It's Playoff time! The LEC playoffs will kick off on March 25, 2022. When will your favorites play, and what is the fastest way to make it to finals? Let's check it out.
Every League of Legends region seems to have their own system when it comes to playoffs. Not only that, but we know that some regions play Bo3 regular split, while the LEC has switched to a Bo1 format a few years ago. But they also have a completely different playoff format from let's say the LCK. Today, we'll take a look at said playoff format.
As always, we see familiar faces on the left side of the screen with teams like Rogue, Fnatic and G2 making it into playoffs. Though, there is one team that we've never got to see outside a Bo1, and that is Excel, who have finally qualified for playoffs. Here is the complete list of LEC Playoff teams:
- Rogue Gaming
- Fnatic
- Misfits Gaming
- G2 Esports
- Excel Esports
- Team Vitality
What Is The LEC Playoff System?
Okay, our intern had to figure this one out for a solid afternoon before writing the original article, because when you just read about it, it's complicated and slightly confusing. Hopefully, we can break it down, so everyone can understand, and you don't need a master’s degree in event planning to get this.
- The top 6 teams of the regular split will make it into the playoffs. There are two halves to the playoff bracket.
- The top 4 teams will start in the upper bracket of the tournament
- The first place team can choose whether they want to play the fourth or third seeded team
- Fifth and Sixth places teams will be in the lower bracket.
- Each game will be a best-of-5 match
You got this far, right? Good, so now it's time to move onto the next rounds of the playoffs, where things get interesting and complicated if you don't pay attention.
As already mentioned, the first place team after the regular season — in this case Rogue — gets to choose whether to play against the third or fourth seeded team. Rogue selected to take on Misfits, which left Fnatic to play G2 in the first round. But once those games are played, what is going to happen after the first games are played?
- The winning team of Match 1 and the winning team of Match 2 in the upper bracket will meet in Round 2. The winner of this match automatically qualifies for the finals
- Teams that lost in Match 1 and 2 moves down to the lower bracket
- The team which was seeded lower during the regular season will be pitted against the winner of the lower bracket's first match
- The team which seeded higher during the regular season will meet the winner of the previous match
- The team which was seeded lower during the regular season will be pitted against the winner of the lower bracket's first match
- In round 3, there is only one match
- The team which lost in the upper bracket falls to the lower bracket and will take on the winner of the lower bracket run
- The finals will include these teams:
- The winning team of the semifinals in the lower bracket
- The winning team in round 2 of the upper bracket
How Fast or Slow Can the Path to Finals Be?
Okay, the quickest way to the finals is pretty obvious, right? Any of the teams in the upper bracket can make it to finals by merely winning two games in the first two rounds. EZ GG.
Now, if you end up in the lower bracket, you will be taking a long and tedious path to the finals. You get more stage experience, but you'll have to show some of your cards, while the winning team can keep their jokers hidden. You're also much more stressed since a single loss will mean the end of your playoff run.
Where To Watch The 2022 LEC Playoffs
You can watch the playoffs on the official channels of the LEC. We have all the links for you right here:
Make sure to tune in on Match 25, 2022 when the LEC playoffs kick off with their first match. Who are you cheering for to represent the LEC at the 2022 Mid-Season Invitational? G2? Vitality?