Who is Who in China's Big Off-Season Tournament
The Demacia Cup Nears Playoffs
Who is who in the biggest off-season LoL tournament in the world - the Demacia Cup.
For pro League of Legends watchers, December is generally not the most exciting month in the calendar. While previous years also had a KeSPA Cup for the LCK fans, this year we will have to do without one as well However, there is one major tournament for the diehard LoL aficionados and the LPL fans - the Demacia Cup, the two-week event that brings together the best teams in China. Here is what the pros and best amateur teams of that region have been up to.
The Demacia Cup this year takes place over three stages. The first one features sixteen teams - the five independent teams of the LDL, China’s second division, seven streamer teams, two academy teams, one caster team and one collegiate team. Due to the tournament’s breakneck pace, these teams played using the Swiss system instead of the Round Robin system usually featured in League of Legends pro play, and each team only plays four or five games. The top three teams - streamer teams DYU and Hula MOJ and LDL team MAX - proceeded to the second round, where they faced the 13 LPL teams that did not make Worlds.
In the second stage, sixteen remaining teams were seeded in eight direct elimination matches, switching to a best of three format with an added twist - the first game in a series is a blind pick.This stage is a direct elimination event, with two rounds of Bo3s electing the four teams that would join the LPL’s four Worlds contestants in the playoffs.
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The first round was played on Sunday and Monday and it already gave us some surprises. We saw World Elite, by far the weakest team of the 2022 Summer Split, go 2-0 against LNG Esports. Meanwhile, Victory 5, a team that ended in third place last split and came close to reaching Worlds in the playoffs, was eliminated by ThunderTalk Gaming, a team that was previously firmly in the lower half of the table.
Unfortunately, several teams had to bow out for a different reason altogether - with multiple players and staff members contracting COVID-19. LGD Gaming, Weibo Gaming and Ultra Prime all had to forfeit their games in the first round, while Rare Atom will not be able to attend the second round. Curiously enough, this has resulted in the streamer team of Huya MOJ advancing to the second round, where they will play FPX.
The top 8 remaining teams will now face off in three Bo3 matches to decide who will proceed to the quarterfinals - Anyone’s Legend has already secured their spot because of Rare Atom forfeiting. While we are most hyped for Bilibili Gaming taking on ThunderTalk Gaming, all three series will be worth watching - the resurgent World Elite could end up surprising Invictus Gaming, and while FunPlus Phoenix are big favorites against Huya MOJ, nothing is yet settled in stone.
The Demacia Cup continues on Tuesday with the second round of Stage Two, which will start from 7 AM CET. You can watch the tournament on the following streams:
Read More:
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- Demacia Cup 2022: Livestream, Teams, Schedule & More
Do you expect any further surprises in the Demacia Cup? Who are your favorites to win the trophy? Let us know on our Facebook page!