 dominated JDG in the semifinals of Worlds 2022.

T1’s next match will be against KT Rolster on August 10. A win would not only secure T1 a top-three finish, but it would also widen the championship points gap between the two sides. At the time of writing, the only region to have finalized its Worlds participants is China. The LPL will be represented by JDG, Bilibili Gaming, LNG, and Weibo Gaming. Furthermore, Worlds 2023 is currently scheduled to take place in South Korea between mid-October and mid-November.

[via]

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Worlds 2023: Format, Teams, Schedule, Results

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The 2023 League of Legends World Championships, better known as Worlds 2023, represents a major change for the long-running tournament. Ahead of the 2023 pro season, Riot Games announced that major format changes would be coming to the season-ending tournament. Since 2017, the tournament has operated a play-in stage, a group stage, and a knockout stage.

Starting in 2023, the scope of the play-in stage will be reduced and modified. Firstly, the play-in will no longer feature teams from South Korea or China. Furthermore, a maximum of one team from Europe or North America will be present. The last of the eight teams to qualify for the play-in stage will be determined by a preliminary qualification tournament.

Furthermore, the Worlds Qualifying Series will pit the fourth seed from Europe against the fourth seed from North America. Additionally, the winner of this best-of-five series will compete in the Worlds play-in stage.

Furthermore, the Worlds group stage has been replaced by a Swiss Stage format. Teams will play a maximum of five matches, with their opponents determined by their previous results. Subsequently, the top eight teams in the Swiss Stage will progress to an unchanged single-elimination bracket.

When Is Worlds 2023?

Worlds 2023 will be held between October 10 and November 19, 2023.

Where Is Worlds 2023 Being Held?

Worlds 2023 is being hosted by South Korea. Games will be played in Seoul and Busan. Furthermore, the Grand Final will be hosted at Gocheok Sky Dome, a domed baseball stadium in Seoul. Additionally, it is the first time since 2018 that South Korea has hosted Worlds.

What Is The 2023 Worlds Song?

The official song of Worlds 2023 has not yet been released. The Worlds song is traditionally made available in mid-October, usually around one or two weeks before Worlds begins. However, the Worlds 2022 song was “STAR WALKIN’” performed by Lil Nas X.

How Much Do You Get For Winning Worlds?

The prize pool for Worlds varies each year. There is a base prize pool provided by Riot Games. Furthermore, the prize pool is supplemented by the sale of in-game events and tickets for the event. However, the prize pool for the Worlds 2022 is $2.25 million.

Who Won Worlds 2022?

Worlds 2022 was won by LCK team DRX. They defeated fellow Korean team T1 in a thrilling Grand Final in San Francisco. However, DRX have struggled immensely in 2023 and are unlikely to qualify for Worlds 2023. If DRX do fail to qualify, it would be the first time since 2020 that the defending champion failed to make the subsequent Worlds.

Who Has Qualified For Worlds 2023?

22 teams will qualify for Worlds 2023 based on their performance in their regional Summer split. Furthermore, the 22 places at Worlds 2023 are divided as follows:

  • 4 teams from South Korea’s LCK
  • 4 teams from China’s LPL
  • 3 teams from Europe’s LEC
  • 3 teams from North America’s LCS
  • 2 teams from Southeast Asia’s PCS
  • 2 teams from Vietnam’s VCS
  • 1 team from Brazil’s CBLOL
  • 1 team from Latin America’s LLA
  • 1 team from Japan’s LJL
  • 1 team from the Worlds Qualifying Series (LEC or LCS)

JDG became the first team to qualify for Worlds 2023. The reigning MSI champions will either qualify as the LPL’s first or second seed, depending on whether they win the league’s Summer split. If JDG beats LNG, Bilibili Gaming will qualify as the LPL’s second seed.

Qualified for Worlds 2023 Swiss Stage

LCK Summer Champion
LCK 2023 Championship Points
LCK Regional Finals Winner
LCK Regional Finals Runner Up
JDG/LNG
JDG/Bilibili Gaming
LPL Regional Finals Winner
LPL Regional Finals Runner Up
LEC Finals Champion
LEC Finals Runner Up
LEC Finals 3rd Place
LCS Summer Champion
LCS Summer Runner Up
LCS Summer 3rd Place

Qualified for Worlds 2023 Play-In Stage

PCS Summer Champion
PCS Summer Runner Up
VCS Dusk Champion
VCS Dusk Runner Up
CBLOL Split 2 Champion
LLA Closing Champion
LJL Summer Champion
LEC Finals 4th Place/LCS Summer 4th Place

