Will Rogue or Fnatic dethrone G2 Esports?
Our predictions for the LEC Finals
After narrowly making the cut, Fnatic has taken out several challengers through the lower bracket, while G2 Esports lost only a single game in their way to the final. This weekend, we expect the LEC 2022 Spring champions to defend their title.
It is time to get our beer or popcorn ready - the LEC Summer Finals are about to start! The three teams that survived the gauntlet earned their spots with eight weeks of play (plus a few tiebreakers in the end) and two weeks of playoff Best of Five series. Out of the six teams that were seeded in the playoff, only three remain. G2 Esports are the big favorite and the spring champion here to defend their throne and their reputation as the LEC's most successful team. Rogue are out to prove they can finally step up and take the title. Fnatic, meanwhile, fight to show their poor regular season was just a fluke and after making some impressive signings last winter they can win it all with this roster. However, only one team will lift the LEC cup. Who will it be?
Match One: Rogue vs Fnatic
This is one where I am tempted to go full on for Fnatic. Despite barely scraping to get in the playoffs and a first round where they were seconds away from being swept 3-0 by Excel Esports, they rallied to win that series and then lose only one game in a week where they had to play Misfits Gaming and MAD Lions. Rogue, meanwhile, started strong against MAD, but then floundered in the mid-game against G2 Esports.
During the season, the two teams had a 1-1 record against each other. While Rogue amassed more victories overall, the second week of playoffs makes me think Fnatic may be the stronger team on Saturday. While they had some errors in drafting or execution, Fnatic finally showed some improvements fans had long waited to see, such as better jungle/mid coordination - in fact, jungler Iván "Razork" Martín Díaz was the MVP of their last two series. Rogue probably a higher caliber of players than Misfits or MAD Lions, but if it plays well, Fnatic's star-studded roster should do quite well. I expect this series to be contested, but probably end on a 3-2 for Fnatic.
Match Two: G2 Esports vs ???
After a rollercoaster performance in the Mid-Season Invitational, G2 Esports had a somewhat up and down performance in the summer split - but ever since late July, they have definitely been on an upswing. The team shook the mid-season slump and seems to be firing on all cylinders, with good performances in all lanes. They have been 6-1 in the playoffs so far and look like the favorite to win it all.
It's obviously risky to try to guess how G2 will do against their opponents in the finals considering we don't know who their opponent is, never mind what they will show on Saturday. Still, considering the spring champions' momentary form, they are heavy favorites against either team. With great performances from veterans Rasmus "caPs" Winther and Marcin "Jankos" Jankowski in the jungle and solid top and bot lanes, it would take either an amazing performance by Fnatic or Rogue or a major slip-up from G2 to crown a new summer champion. I'd expect a 3-1 for G2 - they may drop a game, but I don't see them losing the series.
Read More:
- Rekkles Will Be Back in the LEC for the Summer Finals
- Fnatic and G2 Win in LEC Playoff Round 2
- Champions Queue is Back for Worlds 2022
The LEC finals weekend starts at 5 PM CEST on Saturday, September 10th, with the match between Fnatic and Rogue. Don't miss it!