The 2022 LEC Spring Split is set to begin in a matter of days with countless players returning to the league after breakout years. Reflecting back on the previous year, these are the five most improved players from the LEC.
5. WhiteKnight
Astralis has very little in terms of accomplishments since joining the LEC aside from narrowly dodging last place. Its toplaner however quickly rose from the bottom of the rankings to become the team’s primary win condition. With a near playoffs berth in the Summer Split, Astralis would not have been in contention without the aid of its toplaner.
By the end of the Summer Split, WhiteKnight boasted the third highest KDA (3.6) and the highest kill participation (70.1%) among toplaners. With a renovated roster ahead of the 2022, WhiteKnight will need to shine once again to make Astralis a contender.
4. Markoon
The Dutch jungler joined Excel in the later part of the year, though brought a renewed life to the squad. In a relatively short time on the starting roster, Markoon showed clear potential and a high skill ceiling. The active jungler had the highest kill participation (75.3%) on Excel and was among the best early game players on the team. Making the cut to join the starting roster ahead of the 2022 roster, Markoon will get another shot at the LEC.
3. Trymbi
Replacing Vander after the 2021 season, Trymbi had big shoes to fill. The Polish support quickly developed an aggressive playstyle that sought to find the maximum amount of opportunities for his ADC and team. Certainly a voltile player near the start of the split, Trymbi took some time to refine his engage heavy approach.
During the Spring Split, Trymbi found the second highest overall assists (172). Trymbi had a breakout year where he both attended the LEC Finals and qualified for Worlds 2021. With an LEC trophy only one game away from his reach, the support will look to come back stronger in 2022.
2. HiRit
The South Korean toplaner was a new addition to the Misfits roster in 2021, though displayed evident talent from day one. Despite his mechanical potential, HiRit was decisively a ‘middle-of-the-pack’ toplaner in Spring. With a middling KDA (2.9), the third lowest KP (55.5%), and an equally low kill share (18%), HiRit’s best quality appeared to be his laning.
Summer was a completely different story for the young toplaner. HiRit played a critical role in Misfit’s miraculous Summer Split run. HiRit was fully able to display his mechanical prowess as the toplaner heralded the second highest KDA (3.7) and third highest KP (64.7%) and kill share (21.4%). HiRit was far from a known quantity before the start of 2021, but going into the 2022 LEC season he is a clear favorite in the toplane.
1. Vetheo
Another Misfit solo laner, Vetheo had the most growth in the LEC over the course of the year by far. Similar to his toplane teammate, Vetheo ranked near the bottom of midlaners in Spring. Whenever taken off of comfort picks such as Zoe, the French midlaner struggled to keep up with some of the LEC’s best. By the end of the Summer Split regular season however, Vetheo looked like an entirely different player. Among midlaners, Vetheo finished with the highest KDA (5.3), KP (71.8%), kill share (32%). Vetheo showed that an initial poor showing does not represent the entirety of a player’s skill and will enter 2022 as one of the most exciting players to watch.
Also read:
- 5 players to watch in the LEC in 2022
- 5 New players to watch in the LEC
- 5 Most improved players in the LCS in 2021
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