Changes From 2022

Three regions will no longer be represented at Worlds from 2023. The TCL, which represents Turkey, vacated its Worlds spot to become part of the European Region League system. Similarly, the LCO, which represents Oceania, vacated its Worlds spot and will seek qualification through the PCS. Finally, the LCL, which represents Russia, has been suspended since the Russian Invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Worlds 2023 Rosters

Team Top Jungle Mid ADC Support
LCK 1
LCK 2
LCK 3
LCK 4
JDG/LNG
JDG/Bilibili Gaming
LPL 3
LPL 4
LEC 1
LEC 2
LEC 3
LCS 1
LCS 2
LCS 3
PCS 1
PCS 2
VCS 1
VCS 2
CBLOL
LLA
LJL
LEC 4/LCS 4

Worlds 2023 Play In

The Worlds 2023 Play-In Stage will be conducted using the GSL format.

Group A

TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD

Group B

TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD

Worlds 2023 Swiss Stage

Team Match 1 Match 2 Match 3 Match 4 Match 5
LCK 1
LCK 2
LCK 3
LCK 4
JDG/LNG
JDG/Bilibili Gaming
LPL 3
LPL 4
LEC 1
LEC 2
LEC 3
LCS 1
LCS 2
LCS 3
TBD
TBD

Furthermore, This article will be updated when new information is made available.

[via]

The post Worlds 2023: Format, Teams, Schedule, Results appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

LCS Summer 2023: TSM Seemingly Ends LCS Tenure

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The race to Worlds is finally here. By the time September rolls around, just four LCS teams will be moving onto Worlds. Riot Games revealed that Worlds 2023 will feature a brand new format, meaning that three LCS teams will qualify for the tournament’s Swiss Stage. Meanwhile, one team will qualify for the Wildcard Qualifier, which will send one team to the Worlds Play-In stage.

HotNewHipHop is here to give you the perfect tool to follow along with all the action. In this article, you will find every roster move and an easy-to-understand breakdown of all ten teams’ rosters. Furthermore, you will be able to find the result of every game, as well as regularly-updated standings.

LCS Rosters And Transactions

Top Jungle Mid ADC Support
100 Thieves Ssumday Closer Quid Doublelift Busio
Cloud9 Fudge Blaber ENEMES Berserker Zven
Dignitas Rich Santorin Jensen Tomo Diamond
poome
Evil Geniuses Revenge Armao
Sheiden		 Jojopyun UNF0RGIVEN Eyla
FlyQuest Impact Spica VicLa
Spriax		 Prince Vulcan
Golden Guardians Licorice River Gori Stixxay Huhi
Immortals Solo Bolulu Tactical Treatz
NRG Dhokla Contractz Palafox FBI IgNar
Team Liquid Summit Pyosik Haeri
APA		 Yeon CoreJJ
TSM Hauntzer Bugi Ruby WildTurtle Chime
Names that appear in this table only reflect confirmed roster moves.

April 2023

  • 7th: Team Liquid release head coach MaRin. Meanwhile, FlyQuest promote Winsome from FlyQuest Challengers to the LCS roster. Furthermore, 100 Thieves mid laner Bjergsen announced his retirement.
  • 11th: Cloud9 release positional coach Selfie.
  • 17th: Immortals demote support Fleshy to Immortals Challengers and sign free agent support Treatz. Elsewhere, Dignitas support Biofrost leaves the active roster to become a team content creator.
  • 18th: Immortals release top laner Revenge.
  • 26th. Evil Geniuses release head coach Freeze and assistant head coach H4xDefender. Meanwhile, Immortals sign free agent top laner Solo.
  • 28th: Team Liquid promote assistant head coach Reignover to head coach and team manager Dodo to assistant head coach.
  • 29th: Evil Geniuses release top laner Ssumday, jungler Inspired, ADC FBI, and support Vulcan.

