Espo’s Expert Guide to Worlds 2020
Our in-house team of League of Legends experts breakdown one of the biggest events on the esports calendar taking place in Shanghai this month. Worlds is the pinnacle for any League pro-player (and fan for that matter!) and here’s everything you need to know and what you can expect from this year’s championship, in undeniably unprecedented circumstances.
After a pretty wild year, the 10th anniversary of the League of Legends World Championship has finally arrived! With the play-in stage having reached its conclusion, the groups for the main event have finally been decided. As the group stage quickly approaches, we here at Espo have decided to provide you with some insights on what to expect during League of Legends’ most exciting tournament.
What to expect?
Ever since the onslaught of COVID-19, 2020 has proven to be one of the most unique years of the 21stcentury. Regardless of the issues associated with the pandemic, Riot Games still managed to successfully organize the 2020 League of Legends World Championship, something that both fans and critics alike were uncertain would happen. In order to accomplish this, Riot implemented a single-city bubble format in which all 24 teams were required to quarantine in the same hotel and where they compete in a centralized location in Shanghai. However, not all teams were able to make it, with the representatives from Vietnam being absent this year.
Going into Worlds every year there is always the East vs West narrative. Although teams from the LPL and LCK are usually expected to outclass their opponents from the LCS and LEC, it seems like this year in particular has seen the gap narrow between the four regions. Based on recent showings, we have seen North American and European teams take steps towards matching the skill level of those representing China and Korea. Additionally, after the conclusion of the play-ins stage, teams from the wildcard regions appear more competitive than usual, with teams such as CIS representatives Unicorns of Love pulling out creative drafts and showcasing effective objective control. With all of this in mind, the main event for this year’s World Championship could prove to be one of the most competitive in League of Legends history. It certainly has seen fans be more divisive in their opinions regarding the tournament’s final outcome, and even within our staff it was difficult to reach a unanimous consensus of who we think will walk away with the Summoner’s Cup.
Who do we expect to see in the final?
TES vs. DWG
The favorites from the LPL and LCK are aiming to be unstoppable forces. Top Esports are the strongest team coming from the LPL, the most competitive league in LoL esports, and are led by Knight, arguably the best player in the world. On the other hand, Damwon Gaming proved in the LCK summer split that they are miles ahead of their competitors in what some consider to be the second-best league in the world.
Joshua Simosa — Head of League of Legends
G2 vs. JDG
Coming out of China, my first pick to make it to finals is the second seeded LPL representatives, JD Gaming. The Chinese based organization made a very convincing showing in the LPL finals against fan favorites Top Esports, bringing them to a five-game series. Being placed in Group B along with DAMWON Gaming and Rogue Esports, JD Gaming have a great chance of making it out of the group stage along with the 2020 LCK Champions. With Kanavi leading the charge in Jungle, JD Gaming makes a very convincing argument to take it all. On the adjacent side of Group B, we have one of the most historic and legendary organizations in all of the League of Legends slotted in Group A. My other pick to make finals this year is G2 Esports. Despite winning the 2020 LEC summer split G2 Esports has experienced their fair share of hardships. In the end, I still believe that G2 has the ability to once again make it to the Grand Finals with their versatile play.
Branson Chan — Title Specialist: League of Legends
TES vs. G2
China certainly has a history of being particularly strong at League of Legends, and this year has proven to be no exception. The LPL has seen a particularly dramatic shake up, with former champions Invictus Gaming and FunPlus Phoenix falling at the hands of a dominant looking Top Esports. Knight certainly has proven himself to be one of League’s best mid laners, but is he a match for Caps, the man who solo carried G2 throughout a shaky summer split? Clearly frontrunners, G2 have dominated the LEC, and despite a slightly rocky summer performance seemed to activate a finals buff that really should strike fear into the hearts of China’s elite. Europe are coming, and they’re here to win.
