The LoL Worlds is one of the biggest tournaments in the world of esports. It’s certainly the biggest tournament on the League of Legends calendar. Every year there are shocks in store, especially as just a single mistake can completely open up a game.
We’ve taken a look at who is likely to cause some of the biggest upsets at this year’s Worlds, and no, we’re not talking about Upset from Fnatic!
The favorites
Before looking into any potential upsets, we should have a quick look at the favorites. Just seeing the different teams that are included in the world shows that there is a lot of range in terms of quality.
Even the esports odds show that sportsbooks are not too sure about which team is likely to ascend to the title. However, based on past performances in the Worlds and other tournaments, we have an idea of who we think are the current favorites. Our pick at the moment is Gen.G – the aggression combined with tactics that this team has shown means that we think they should be able to make at least the quarter-finals and have the opportunity to make it all the way to the top.
Gen.G
Gen.G put on a very strong performance at the Worlds last time out. Having hit the quarter-finals, it will be no surprise to see them make it at least that far again. Of course, Gen.G have already beaten MAD Lions twice in the group stages, meaning that Europe will be less likely to achieve success in LoL like it did with DOTA 2.
With MAD Lions being one of the pre-tournament favorites, with some outlets believing that they would make at least the quarters, it came as a big shock to see Gen.G beat them twice, which has increased the hype around the Gen.G team.
This is a good sign for the team from South Korea, with many now expecting them to go far into the knockout rounds. In fact, in the eyes of some people, this could even put Gen.G above DWG KIA as the favorites from Korea to go far. While it wouldn’t be a huge upset to see Gen.G go on to win the LoL Worlds, it would still be a surprise to see the second seed come out as world champions.
MAD Lions
It might seem like a shock to see us covering them, especially as they lost twice to Gen.G in the group stages and now have to play DWG KIA in the knockout rounds. However, this is exactly why we are covering them. The beauty of LoL is that in any game, one team can beat another.
It’s what makes it such a watchable spectacle. So, even though DWG KIA is seen as a stronger team than Gen.G, especially as DWG is the first seed for Korea and Gen.G is the second seed, MAD Lions could create an upset and go through to the next round by beating DWG.
The main reason for this is that MAD Lions are an aggressive team. They always look to go on the front foot and attack when possible. This is what makes them such a dangerous team to come up against. This aggressive nature combined with pragmatism at the right time is what gives MAD Lions the ability to beat DWG KIA if the opportunity presents itself. While it’s certainly not a guarantee that this will happen, the wonder of tournament esports is that an upset is always potentially on the cards.
Going on from here, if MAD Lions do manage to get the win, it’s likely that they will have to face Gen.G again in a later round. Many would expect them to lose this matchup also, but as many often say, you learn more from a loss than from a win.
The fact that Gen.G beat MAD Lions twice in the group stages means two things. Firstly, MAD Lions will have carefully analyzed these defeats to look for any weakness that they can address. Secondly, Gen.G might go into the game a little bit overconfident. This could create some opportunities for MAD Lions to take advantage and address their losses in the group stage. It might be asking a lot for this to take place, but MAD Lions certainly have the ability to cause an upset. It would also add some extra excitement to the tournament and really make it one to remember.
Image Credits: DotEsports.com