May 2023

  • 2nd: Dignitas sign free agent top laner Rich. Elsewhere, TSM part ways with head coach Chawy.
  • 3rd: Cloud9 release positional coach Armao and sign free agent positional coach Duffman. Meanwhile, TSM release mid laner Maple.
  • 9th: 100 Thieves demote head coach Nukeduck to assistant head coach and hire free agent head coach Cain.
  • 10th: Top laner Armut leaves Dignitas to join Turkish team SuperMassive.
  • 11th: Mid laner Quid joins 100 Thieves from Gen.G Academy.
  • 12th: Top laner Ssumday joins 100 Thieves. Ssumday previously played for 100 Thieves between Spring 2018 and Summer 2022.
  • 13th: 100 Thieves top laner Tenacity leaves the active roster to become a team content creator.
  • May 17th: Dignitas promote academy support Diamond to the LCS roster.
  • 18th: TSM sign free agent head coach Reven. Elsewhere, free agent Armao role-swaps from positional coach to jungler and signs with Evil Geniuses.
  • 19th: FlyQuest release substitute support Eyla and sign free agent support Vulcan.
  • 23rd: TSM announce their Summer roster, adding free agent top laner Hauntzer and free agent mid laner Ruby.
  • 25th: Evil Geniuses head of player development Razvan moves to the role of head coach.
  • 27th: NRG release ADC Luger. Furthermore, support IgNar signs from Dignitas.

June 2023

  • 2nd: Golden Guardians sign free agent ADC Array as their team substitute.
  • 9th: Free agent Svenskeren role-swaps from jungler to strategic coach and joins Dignitas.
  • 10th: FlyQuest sends support Winsome to their academy team.
  • 12th: Evil Geniuses sign top laner Revenge, jungler Armao, ADC UNF0RGIVEN, and support Eyla. Furthermore, Evil Geniuses promotes jungler Sheiden from their academy roster. Elsewhere, Dignitas sign free agent support Diamond.

July 2023

  • 6th: Team Liquid promote academy mid laner APA to the LCS roster.
  • 11th: Dignitas sign free agent support poome.
  • 12th: FlyQuest promote academy mid laner Spirax to the LCS roster.
  • 29th: Immortals release jungler Kenvi

NACL Roster Moves

June 2023

  • 1st: Disguised sign top laner FakeGod, jungler Tomio, mid laner Young, ADC Meech, support Zeyzal, and head coach Goldenglue.
  • 6th: Supernova releases top laner Dragoon, jungler Kisno, mid laner Onat, ADC Azog, support Chookies, and substitute Avril. Meanwhile, the team signs top laner Qwacker, jungler Music, midlaner RobbyBob, ADC Sketchdreams, support Trevor, head coach Mesmerism, and assistants Pookar and Shiazuri. Elsewhere, FlyQuest Challengers sign top laner Faisal.
  • 9th: Cinncinati FEAR signs top laner Phillip, support JayJ, head coach Kiao and assistant coach Xav. Meanwhile, AOE Gold releases jungler Winnie, support SkyTec, and positional coach Fawn. Furthermore, AOE Gold signs top laner Concept, jungler Will, and support breezyyy. Additionally, AOE Gold, promotes Akaadian from assistant coach to head coach and Zaga from analyst to assistant coach. Meanwhile, Team Fish Taco announces their NCAL summer roster of top laner lunacia, jungler RoseThorn, mid laner Onat, ADC Spawn, and support Nxi, who role-swaps from jungler.
  • 12th: Supernova part ways with head coach Mesmerism and promote assistant coach Shiazuri to head coach.

The NACL runs between June 10 and July 17.

LCS Match Results

Following a two-week delay due to the LCS Players’ Strike, a deal has been reached between the LCS and LCSPA. The LCS Summer Split will adopt a three-a-week format starting on June 14.

The top eight teams qualify for the LCS Summer playoffs. First and second place begin in the Upper Bracket Semifinals. Third through sixth place begin in the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals. Meanwhile, seventh and eighth place begin in the Lower Bracket.

Team Record
Cloud9 [Q] 13 – 5
Golden Guardians [Q] 13 – 5
Evil Geniuses [Q] 12 – 6
Team Liquid [Q] 10 – 8
NRG [Q] 9 – 9
TSM [Q] 8 – 10
Dignitas [Q] 7 – 11
100 Thieves [Q] 7 – 11
FlyQuest [E] 6 – 12
Immortals [E] 5 – 13

LCS Week 1

  • Nukeduck played as 100 Thieves’ mid laner due to visa issues for Quid.

