The 2020 League of Legends World Championship group stage has almost been set, and after the recent group draw, you’re either celebrating or lamenting where your favorite team has been placed.
As always, there is a group made up of some of the best teams in the tournament in what is usually known as the Group of Death. On the other hand, there is also a collection of teams that make up the much more forgiving Group of Life. Most teams hope to get placed in the latter every year.
With four LPL teams heading to Worlds this year, the Group of Death has become a lot more difficult to avoid. Sometimes, however, you can get lucky with your draw.
Group of Death: DWG, JDG, RGE
Sorry Rogue fans, but your team might have just drawn the short straw for the European region by getting placed in Group B. DAMWON Gaming and JD Gaming are two of the strongest competitors at the tournament and are favorites to win the Summoner’s Cup.
DAMWON destroyed the LCK this past summer, finishing in first place with a 16-2 record. They also breezed past DRX to win the 2020 LCK Summer Finals, and have one of the strongest top sides of any team in the world with Nuguri, Canyon, and ShowMaker.
JDG are also one of the toughest teams to face in the group stage. Hailing from the uber-competitive LPL, this team finished with the same record as Top Esports this summer, and even forced them into a hard-fought five-game series for the title.
Although Rogue did finish first in the LEC for the 2020 Summer Split, they were taken down in the playoffs by Fnatic and G2. Their playstyle isn’t as aggressive as JDG or DAMWON, which could spell trouble for their chances at the knockout stage.
Group of Life: G2, SNG, MCX
On the other hand, G2 fans must be celebrating their good luck. Getting placed in a group with the LPL’s third seed and the PCS representative might have been the best possible outcome for Europe’s kings.
G2 might have struggled a bit more than fans were used to this summer, but they returned to form quite quickly for the playoffs. Even though they dropped a series to Fnatic in the upper bracket, they made quick work of MAD Lions and Rogue to reach the finals again.
Although Suning Gaming comes from the LPL, they are a lot less steady than teams like JDG and Top Esports. MCX shouldn’t be too much of a problem for the perennial European champs, which means that they have a pretty good shot at making it out of groups once again this year.