What Does League of Legends Look Like Heading Into 2020?

League of Legends spent the past decade establishing itself as the world’s most popular esport. It has entertained millions of fans around the world with its unique blend of fast-paced action, compelling characters, fascinating lore and fierce tactical battles.

It continues to rule the roost as we surge into the roaring 2020s, and developer Riot Games is about to embark upon a huge expansion drive. It will launch a fighting game, a digital card game, a management sim and a TV series, all under the LoL umbrella.

However, the core game will still be the jewel in the Riot crown and the pro scene will be extremely competitive once again this year. The overall level of quality in the four major leagues is now very high and we can expect fireworks when the very best teams come together for the Mid-Season Invitational and the 2020 World Championship.  And when all else fails you can also enjoy https://s-bobet.com and other great options.

Can China Continue to Dominate?

That is the main question on everyone’s lips ahead of this year’s big international tournaments. Korean teams enjoyed a five-year period of dominance between 2013 and 20176, with SK Telecom T1 winning three World Championships and Samsung Galaxy winning two. In 2015, 2016 and 2017 the Worlds Grand Finals were all-Korean affairs.

That ended with a whimper in 2018, when every single Korean team had been eliminated by the semi-final stage. Invictus Gaming went on to record clean sweep victories over European powerhouses G2 and Fnatic to clinch the trophy.

China reasserted its newfound dominance over the LoL scene last year, when FunPlus Phoenix stormed to victory at the Worlds. They set up an all-Chinese semi-final against IG and won 3-1, before sweeping aside G2 Esports in the Finals. Both FPX and IG have bolstered their ranks with supremely talented Korean players – notably mid lanersDoinb and Rookie – but China is now the prevailing force in the LoL universe.

Check out League of Legends betting and you will see FPX and IG as the two favorites to win the 2020 Worlds. Both teams are packed full of individual talent and they both possess phenomenal cohesiveness, so it would take a monumental effort from a Korean, European or North American team to overhaul them this year.

Will Coronavirus Halt China’s Momentum?

Arguably the biggest threat to China’s dominance comes from within its own borders. The coronavirus epidemic began in the central city of Wuhan and it has spread across the country, killing more than 350. Coronavirus is on the brink of being declared a global pandemic, but China is ground zero and everything has ground to a halt in a bid to fight the virus.

That includes the noble pastime of LoL. The LPL was due to return for a second week of action on February 5, but it was delayed indefinitely to ensure the health and safety of players and fans. In the meantime, teams like IG, FPX, Royal Never Give Up, JD Gaming and eStar can train, but it is not the same as enjoying genuine competition, and a lack of game time could scupper their chances of international glory if coronavirus continues to wreak havoc in China.

Who Will Win LCK Spring?

Korean teams could be best placed to capitalize if the might of the LPL is diminished this year. T1 won both the Spring and Summer splits last year, and went to the semi-finals of the Worlds. They are the most decorated team in LoL history and they boast the formidable talents of mid-laner Faker, arguably the greatest player of all time.

Yet the top lane typically determines how successful T1 will be and Canna and Roach are clearly a work in progress. Head coach Kim has a lot of work to do, but if he gets that duo up to scratch then T1 could return to the summit of LoLesports in 2020.

However, most of the hype in Korea surrounds the revamped Gen.G team. A major roster shuffle took place towards the end of 2019 and Gen.G emerged as the clear winner, snapping up LCK Finals MVP Clid, former DragonX top laner Rascal and 2017 Worlds MVP Ruler.

T1 will be significantly weakened by the loss of Clid, while Gen.G should be better than ever. If they can gel into an effective unit – and that is a big if – Gen.G should win LCK Spring, enjoying a strong MSI and then head to the Words full of confidence.

Can G2 Esports Continue On An Upward Curve?

G2 announced itself as a force to be reckoned with on the global LoL scene when it stormed to victory at MSI 2019. It pulled off a massive upset in beating T1 in the semi-finals and then dominated Team Liquid to win the decider.

It was the team’s crowning glory in a fantastic year that also saw it win both LEC Spring and LEC Summer. G2 faced T1 once again in the Worlds semi-finals and secured another comfortable victory, but it was ultimately no match for FPX in the Grand Finals.

Can it go one better this year? The answer is an emphatic yes, provided coach GrabbZ improves their flexibility, assigns his players to the correct champions and drills them impeccably for a possible rematch with FPX.

Can a North American Team Seize International Glory?

You will not see any LPS teams near the top of international LoL power rankings, and that reflects a dearth of talent in the league. The greatest hope for North American fans would have to be TL, which has cruised to victory in the last four LCS splits.

Liquid undoubtedly boasts a strong team, but its season has already been plunged into chaos after junglerBroxah – a big name signing that was supposed to galvanise TL’s fortunes – was unable to play due to visa issues. Another newcomer, Shenfire, has also been dogged by visa problems, meaning that TL’s immediate future looks shaky.

That could open the door for Team SoloMid to return to the top of the LCS tree, but it does not help the overall standard of competition in North America.  So we will see what happens but be sure to enjoy fun options like slotsify.com to help pass the time and enjoy.