June 14

Cloud9 1 – 0 Golden Guardians
Team Liquid 1 – 0 TSM
Immortals 1 – 0 Dignitas
Evil Geniuses 1 – 0 NRG
FlyQuest 0 – 1 100 Thieves

June 15

Dignitas 0 – 1 Cloud9
TSM 1 – 0 FlyQuest
100 Thieves 0 – 1 Team Liquid
NRG 0 – 1 Immortals
Golden Guardians 0 – 1 Evil Geniuses

June 16

Immortals 0 – 1 Team Liquid
Golden Guardians 1 – 0 FlyQuest
Evil Geniuses 0 – 1 Dignitas
NRG 1 – 0 100 Thieves
Cloud9 1 – 0 TSM

LCS Week 2

June 21

Dignitas 0 – 1 Golden Guardians
Team Liquid 1 – 0 NRG
FlyQuest 0 – 1 Cloud9
TSM 1 – 0 Immortals
100 Thieves 0 – 1 Evil Geniuses

June 22

NRG 0 – 1 TSM
Golden Guardians 1 – 0 Immortals
100 Thieves 0 – 1 Cloud9
Dignitas 1 – 0 Team Liquid
Evil Geniuses 1 – 0 FlyQuest

June 23

TSM 0 – 1 Golden Guardians
Immortals 0 – 1 100 Thieves
Team Liquid 0 – 1 Evil Geniuses
FlyQuest 0 – 1 Dignitas
Cloud9 0 – 1 NRG

Week 3

June 28

TSM 0 – 1 Evil Geniuses
FlyQuest 1 – 0 Team Liquid
NRG 1 – 0 Golden Guardians
100 Thieves 1 – 0 Dignitas
Cloud9 1 – 0 Immortals

June 29

NRG 0 – 1 FlyQuest
Team Liquid 1 – 0 Cloud9
Dignitas 1 – 0 TSM
Evil Geniuses 1 – 0 Immortals
Golden Guardians 1 – 0 100 Thieves

June 30

Cloud9 1 – 0 Evil Geniuses
Team Liquid 0 – 1 Golden Guardians
Dignitas 1 – 0 NRG
TSM 0 – 1 100 Thieves
Immortals 0 – 1 FlyQuest

Week 4

July 5

NRG 1 – 0 Team Liquid
100 Thieves 1 – 0 FlyQuest
Golden Guardians 1 – 0 Cloud9
Dignitas 0 – 1 Evil Geniuses
Immortals 0 – 1 TSM

July 6

  • APA will start for Team Liquid
Evil Geniuses 1 – 0 100 Thieves
TSM 1 – 0 NRG
Cloud9 1 – 0 Dignitas
FlyQuest 0 – 1 Golden Guardians
Team Liquid 1 – 0 Immortals

June 7

Dignitas 1 – 0 FlyQuest
NRG 1 – 0 Evil Geniuses
Team Liquid 1 – 0 100 Thieves
Immortals 0 – 1 Cloud9
Golden Guardians 0 – 1 TSM

Week 5

July 12

  • Spirax will start for FlyQuest
TSM 1 – 0 Dignitas
Evil Geniuses 0 – 1 Golden Guardians
FlyQuest 0 – 1 NRG
Cloud9 0 – 1 Team Liquid
100 Thieves 0 – 1 Immortals

July 13

  • VicLa will start for FlyQuest
NRG 1 – 0 Dignitas
FlyQuest 1 – 0 Evil Geniuses
TSM 1 – 0 Team Liquid
Cloud9 1 – 0 100 Thieves
Immortals 0 – 1 Golden Guardians

July 14

Team Liquid 1 – 0 FlyQuest
100 Thieves 1 – 0 TSM
Golden Guardians 0 – 1 NRG
Evil Geniuses 0 – 1 Cloud9
Dignitas 0 – 1 Immortals

Week 6

July 19

Dignitas 1 – 0 100 Thieves
Golden Guardians 1 – 0 Team Liquid
NRG 1 – 0 Cloud9
FlyQuest 1 – 0 TSM
Immortals 0 – 1 Evil Geniuses

July 20

Golden Guardians 1 – 0 Dignitas
FlyQuest 1 – 0 Immortals
100 Thieves 1 – 0 NRG
Evil Geniuses 1 – 0 Team Liquid
TSM 0 – 1 Cloud9

July 21

Immortals 1 – 0 NRG
Evil Geniuses 1 – 0 TSM
Cloud9 1- 0 FlyQuest
Team Liquid 1 – 0 Dignitas
100 Thieves 0 – 1 Golden Guardians
Cloud9 1 – 0 Golden Guardians [1st Place tiebreaker]
100 Thieves 0 – 1 Dignitas [7th Place tiebreaker]

