LEC Playoffs Power Ranking – G2 Esports to be dethroned?

The LEC 2020 Summer split ended with two new teams on top. After 3 dominant splits from G2 Esports, will Europe crown a new king? Let us break down all the teams in the LEC and rank them as we enter the playoffs!
1. Rogue

A roster consisting of many young and talented players guided by veteran support player Vander. The expectations for this roster were high and a top 4 finish was all but written in the stars. Their dominant form went under the radar however, even though they were a top 2 team the whole split. It wasn’t until they beat MAD Lions on the last day of the regular split, that everyone regarded them as the number one team. Winning an LEC split is a first for every player on the roster and a well earned one, especially for Hans Sama and Vander. But all eyes are on Larssen, whose performances on carry champions has everyone excited about EU mids.

2. MAD Lions

The team that is regarded as a true “rookie” team. They already made a strong appearance in the Spring playoffs when they beat G2 Esports in the first round. Their ability to draft whatever due to their flexibility and creativity, makes them a fierce team during draft. Combine that with their individual skill, creative strategies, and adaptability, and you have a powerhouse of a team. MAD fills the hole that G2 Esports currently left us with. Their likeable personalities and coaching staff makes cheering for them even more easy.

3. G2 Esports

Who doesn’t know G2 Esports by this point? The pride of European League of Legends, MSI 2019 Champions and Worlds 2019 finalists. Unfortunately, they haven’t been able to show a dominant form for the latter half of the year. We saw glimpses of what they once were, but also stomps where they were on the receiving end. Although they’ve been picking it back up towards the end of the split, it feels like the pressure of playing on the highest level and the global pandemic also had its toll on the players. It would not be a surprise if they came into the playoffs and stomped all the other teams, but they could very well be eliminated before reaching the finals.

Behind the top three teams there is a slight gap. Rogue, MAD and G2 Esports are the undeniable top three in Europe right now. Although their rank could change after playoffs, it’s most likely we will see these teams represent us at Worlds 2020. Since Europe can send a fourth team, a lot is still on the line for the other teams. Will we see the Schalke04 miracle run continue or will we see the return of Fnatic after arguably one of their worst splits in recent history?

4. Schalke 04

What? Schalke 04 ranked higher than Fnatic? Precisely. This team went from dead in the water to making playoffs with just one roster change in God Gilius. But let’s be honest, it’s not just Gilius who is performing in this roster. We can, however, say that everything clicked when he got called in. Abbedagge and Neon have been showing great performances as well with the first one being called Abbefaker. Together with the experience from Odoamne and strong laning phase and team fighting from Dreams, this team could upset even more matches in the playoffs.

5. SK Gaming

Even though they experimented with Jenax swapping from midlane to toplane, it has been Zazee who surprised everyone. His strong performances in the midlane showed us that SK Gaming can be more than just Crownshot who has to carry. This refreshing style secured SK a playoffs spot and a fighting chance to go to Worlds 2020. Their biggest liability is their inability to create early game leads and transition them well into the mid game to close out games early. But this is something that can be worked on and it will be exciting to see what form SK Gaming will be in for the playoffs.

6. Fnatic

We already made many references to the current form of Fnatic and we still have a lot to discuss. Fnatic are not a good team right now and it hurts. Once kings of Europe, the first world champions in the history of League of Legends and the first European team to go 5 games against Korea in a best of 5, is not having a great time. We already talked about this in another article, but Fnatic clearly has some issues. It feels like all lanes are disconnected from each other. Where a team can be praised for having a good 2v2 mid-jungle duo, or a nice jungle-support roaming squad, Fnatic does not have any of that. If they win, it’s because individual strong performances or because a game goes late and Rekkles carries on a late game carry in a teamfighting composition.

It’s not unlikely that Fnatic will step up their game for the playoffs, as this is where they usually shine. It is however likely that this is the last year this line up stays together. It feels inevitable that roster changes are needed to freshen things up. Their experience and individual talent always gives them a big advantage and shot at a worlds spot. For Fnatic fans these coming weeks will be very nerve racking, but all worth it if they make it to the finals once again.

Needless to say we are close to crowning another team King of Europe besides G2 Esports or Fnatic. The last time (not counting 2017) another team won was when Alliance did it back in 2014. It will be very exciting to follow all the action, starting August 21st with SK Gaming taking on Schalke04!

Who do you think will pull out ahead in the playoffs? Join the discussion on Social Media or our Discord! 

You can also help improve the website by sharing your feedback directly!

Image Credit: Rogue (Twitter)
*The listed articles are provided through affiliate links. A purchase after clicking through them supports us at esports.com as we will receive a small commission without additional cost to you.