LoL: RNG eliminated in LPL Summer playoffs; Top Esports take first LPL spot at Worlds
Royal Never Give Up (RNG), the reigning League of Legends (LoL) Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) champions, have been eliminated from China's LoL Pro League (LPL) Summer Playoffs after losing 3-1 to reigning LoL world champions Edward Gaming in the LPL quarterfinals.
Despite being the current champions of two of the most prestigious titles in LoL Esports, RNG and EDG placed only fourth and fifth in the LPL Summer regular season.
This gave EDG and RNG the opportunity to face off in the elimination match of the LPL Summer Playoffs quarterfinals after EDG eliminated another LPL powerhouse and former Worlds champion, FunPlus Phoenix (FPX), from the competition.
EDG ultimately proved that their world title might be worth a bit more. The 2021 Worlds champions won the best-of-five series against RNG 3-1, effectively eliminating the reigning MSI champions from the LPL Summer Playoffs.
Meanwhile, Top Esports have become the first LPL team to qualify for Worlds, ending with the highest championship points in the LPL throughout the Summer at150 points.
With that win, @TOP_Esports_ have been the first team from #LPL to qualify for Worlds! Don't ever count these guys out! pic.twitter.com/JZp3HvzB6H
— LPL (@lplenglish) August 22, 2022
However, EDG's LPL title hopes remain alive. While they lost 3-2 to Top Esports in the upper bracket semis, EDG have dropped to the lower bracket and will face LNG Esports in the lower bracket semi-finals. The winner of that match will face the loser of the match between Top Esports and JD Gaming.
Finally, the winner of the lower bracket final will go against the winner of the upper bracket final in the LPL Summer Playoffs Grand Final.
Big day for @JDGaming as come up victorious in convincing fashion!
We have a small break until our next match on the 25th at 11:00 CEST when @EDG_Edward and @LNG_Esports battle it out for survival! #LPL pic.twitter.com/ylfOhmy1Il— LPL (@lplenglish) August 23, 2022
If EDG win the championship, they will be the LPL's first seed at Worlds. However, if the 2021 LoL World Champions fail to win the LPL title, they will have to compete in the LPL Regional Finals, which RNG will be a part of.
RNG still have a chance to make it at Worlds after ending in 5th-6th place in the LPL Playoffs.
The reigning MSI champions have 130 championship points (almost half of EDG’s running score), guaranteeing them upper bracket in the regional finals (Worlds qualifier).
In the LPL regional finals, the top four teams with the highest championship points (minus the LPL Summer Champions and Top Esports, the LPL team with the championship points) will play a double-elimination best-of-five series. Teams will be seeded according to how many championship points they have.
The winner of the upper bracket qualifies as LPL’s third seed into the Group Stage of Worlds 2022. The lower bracket winner will be LPL’s fourth seed and part of the Play-ins stage at Worlds.
Which teams do you think will make it into Worlds?
Will we see both reigning champions into this year's LoL World Championship, or will other teams overtake them? We've yet to find out in the coming weeks.
Anna is a freelance writer and photographer. She is a gamer who loves RPGs and platformers, and is a League of Legends geek. She's also a food enthusiast who loves a good cup of black coffee.
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