Playoffs

Upper Bracket Round 1

Team Liquid 1 – 3 NRG
Evil Geniuses 3 – 2 TSM

Lower Bracket Round 1

TSM 2 – 3 Dignitas
Team Liquid v 100 Thieves

Upper Bracket Round 2

NRG v Golden Guardians
Evil Geniuses v Cloud9

Lower Bracket Round 2

TBD v Dignitas
TBD v TBD

The post LCS Summer 2023: TSM Seemingly Ends LCS Tenure appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

LEC Summer 2023: Team Vitality Elimated From LEC Finals

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After the monumental change to move the LEC to three splits per year, we have finally reached the Summer Split. Here, champions will be forged, and the final attendees of the LEC Finals chosen. G2 and MAD Lions have already qualified. They will be joined by the winner of this split, plus the three-highest-scoring teams in Championship Points. From there, those six teams will battle it out for four places at Worlds. However, we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

HotNewHipHop is here to give you the perfect tool to follow along with all the action. In this article, you will find every roster move and an easy-to-understand breakdown of all ten teams’ rosters. Furthermore, you will be able to find the result of every game, as well as regularly-updated standings.

Rosters And Transactions

Top Jungle Mid ADC Support
Astralis Finn 113 LIDER Kobbe JeongHoon
Excel Esports Odoamme Peach Abbedagge Patrik LIMIT
Fnatic Oscarinin Razork Humanoid Noah Trymbi
G2 BrokenBlade Yike Caps Hans Sama Mikyx
KOI Szygenda Malrang Larssen Comp Advienne
MAD Lions Chasy Elyoya Nisqy Carzzy Hylissang
SK Gaming Irrelevant Markoon Sertuss Exakick Doss
Team BDS Adam Sheo nuc Crownie Labrov
Team Heretics Evi Jankos Vetheo Flakked Mersa
Team Vitality Photon Bo
Daglas		 Perkz Upset Kaiser
Names that appear in this table only reflect confirmed roster moves.

April 2023

  • 8th: Team Vitality release coach Mephisto.
  • 10th: Team Heretics mid laner Ruby is listed as inactive.
  • 28th: Fnatic ADC Rekkles role-swaps to support and is listed as inactive.

May 2023

  • 12th: Fnatic release inactive top laner Wunder.
  • 16th: Jungler Xerxe leaves Excel Esports to join Spanish ERL team Giants.
  • 19th: Team Heretics release inactive mid laner Ruby.
  • 23rd: Inactive Excel support Targamas joins Karmine Corp. Meanwhile, inactive Team Vitality ADC Neon joins Vitality.Bee. Elsewhere, Team Heretics ADC Jackspektra joins Team Heretics Academy.
  • 26th: Unicorns of Love jungler Peach signs with Excel Esports.
  • 28th: Team Heretics send ADC Jackspektra to Los Heretics.
  • 31st: Team Heretics promote ADC Flakked from Los Heretics.

June 2023

  • 6th: Fnatic release support Advienne.
  • 7th: Inactive mid laner Vetheo joins Team Heretics from Excel Esports.
  • 8th: KOI release support Trymbi.
  • 9th: KOI sign free agent support Advienne
  • 10th: Fnatic sign ADC Noah from Polish team Zero Tenacity and free agent support Trymbi.
  • 23rd: Inactive Astralis mid laner Dajor joins Spanish team Rebels Gaming
  • 30th: Team Vitality bench jungler Bo and promote academy jungler Daglas

July 2023

  • 4th: Team Vitality jungler Daglas returns to Vitality.Bee

Match Results

Per the new league format, the split’s regular season will comprise of three weeks of three matchdays each. The top eight teams qualify for the GSL round of the playoffs.

Team Record
G2 [Q] 8 – 1
Fnatic [Q] 7 – 2
Excel Esports [Q] 5 – 4
Team Heretics [Q] 5 – 4
Team BDS [Q] 4 – 5
SK Gaming [Q] 4 – 5
MAD Lions [Q] 4 – 5
KOI [Q] 4 – 5
Astralis [E] 3 – 6
Team Vitality [E] 1 – 7

Week 1

June 17

MAD Lions 1 – 0 Team Vitality
Team Heretics 1 – 0 SK Gaming
KOI 1 – 0 Excel Esports
G2 1 – 0 Team BDS
Fnatic 1 – 0 Astralis

June 18

Team Vitality 1 – 0 SK Gaming
Excel Esports 0 – 1 Fnatic
MAD Lions 1 – 0 G2
KOI 0 – 1 Team BDS
Team Heretics 1 – 0 Astralis

