Promoted article (in partnership with Dragoni) | Image credit: LEC Flickr (Michal Konkol/Riot Games)
The League of Legends LEC Summer 2021 playoffs get underway on August 13th, with Rogue, G2, Mad Lions, Misfits, Fnatic and Vitality fighting to be crowned champions of Europe, with Mastercard sponsoring a new ‘Play of the Week’ segment. The top three teams will progress to the most prestigious tournament in LoL esports – Worlds.
So how does each team fare going into the playoffs, and what are their chances of winning? We take a look in this playoffs preview piece in partnership with betting provider Dragoni.
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Mad Lions
Spring playoff champions prepare to do battle once again
Reigning champions Mad Lions go into the playoffs after finising third in the LEC Summer 2021 season with 12 wins and 6 losses.
Mad Lions (pictured above) won the Spring 2021 playoffs in dramatic fashion, beating Rogue 3-2 in a match that Riot said ‘marked the end of the dominance of G2 and Fnatic in the LEC, highlighting that the depth and strength of the competition which is becoming increasingly fiercer each year’.
Their roster was unchanged in the summer season, with Armut (top), Elyoya (jungle), Humanoid (mid), Carzzy (ADC) and Kaiser (support) playing with togetherness.
Mad had a solid season, with their only 0-2 record in summer being against G2, so they may have a mental hurdle to overcome as they face them in the playoffs first, on Friday August 13th at 5pm BST. The winner will go on to face whoever wins between Misfits and Rogue, while the loser will drop to the lower bracket and play the winner of Fnatic vs Vitality.
Head coach Mac and assistant coach Pad have a UK link – Mac is from the UK and Pad having worked in the lower-tier UK League of Legends scene before moving up to the LEC.
Mad Lions go up against G2 from 4pm BST on Saturday August 14th.
Bet on Mad to win (2.05) or G2 to win (1.64) on Dragoni (odds are dynamic and correct at the time of publication)
In terms of one specific offer Dragoni is running right now, you can make a singular bet up to or including £25, and your bet will be returned whether you win or lose (if you win, you keep the winnings). This is just for a singular placed wager. See more at https://www.dragoni.gg/bets.
Rogue
They came close last time – do they have what it takes to win the playoffs this time?
Rogue have been a consistently strong side in the LEC for some time now, and finished top of the LEC Summer 2021 standings, with 13 wins and 5 losses.
Like Mad Lions, the only team they lost both Summer 2021 matches to was G2. And they may be facing them in the semi-finals if Rogue beat their first playoffs game against Misfits and G2 beat Mad Lions in theirs.
Rogue have something to prove during these playoffs, having fallen to Mad Lions 3-2 in the spring playoffs. Like the other top sides in the LEC, they want to prove themselves not only in Europe but on the World stage too. They disappointingly were knocked out of the Worlds 2020 group stage with one win and five losses.
Rogue have a real all-star European roster, with Odoamne (top), Inspired (jungle), Larssen (mid), Hans sama (ADC) and Trymbi (support), plus sub Blueknight.
It’s been great to see Larssen (pictured above) emerge from the UK League of Legends scene on teams like Manalight and MNM before making it to the highest level of European League of Legends with Rogue. He can make or break matches and has been known to make some perfect plays and build up solid cs numbers.
Rogue play Misfits in the first match of playoffs on Friday August 13th from 5pm BST.
Bet on Rogue to win (1.22) or Misfits to win (3.53) on Dragoni (odds are dynamic and correct at the time of publication)
G2 Esports
Will they face their close rivals Fnatic? Will Craps show up? Or can they find consistency?
European giants G2 might not always have consistency in the LEC, with a few disappointing weeks here and there, but they always end up at or around the top. And on their day, they are unbeatable.
G2 finished second in the regular season, with 12 wins and 6 losses, with a solid record against most teams, aside from some surprise losses to Excel and Schalke.
Their close rivals, Fnatic, could give them problems. Like a traditional sports derby, form seems to go out of the window when they play, and Fnatic/G2 match-ups always make for some fantastic series. Fnatic beat G2 twice this split, and G2 will be looking to overcome them if they face them in playoffs.
ADC Rekkles famously left Fnatic to join G2 last year, with Perkz (no, not that one) leaving for Cloud9 in the North American LCS. He joined Mikyx (support), Wunder (top), Jankos (jungle) and Caps (mid). In a way, Caps is like the human form of G2 – you’re not sure whether ‘Claps’ will turn up and dominate everyone, or if he’ll be ‘Craps’ and stumble and fall.
During the last playoffs, G2 fell to Rogue 3-1 in the semi-final. This time they will have to prove to themselves – and the fans – whether they can win the whole thing.