Lauren Bergin— PR & Communications Associate
TES vs. G2
TES has been very consistent this year. They have won two of the most recent competitions in the LPL, the LPL Summer Split and the LPL Summer playoffs. Being in group D with DRX, FLY, and UOL, TES can easily make it out of group stage. Their mid laner Knight is one of the best players in the LPL this year. Other members are very talented as well, including former world champion JackeyLove and Worlds veteran Karsa. On the other hand, G2, despite a little inconsistency in the LEC Summer Split this year, finished strong and won the LEC Summer Playoffs. The team has experience playing in Worlds. As long as they continue the performance they showed in the Summer playoffs, G2 will be a huge threat to the other teams in the tournament.
Leo Li—Title Specialist: League of Legends
Who will be crowned Champion?
TES
The number one seed in the LPL is the best team in the world. TES have shown their dominance by reaching second place in the 2020 LPL Spring Split and winning the 2020 MSC tournament and the 2020 LPL Summer Split. With the carries of Knight and former world champion JackeyLove, they are surely going into the tournament as the most feared team. JS
G2
My overall winner for Worlds 2020 is G2 Esports. I believe that it is about time that G2 Esports lifts up that Worlds trophy. Last year G2 Esports fell to FunPlus Phoenix in the Grands Finals after getting swept 3 games to 0 by the 2019 LPL Champions. Even though this year hasn’t been kind to the 8-time LEC champions and the reigning MSI victors, I believe G2 Esports has had enough time and experience with their star-studded roster to finally win a World Championship. As we all know on a bad day G2 Esports can look like the worst team at the tournament, but on their best day they may very well outclass every single team at worlds. Only time will tell which version of G2 we will get. BC
G2
I believe that G2 truly have the potential to go ahead and win it all this year. Last year’s 3–0 against FunPlus Phoenix certainly shook Europe’s champions, but I think it’s made their thirst for victory that much stronger. When G2 play they play to win, proven by their clean sweep of Fnatic during the LEC Summer Split finals. The samurai are back, and this time they’re looking for blood as well as the Summoner’s Cup. LB
TES
TES is my pick for overall winner, despite this being their first appearance at Worlds. TES has shown in both MSC and LPL that they are organized, they make minimal mistakes, and they are fearless. The chemistry and play style of TES are mature enough for them to face any strong opponents. LL
Who will be Worlds 2020 MVP?
Knight (Top Esports)
Get EspoWorld’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
Arguably the best player in the world, Knight has showcased that he is an unstoppable force in 2020. He concluded the 2020 LPL Summer Split with a 7.2 KDA, a total of 211 kills, and a total of 22 solo kills, ranking first across the league in all of these measurements. Furthermore, having played 18 different champions across the summer split, he has proven the diversity of his champion pool. There is no denying that Knight will be the most feared player in the tournament. JS
Caps (G2 Esports)
Claps or Craps? We never quite know which one we’re going to get. Caps is arguably the most crucial piece of the G2 Esports puzzle. The former Fnatic mid laner is so mechanically gifted that he has even been dubbed the “baby Faker”. Being a five-time EU all-pro first team mid laner, Caps is known for his carry performances but sometimes inconsistent play. If Caps performs at his peak, there’s no doubt that he can lead G2 Esports to their first Worlds victory all the while being crowned the Worlds 2020 Tournament MVP. BC
Caps (G2 Esports)
The MVP of the LEC Summer Split, Caps proves himself again and again to be an amazing League player. This award was hardly undeserved, as Caps’ performances on LeBlanc were so explosive that they really became the backbone of G2’s play. If his performance continues to skyrocket, there’s no doubt that he’ll lead G2 to Worlds domination! LB
JackeyLove (Top Esports)
In a patch where it is difficult to excel in the ADC position, JackeyLove is able to provide a lot of damage output for the team. Also, with his superb reflexes and concentration in the game, he can put forth a very high-quality performance. He has performed really well in the LPL Summer Split and Playoffs. LL
Ones to watch…
Huanfeng (Suning)
