The final weekend of the 2022 LCS Summer Split is finally upon us, League of Legends fans. After eight long weeks of Baron steals, failed flashes, and the occasional Zeri pentakill, North American fans have hit the last three days of regular season play before the playoff begins.
But even though the playoff teams are almost all decided, there are still storylines that should keep your eyes glued to the screen when the games begin on Friday. The faith of a loyal fanbase could be realized, a former LCS dynasty now hopes for a miracle, and a handful of kings are ready to scramble for the number one spot.
Whether you’re rooting for underdogs or joining a bandwagon, the LCS has everything and more when the final superweek of the year starts. Here are the best storylines to follow heading into the three days of competition.
Dreaming of a top-three finish
Over the course of the last six seasons, Counter Logic Gaming has continuously finished as a bottom three team in the LCS, sending fans’ stocks in the org plummeting straight into dirt. After three years of mediocrity, their fanbase had grown tired of constant failure, and as a result, the org made sweeping changes for 2022, replacing its entire coaching staff and starting lineup.
The changes brought on a necessary reboot for one of the LCS’ mainstays, but after a Spring Split of experimentation, the team has finally found its stride and has begun to sprint faster than we’ve seen before.
For example, AD carry prospect Luger is having a great rookie year, while experienced mid laner Palafox is resurgent following his lackluster debut with FlyQuest.
Top laner Dhokla has quickly established himself as a fan favorite with LCS viewers, while Contractz Poome have held down the fort with decent performances in the jungle and support positions. CLG has the opportunity to end a season as a top three team in the league for the first time since 2019, and it’s all thanks to their dedication to the growing youth movement in the region.
They’ll need to take down TSM, 100 Thieves, and Immortals to make their case as one of the best in NA. Luckily, they have the momentum of their five-game winning streak.
A most unlikely miracle run
At the other end, a former king stands in the remains of a once-great dynasty. TSM fans haven’t seen the bright lights at the top of the mountain for some time now, and after suffering the org’s worst LCS finish during the 2022 Spring Split, the team is sitting on the cusp of missing the playoffs again.
Following a plethora of roster changes and plenty of drama behind the scenes, TSM is sitting in seventh place with a disappointing 5-10 record. With so many different players coming through the revolving door of their starting lineup, in-game synergy was hard to build on as the season continued.
The majority of LCS teams rode forward, while TSM spun their wheels in place.
It feels like we might be witnessing another end of an era for TSM. Their star jungler Spica said in an interview with Dot Esports that he wants to “play as well as [he] can, show everyone [he’s] really fucking good, and then just see what happens from there,” especially because he’ll be a free agent at the end of the year. If he decides to leave, that will mean the org has lost five stars—Spica, Bjergsen, Doublelift, Huni, and Broken Blade—over a short two years.
The only thing that could convince Spica to stay is a miracle run for the ages. There are eight playoff spots available in the LCS, which is great for TSM’s chances to shock the world. The first challenge? Taking down three tough opponents in Cloud9, CLG, and a streaky FlyQuest to ensure they make it into the postseason in the first place.
Clash of titans
Finally, this weekend will feature some of the biggest matches of the season with 100 Thieves taking on CLG to see who belongs in the top two on Saturday, while Team Liquid collides with the Thieves the following Sunday night. The race for the crown is heating up to a rolling boil, and the waves are finally crashing together for an exciting conclusion to the summer.
100 Thieves and Evil Geniuses might be deadlocked for first place, but they need to stay cognizant of CLG and Liquid, who are both only two games back for the top spot in the league. EG and CLG’s explosive youth movement, 100 Thieves championship roster, and Liquid’s star-studded superteam will come to a head in this final weekend, and you won’t want to miss the fireworks when they begin.