G2 face Mad Lions first at 4pm BST on Saturday August 14th.
Bet on G2 to win (1.64) or Mad to win (2.05) on Dragoni (odds are dynamic and correct at the time of publication)
Misfits
Don’t underestimate the team who are on the up
Misfits are a team who have been bubbling in and around the playoffs spots for a while now. But this season, they turned up the heat.
Like G2 and Mad, they racked up 12 wins and 6 losses, and claimed a solid fourth-place spot above Fnatic.
With HiRit in the top-lane, Razork (jungle), Vetheo (mid), Kobbe (ADC) and Vander (support), they picked up some impressive wins this season including 2-0s against Fnatic, Vitality, Excel and more.
They only lost twice to two teams this season – Rogue and G2 – and their first match against Rogue in the playoffs is going to be a challenge for them.
Make no mistake – Misfits are definitely one of the underdogs going into playoffs, as you can see from Dragoni’s odds below, but anything can happen in a knockout tournament and it would be unfair to rule them out entirely.
Misfits take on Rogue in the first match of playoffs on Friday August 13th from 5pm BST.
Bet on Misfits to win (3.53) or Rogue to win (1.22) on Dragoni (odds are dynamic and correct at the time of publication)
Fnatic
The black and orange have deep heritage in League of Legends – can they make it to Worlds?
Fnatic need no introduction – the London-based esports organisation has been in League of Legends since the start, having won the very first World Championship (back when it wasn’t known as Worlds) in 2011.
They have a history of reaching the latter stages of Worlds and doing well in the LEC/playoffs. While in recent times they might not have the consistency they once had, the black and orange seem to find a way to win when it matters.
Fans might not be happy that Fnatic have finished fifth during the past two LEC seasons, but they have had to deal with some big changes – ADC Rekkles leaving to G2 and jungler Selfmade’s dramatic departure to Vitality – a team they face in their playoffs match this Sunday.
Fnatic raised eyebrows at the start of the Summer 2021 season when they moved top-laner Bwipo into the jungle, and brought in rookie top-laner Adam from the French league (who recently told Esports News UK in an interview he wants to go to Worlds, and ‘and show the world there’s a top-laner in Europe that can match all the legends in Asia’). They picked up 11 wins and 7 losses this season.
With Nisqy (mid), Upset (ADC) and Hylissang (support), there’s no doubting their talent, but can they go on a run in the lower bracket and earn a spot at Worlds? Their journey starts versus Vitality on Sunday August 15th from 4pm BST.
Bet on Fnatic to win (1.33) or Vitality to win (2.89) on Dragoni (odds are dynamic and correct at the time of publication)
Team Vitality
The underdogs have a tough mountain to climb, but are capable of causing an upset
Team Vitality won their last three games in a row during the Summer 2021 Season to sneak a sixth-place finish above Excel and Astralis.
On paper, looking at their 8 wins and 10 losses, this would make Vitality the clear underdog going into playoffs. But with daring players like mid-laner LIDER on their side, fans of the LEC will know anything can happen – they are capable of causing an upset.
Vitality made a lot of changes ahead of the Summer 2021 Season, with LIDER coming in, as well as jungler Selfmade and top-laner SLT, who slotted in with ADC Crownshot and support Labrov. SLT is now in the academy side, with Szygenda taking SLT’s place in the first team.
They looked good in their last few matches of the season, including a surprise win over top-of-the-table Rogue, and if they can keep this form going into the playoffs, who knows how far they could go. But they do have a mountain to climb.
Vitality’s first hurdle is against Fnatic in the lower bracket on Sunday August 15th from 4pm BST.
Bet on Vitality to win (2.89) or Fnatic to win (1.33) on Dragoni (odds are dynamic and correct at the time of publication)
In terms of one specific offer Dragoni is running right now, you can make a singular bet up to or including £25, and your bet will be returned whether you win or lose (if you win, you keep the winnings). This is just for a singular placed wager. See more at https://www.dragoni.gg/bets.
Related articles:
- League of Legends and CSGO esports betting guide for beginners: How to get started, place bets and have fun safely, with tips from a former pro bettor
- Interview with Dragoni – the new licensed UK esports betting provider built by a League of Legends fan focusing on choice, in-depth stats and live odds
Disclaimer: You must be aged 18 and above to bet. For clarity, if you work for an esports team or league, or have any inside information about teams, you are legally not allowed to place a bet on them. Please see the bookmakers’ terms and conditions and visit the UK Gambling Commission website for more information. Please gamble responsibly.
Promoted article (in partnership with Dragoni)
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