June 19

Excel Esports 0 – 1 SK Gaming
Team BDS 0 – 1 Astralis
KOI 0 – 1 MAD Lions
Fnatic 0 – 1 G2
Team Vitality 0 – 1 Team Heretics

Week 2

June 24

SK Gaming 0 – 1 Team BDS
Excel Esports 1 – 0 Team Heretics
KOI 0 – 1 Fnatic
Team Vitality 0 – 1 G2
Astralis 0 – 1 MAD Lions

June 25

Excel Esports 1 – 0 Team BDS
Astralis 1 – 0 Team Vitality
Team Heretics 0 – 1 KOI
G2 1 – 0 SK Gaming
Fnatic 1 – 0 MAD Lions

June 26

Team BDS 0 – 1 Team Heretics
MAD Lions 0 – 1 Excel Esports
G2 1 – 0 Astralis
KOI 0 – 1 SK Gaming
Fnatic 1 – 0 Team Vitality

Week 3

July 1

Astralis 1 – 0 SK Gaming
MAD Lions 0 – 1 Team Heretics
Team Vitality 0 – 1 KOI
Excel Esports 0 – 1 G2
Fnatic 1 – 0 Team BDS

July 2

Excel Esports 1 – 0 Astralis
Team BDS 1 – 0 Team Vitality
G2 1 – 0 KOI
Team Heretics 0 – 1 Fnatic
SK Gaming 1 – 0 MAD Lions
  • Team Vitality’s loss officially eliminated them from playoff contention. Furthermore, SK Gaming’s win confirmed Team Vitality’s 10th-place finish.

July 3

Team BDS 1 – 0 MAD Lions
Team Vitality 0 – 1 Excel Esports
KOI 1 – 0 Astralis
Team Heretics 0 – 1 G2
SK Gaming 1 – 0 Fnatic

Group Stage

Group A

G2
Team Heretics
Team BDS
KOI

Results

G2 2 – 0 KOI
Team Heretics 1 – 2 Team BDS
G2 2 – 0 Team BDS
KOI 0 – 2 Team Heretics
Team BDS 0 – 2 Team Heretics

Group B

Excel Esports
SK Gaming
Fnatic
MAD Lions

Results

Fnatic 0 – 2 SK Gaming
Excel Esports 2 – 0 MAD Lions
SK Gaming 1 – 2 Excel Esports
Fnatic 2 – 0 MAD Lions
SK Gaming 0 – 2 Fnatic

Knockout Stage

Lower Bracket Eliminator: Team Heretics v Fnatic
Upper Bracket Final: G2 v Excel
Lower Bracket Final: Loser of G2/Excel v Winner of Team Heretics/Fnatic
Grand Final: Winner of Upper Bracket Final v Winner of Lower Bracket Final

LEC Finals

The LEC Finals will take place in Montpellier, France between August 19 and September 10. The six teams competing will be a combination of split winners and highest championship points earners.

Qualified:

G2 (Winter split champions)
MAD Lions (Spring split champions)
Summer split champions (or best finisher if G2 wins)
Highest championship points (excluding G2, MAD Lions, and Summer split champion) [Currently – Team BDS]
Second-highest championship points (excluding G2, MAD Lions, and Summer split champion) [Currently – SK Gaming]
Third-highest championship points (excluding G2, MAD Lions, and Summer split champion) [Currently – KOI]

Current Championship Points Standings

Team Points
G2 300
MAD Lions 265
Team BDS 190
SK Gaming 150
KOI 150
Team Vitality [E] 137
Excel 130
Fnatic 120
Team Heretics 120
Astralis [E] 105
Bold indicates that a team is no longer competing in the Summer split and has finalized their championship points
  • Totals include the minimum points a team can earn during the Summer split.
  • Astralis and Team Vitality have finalized their points for the year. Astralis are officially eliminated as their total of 105 is not enough to qualify for the LEC Finals. Team Vitality can still qualify for the LEC Finals, depending on the performances of other teams.
  • KOI have finalized their points for the year. They can still qualify for the LEC Finals, but their qualification depends on the results of Excel, Fnatic, and Team Heretics.
  • Team Vitality have been eliminated from LEC Finals contention. While there are teams with less CP than them, at least one team currently behind Vitality will finish the split with more CP than them.

The post LEC Summer 2023: Team Vitality Elimated From LEC Finals appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

LEC Summer Playoffs: How Do They Affect The LEC Finals?