Suning’s best player, Huanfeng, has been on the rise in 2020, his first year in the LPL. He carried his team to victory several times throughout the 2020 LPL splits, boasting eight MVP awards in the spring and seven in the summer. In Group A he will be up against G2’s Perkz and Team Liquid’s Tactical, arguably some of the best ADCs in the tournament. However, I expect that Huanfeng will establish himself as a top tier player as he carries Suning to qualify for the knockout stage. JS
Tactical (Team Liquid)
Team Liquid’s Tactical has been on a rampage ever since the start of the LCS 2020 Summer Split. After parting ways with veteran and fan favorite ADC Doublelift, Team Liquid promptly promoted Tactical to the starting ADC spot. Ever since then he’s helped Team Liquid achieve the best record in the LCS 2020 Summer Split, made it onto the LCS All-pro Second Team, and even won the Rookie of the Year. We’ve even seen glimpses of his carry performances already in the play-ins stage. With superstar support CoreJJ feeding him kills in the bottom lane, there’s no doubt that Tactical is capable of putting on a great performance at his very first Worlds tournament. BC
Tactical (Team Liquid)
It certainly shook the North American League of Legends scene when Team Liquid decided to substitute out Doublelift, the literal face of Team Liquid’s League of Legends team, for a relatively unknown rookie. However, many believe that Tactical is somewhat of an upgrade to Doublelift; a notion cemented by a spectacular play-ins run. Partnered with veteran support CoreJJ and a team of powerful personalities, Tactical is in a prime position to end North America’s rather pitiful Worlds record. LB
Larssen (Rogue)
He is young and has already become the core of Rogue. Having a team-fight focused playstyle, he loves to pick late game champions in the mid lane and burst in the late game. Rogue as a team depends a lot on late game team fights, which Larssen is good at. LL
Worlds is a pressure situation, but for who?
TSM
Going into worlds as the #1 seeded North American team and the 2020 LCS Summer Split Champions, there’s a lot of pressure surrounding TSM to perform well. In recent memory, North American teams are notorious for doing poorly at Worlds, with the exception of Cloud 9 advancing to the semi-finals in 2018. As arguably the best representation of League of Legends that North America currently has to offer, TSM has a lot to prove especially since they’re slotted in Group C with European powerhouses, Fnatic, and the ever so meticulous Korean team, Gen.G. With all the hopes of North Americans riding on TSM’s back, each individual member has to perform at their absolute best to advance further into the competition.
DAMWON Gaming
With back to back LCK Championship wins, it has been 2 consecutive years since a Korean team has even made it to the grand finals. Known for their precise and methodical play style, fans all around the world have always respected Korea as the best League of Legends region in the world. Lately however, this hasn’t been the case. While other regions such as Europe and China have come to develop and innovate upon their existing playstyles, Korea has mostly remained stagnant. Because of this, there has been a major shift in opinion on which region produces the best teams in League of Legends esports. As the #1 representative in Korea DAMWON Gaming looks to once again change the tides and show Korean fans that they’re still the best region. As serious contenders for the Worlds 2020 Championship, DAMWON Gaming look to start the group stage off with a strong performance.
Chovy
But it isn’t just the teams that are under pressure, it’s certain players too. Chovy is the player that we identify as our pressure player due to his age and his role on DRX as the main carry. At only 19 years of age Chovy is the star carry for the LCK squad. After joining a once struggling DRX team, Chovy has really come into his own and helped DRX achieve second place in the LCK 2020 Summer Split. Regarded as a young prodigy by the South Korean fans, Chovy is often considered to be one of the best mid laners in the LCK despite the region being dominated by players like BDD, Showmaker and Faker.
Dear Worlds, GLHF
Despite World looking very different this year, it still reigns as the king of esports tournaments. Set against the beautiful background of the Shanghai riverfront (or ‘Bund’), Worlds 2020 is a tournament unlike any other. Will our predictions be correct? Will TSM and DAMWON manage to step up? Is Chovy really the next Faker? Only time will tell. We’re excited to watch teams from around the world play some amazing League of Legends, creating memories that will last a lifetime. So GLHF, and let’s get ready to go!
