LEC Spring Split 2022 playoff finals roundtable

Playoffs are happening all around the different League of Legends regions. The LEC has been one of, if not the most exciting region to watch so far. With two series remaining in the playoff finals, the LEC could crown new champions in Rogue, having another organization hold the title for a split. Fans could also see a repeat of what we have always seen, either G2 Esports or Fnatic at the top. With such exciting series remaining, some of Upcomer’s European League of Legends enjoyers gathered together to sound off on who they think will take each remaining series, and the LEC title.

Semifinal Spotlight: @FNATIC

Can Fnatic bounce back against their rivals G2 and book their tickets to the #LEC Spring Final? pic.twitter.com/qQx06c1DCh

— LEC (@LEC) April 7, 2022

Who do you think will win out of G2 and Fnatic?

Kenny Utama: I think Fnatic will take this 3-2. To be clear, this is my heart speaking; my brain says that the momentum G2 have from the last two series should lead them to victory. In order for Fnatic to win this series, it will require Zdravets “Hyllisang” Iliev Galabov and Elias “Upset” Lipp to prove that they really are the best bot lane in the LEC and punish G2’s bot lane, especially if G2 commit jungle resources to the topside like they usually do. No matter what, I think this series goes all 5 games.

Prediction: 3-2 Fnatic

E.G Kant: Fnatic and G2 always have had their eras of dominance, where usually one team reigns supreme over the other indefinitely for a span of time. For 2022, no one knows yet which way it will unfold since the G2 superteam project failed to achieve any significant success last year. However, since this desk has predicted Fnatic, I will go with G2. I believe in playoffs momentum, especially in a best-of series, and G2 has got a ton of it right now. It will be close, but I think if G2 display the same form they have so far, they can clutch it out.

Prediction: 3-2 G2

Aykut “Kots” Sapaz: One of my earliest memories of esports is watching LEC for the first couple of times. Even when I was a newcomer, not fully knowledgable about the history and players, I felt what everyone who is an LEC fan feels when Fnatic vs G2 happens. It still feels nearly the same now, but this time Fnatic have the upper hand instead of G2. I still think they will win at least one match, maybe even two. But realistically Fnatic are just better at this point, from their top to support, from their tactics to execution.

Prediction: 3-1 Fnatic

Who will win the LEC Spring Split 2022?

Utama: This seems like Rogue’s year to win it all, and most importantly, give Andrei “Odoamne” Pascu his first LEC championship. Despite analysts saying that Rogue’s style of play is exploitable, nobody has been able to figure them out yet. Rogue’s chances of winning are entirely dependent on if the enemy team can come up with a game plan to stop Kim “Malrang” Geun-seong’s aggressive early game style. Whether G2 or Fnatic move forward, Odoamne deserves one this year.

Prediction – Rogue

Kant: If I go by my prediction previously, I would have to say G2 win it all. However, I do believe Rogue have found a way to make things work despite the tough three weeks of practice they’ve had. They hardly were tested against Misfits but came out with their first ever reverse sweep against Fnatic. Yes, I think potentially, G2 and Fnatic too can execute different styles better and are more flexible than Rogue, but if all goes to plan, Rogue can come in with one very sharp sword to destroy two flawed weapons. I do think Rogue is the hardest team to sell as an LEC victor, but they might very well prove everyone wrong all the way to the Mid-Season Invitational 2022.

Prediction – Rogue

Kots: I want to start off with saying that the Rogue roster of this split has had the best chance of lifting the trophy in organization history. However, even in this state, I believe Fnatic have a better chance to bring it home and return to the wall for the first time since 2018. With their three new additions and retained bot lane of Hyllisang and Upset, they are playing to win it all and they just might for the first time in four years.

Prediction – Fnatic

Who is your predicted LEC playoffs finals MVP

Utama: If Rogue were to win the LEC, it would stand on the shoulders of Malrang above all. Even in their previous series against Misfits and Fnatic, it was Malrang who dictated the flow of the early game, stabilizing lanes, matching ganks and finding angles where there don’t seem to be any.

Kant: If it’s Rogue, I will stand by mid laner Emil “Larssen” Larsson as one who can take the MVP. While Malrang has no doubt been the engine that drives Rogue forward, Larssen provides everything else. While he has always been in the conversation for best mid-laner, I do think he tends to be overlooked as the best of the best. If his regular season and the two playoffs series that he had are not an indicator of his monstrous performances so far, I don’t know what can be.

Kots: Last summer, Rogue finished the regular split in 1first place and their jungler Kacper “Inspired” Słoma won the MVP because besides being one of the top three junglers in the league, he was the key to Rogue’s successes and core to their game plan. Many people thought Rogue would crumple and have to rebuild a roster once he left to join Evil Geniuses. People aren’t thinking that anymore, and the main reason is Malrang, Inspired’s successor. Rogue may win or lose this split, we’ll see that in the upcoming weeks, but one thing is for sure: If it wasn’t for Malrang, they wouldn’t have gotten this far.