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July 15 marks the first day of the LEC Summer split playoffs. The remaining eight teams will face off in a GSL-style group stage to determine which four teams move on to the knockout bracket. Furthermore, the group stage runs until July 23.

This is the first year of the LEC’s new three-split format, which culminates in the LEC Finals. That event is set to begin in Montpellier, France on August 19. It will feature six teams – the three split winners and the three teams with the highest championship points. If a team wins a split but has already qualified for the LEC Finals, the automatic berth is passed down to the best-placed team who is yet to qualify.

But who’s left in the competition? Who can still qualify for the LEC Finals? And how can they still qualify? Well, dear reader, we have the answer to all those questions and more.

When Are The LEC Playoffs?

The LEC playoffs begin on July 15. The group stage runs from July 15 to July 23, with matches played on July 15, 16, 17, 22, and 23. The knockout bracket begins on July 28 and continues until July 30.

How Can I Watch The LEC Playoffs?

The LEC playoffs will be streamed on the LEC’s official Twitch page. Additionally, the LEC playoffs are 100% free to watch on Twitch. You can also buy tickets to watch the matches live at the LEC Studio in Berlin, Germany.

Who Is Taking Part In The LEC Playoffs?

There are eight teams in the LEC playoffs. In Group A, we have G2, Koi, Team BDS, and Team Heretics. Meanwhile, in Group B, we have Excel Esports, Fnatic, MAD Lions, and SK Gaming.

Who Has Qualified For The LEC Finals?

Currently, G2 and MAD Lions are the only teams to have qualified for the LEC Finals. They did this by winning the Winter and Spring splits respectively. The winner of the Summer split, or the best-placed team who isn’t G2 or MAD, will also automatically qualify.

Who Can Still Qualify For The LEC Finals?

Excel Esports, Fnatic, KOI, SK Gaming, Team BDS, Team Heretics, and Team Vitality can all still qualify. However, this is where it gets complicated, given that Team Vitality is not participating in the Summer playoffs. Furthermore, Astralis is the only LEC team who cannot qualify for the LEC Finals. They did not make the playoffs and ended the season with 105 Championship Points. This is not enough to qualify as one of the highest Championship Point-earning teams.

Okay Then, How Can Teams Qualify For The LEC Finals?

Let’s do this team-by-team and break down their scenarios. However, as things stand, this is the Championship Points [CP] table. I’ve excluded MAD Lions (250) and G2 (225) because they have already qualified. Furthermore, these points totals reflect the minimum amount of points each team can earn based on the standings at the time of writing. To make things simpler, these totals include the 30 points all teams except Team Vitality can earn for finishing a minimum of 8th.

Team CP
Team BDS 160
KOI 150
Team Vitality 137
SK Gaming 120
Astralis [E] 105
Fnatic 60
Team Heretics 60
Excel Esports 40

For the sake of simplicity, we’ll say that the minimum total for qualification is Team Vitality’s 137, meaning you need at least 138 points to qualify for the LEC Finals. However, it’s sadly not that simple because we also have to acknowledge that one of the teams in contention will earn an automatic berth.

Excel Esports

Odoamne of the LEC team Excel
BERLIN, GERMANY – MARCH 11: Andrei Pascu “Odoamne” competes at the League of Legends EMEA Championship “LEC” at LEC Studio on March 11, 2023 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Gerald Matzka/Getty Images)

Current Total: 10

Excel Esports qualified for the playoffs after a wild final two weeks of the Summer regular season. However, they face the most difficult path to the LEC Finals. Having finished 10th in both the Winter and Spring splits, they bring just 10 CP into the playoffs with them.

The “easiest” route for Excel to qualify for the LEC Finals is to continue their Cinderella run all the way to the Summer split title. However, due to only having 10 CP, the lowest that Excel can finish and still have more points than Team Vitality is second. Even a third-place finish, which earns 120 CP, would still see them finish below Vitality.

However, if SK Gaming finishes eighth, Excel could potentially reach the playoffs as the six-seed if they finish third. Despite this slim shot, it would hinge on how the rest of the table lined up.

Fnatic

Razork of the LEC team Fnatic
BERLIN, GERMANY – MARCH 11: Iván Martín Díaz “Razork” competes at the League of Legends EMEA Championship “LEC” at LEC Studio on March 11, 2023 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Gerald Matzka/Getty Images)

Current Total: 30

Fnatic became one of the best teams during the Summer regular season, thanks in large part to their rookie ADC, Noah. However, it has been a tough year for Fnatic, who finished 9th and 8th in the first two splits.

