First up, NORTH AMERICA
Counter Logic Gaming (CLG)
Counter Logic Gaming (CLG)
Background
Winners of the North American League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) summer playoffs. After a convincing 3-0 victory over Team Solo Mid, CLG will be matched in their group with Taiwanese team Yoe Flash Wolves, Korean team KOO Tigers, and Brazilian team paIN Gaming.
This is only the second appearance for CLG at the Riot Games LoL World Championships (they finished 9/10th place at the 2012 Riot Games World Championships), despite being one of the oldest and most popular teams in competitive League of Legends.
Prediction
CLG should be competitive, but will come in to their group an underdog. In all likelihood, only to the Yoe Flash Wolves, but with the visa problems Xmithie has had and the fact that CLG will be using a new jungler for Worlds, things could get much more interesting and CLG will be tested early and often.
Can CLG get the world class play from Doublelift that is expected of him? Can ZionSpartan make enough plays to keep CLG relevant at worlds? These are the questions that need to be answered quickly if CLG wants to move past the group stage.
Cloud 9 (C9)
Background
Despite roster changes, which included the retirement of Hai, with Incarnati0n moving into his spot in mid lane, and the benching of Meteos, with Hai coming back to take over his job in the jungle, C9 still did just enough to ensure their third trip to the LoL World Championships.
Cloud 9 was on the brink of becoming obsolete during the NA summer split, but came back to beat Gravity Gaming, Team Impulse, and Team Liquid during the Regional Qualifiers to earn their spot at worlds.
This will be C9’s third trip to the LoL World Championships, having placed eighth in their two previous trips after losses to Fnatic and Samsung Blue in 2014.
Prediction
C9 will likely be an underdog in every game they play within their group. They host teams such as Taiwanese team AHQ E-Sports Club, Europe’s Fnatic, and Chinese team Invictus Gaming, but have been resilient so far this season and have showed that they can play from behind and still be competitive.
Hai will have to be a disruptive force out of the jungle and Balls will need to show improved play if C9 expects to compete.
Team Solo Mid (TSM)
Background
Like CLG, Team Solo Mid is one of the oldest, most popular, and most successful teams in competitive League of Legends. They have participated in the LoL World Championships in every season and have won or placed high in many major tournaments dating back to 2011, when the team was formed for the purpose of competing in the Riot Season 1 World Championships.
TSM’s group includes the Chinese team LGD Gaming, Korean team KT Rolster, and European team Origen. TSM will enter the group stage as a likely underdog to LGD and KT Rolster, after placing fifth in the summer split of the NA LCS.
Prediction
Despite their fifth place finish and a tough group draw, TSM has stability in their lineup and when they are playing well, can compete with just about anyone in the world, as evidenced by their being the only team to take a game off of 2014 World Champions Samsung White during the group stages of last season’s World Championships.
The entire team is experienced and there are play makers all over the map for TSM, but they need to be much more consistent to compete with teams like LGD and especially with the likes of KT Rolster, who finished second only to Faker’s SKT T1 in the LCK 2015 summer split.
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