This will be the last time I say as it is true for all teams besides Vitality, but Fnatic’s best way to the LEC Finals is to win the split. Beyond that, Fnatic must finish at least third to surpass the points total of Team Vitality. However, in the scenario in which Excel finishes third and SK Gaming finishes eighth, a fourth-place finish could be enough to finish sixth. However, it would depend on the rest of the table.

KOI

Szygenda of the LEC team KOI
BERLIN, GERMANY – MARCH 11: Mathias Jensen “Szygenda” competes at the League of Legends EMEA Championship “LEC” at LEC Studio on March 11, 2023 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Gerald Matzka/Getty Images)

Current Total: 120

KOI slipped a little in the Summer split but benefit from two strong runs in the previous splits. This means that an eighth-place finish in the Summer playoffs still sees them end the year on 150 CP. While dependent on the rest of the table, this should be more than enough to see KOI finish as a LEC Finals participant.

SK Gaming

Markoon of the LEC team SK Gaming
BERLIN, GERMANY – MARCH 11: Mark van Woensel “Markoon” competes at the League of Legends EMEA Championship “LEC” at LEC Studio on March 11, 2023 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Gerald Matzka/Getty Images)

Current Total: 90

It’s been an up-and-down season for SK Gaming but they still have a shot at the LEC Finals. The worst thing that they could do is lose their momentum and finish eighth. That would see them finish the season on 120 CP, below Team Vitality, and as the worst-placed team who could potentially finish on 120 CP. To surpass Team Vitality (137 CP), SK will need to finish at least 6th (a 7th-place finish would see them finish 2 points behind Vitality). However, SK does not really control their own fate as their finish, aside from a top-four, really depends on how the rest of the table shakes out.

Team BDS

Adam of the LEC team Team BDS
BERLIN, GERMANY – MARCH 11: Adam Maanane “Adam” competes at the League of Legends EMEA Championship “LEC” at LEC Studio on March 11, 2023 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Gerald Matzka/Getty Images)

Current Total: 130

Like KOI, Team BDS slipped during the summer but are buoyed by their previous performances. They currently hold the highest CP total outside of a split winner. This means that even an eighth-place finish sees them close out with far more points than Vitality (160). It’s hard to see a scenario in which BDS does not make the LEC Finals. It would have to involve the likes of Excel, Fnatic, Heretics, and SK Gaming running the top of the table.

Team Heretics

Jankos of the LEC team Team Heretics
BERLIN, GERMANY – MARCH 11: Marcin Jankowsk “Jankos” competes at the League of Legends EMEA Championship “LEC” at LEC Studio on March 11, 2023 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Gerald Matzka/Getty Images)

Current Total: 30

Like Fnatic, Heretics went from bottom three finishes to one of the best teams in the Summer. Unfortunately, that makes their journey to the LEC Finals incredibly difficult. Heretics must finish at least third to surpass the points total of Team Vitality. However, in the scenario in which Excel finishes third and SK Gaming finishes eighth, a fourth-place finish could be enough to finish sixth. However, it would depend on the rest of the table. In short, Heretics have the exact same win condition as Fnatic does.

Team Vitality

Bo of the LEC team Team Vitality
BERLIN, GERMANY – MARCH 12: Zhou Yang-Bo “Bo” at a backstage portrait session at the second game day at the spring split at the League of Legends EMEA Championship “LEC” at the LEC Studio on March 12, 2023 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Gerald Matzka/Getty Images)

Current Total: 137

Team Vitality may be in the most interesting position of all LEC teams. They are still in contention for a LEC Finals slot, despite finishing 10th in the Summer split. They have concluded their season with 137 points. As you know from this article, that is the baseline I have been using to mark all other teams. In short, Vitality needs as many teams currently below them to have early exits from the playoffs. However, we will once again remind ourselves of essentially what Vitality needs from each team currently trailing them:

  • SK Gaming needs to finish 7th or lower
  • Fnatic needs to finish 4th or lower
  • Team Heretics needs to finish 4th or lower
  • Excel Esports needs to finish 3rd or lower

Now, it is worth mentioning, because we are not painstakingly charting out all 64 (?) possible playoff permutations, there is likely a scenario I have not covered. However, this is the most straightforward way to explain what’s at stake over the next few weeks in the LEC.

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