“Group of Death” at Worlds 2022: what will the members of quartet B show us?

The matches of the main League of Legends tournament of the season are on the threshold. Soon we will begin to observe the battles within the Worlds 2022 group stage, and before that, we invite you to take a closer look at the participants of the stage.

Earlier we talked about Group A with the reigning world champions as a potential "death basket", and now it's time to discuss the real "death group". There are no current world champions and the most legendary players on the planet, but the level of the teams on paper is very equal, which hints at a competitive struggle in almost every match of group B.

Champion of China, runner-up of Europe, bronze medalists of South Korea and North America. Who is destined to go to the playoffs, and who will be out of the race for the Champion's Cup at the group stage.

DAMWON Gaming

Where they play: South Korea, LCK

How did you get to Worlds 2022: LCK Championship Points

Roster for Worlds 2022: Nuguri, Canyon, ShowMaker, deokdam, Kelin.

Group B review Let's start with the bronze medalists of LCK Summer 2022 - DAMWON Gaming. The team advanced to the LCK Championship Points tournament.

Not the most successful performance of DAMWON in the season is a problem, but obviously not critical. During the season, they took 3rd and 4th place in the spring and summer splits, respectively, which did not allow them to reach the Worlds 2022, bypassing additional stages of selection. They managed to qualify for Worlds 2022 thanks to their victory at the LCK Regional Finals 2022.

DAMWON's achievements look especially faded compared to their own achievements last year. Compare for yourself: in 2021, the team won the LCK Spring 2021, LCK Summer 2021, KeSPA Cup 2020, took second place at the MID-Season Invitational 2021 and Worlds 2021. The last silver is especially painful.

DAMWON lost in an equal fight, losing at the championship point in the match against EDward Gaming. They almost managed to repeat the result of T1 15-16, having won two Worlds in a row, but one map was not enough.

A new attempt will be made this season, because the fact that players of the level of Nuguri, Canyon and ShowMaker will pass the group stage, as they did 3 years before, is beyond doubt. DAMWON will handle the group of death.

Verdict: Qualifying for the playoffs from 2nd place.

Evil Geniuses

Where they play: North America, LCS

How did you get to Worlds 2022: victory at Play-In Round 2

Worlds 2022 roster: Impact, Inspired, jojopyun, Kaori, Vulcan.

One of the teams that will compete with the vice-champions of the Worlds 2021 is the “evil geniuses”. They are the 3rd team of North America, they are also the main underdog of the quartet.

Having flown past a direct invite to the group stage, the team was assigned to Group A at Play-In Worlds 2022. If you followed the reviews of the participants in the qualifying stage, you know that, say, not the top teams in the world played in Group A at Play-In, against which EG looked seriously.

In fact, Impact and the company demonstrated an “average” game: they gave cards to DetonatioN FocusMe, lost to their main competitor Fnatic (playing with a substitute) and only gathered at replays. In the match for the exit, they tore to pieces MAD Lions, recalling thanks to having won the LCS Spring 2022 and got into the TOP-4 of the Mid-Season Invitational 2022.

Aside from a rather sluggish performance in the Play-In, EG are having a good season and Worlds 2022 could be the culmination of the year for the club and potentially the main result in the history of the organization, but, alas, it will not. For the tag's first World Championship, TOP-16 is a good result, and it will be too difficult to get higher, bypassing the company in group B.

Verdict: Relegation in 4th place.

G2 Esports

Where they play: Europe, LEC

How did you get to Worlds: 2nd place at LEC Summer 2022

Worlds 2022 roster: BrokenBlade, Jankos, caps, Flakked, Targamas

The third team of the “group of death” is G2 Esports. "Samurai", kings of Europe, real showmen.

Something like this can describe the key aspects of G2 Esports, which will help the team during the group stage. Is this enough is the big question.

G2 Esports has a long-term relationship with the Worlds series, from which there is no reciprocity. The club has been participating in the championships of the series since 2017, having missed only last year's event, and each time it gains. In 2018, the Samurai entered the TOP-4, in 2019 they made it to the grand final, and in 20 they repeated the achievements of Worlds 2018.

Over the years of presence in the international arena, G2 Esports deserved to become world champions, but this is not enough for the competitive League of Legends - to deserve the championship is one thing, to win a trophy is quite another.

The 2022 season does not contradict the above: G2 Esports are again vigorous in Europe (TOP-1 in spring, TOP-2 in summer) and stable in the international arena (3-4th place at the Mid-Season Invitational 2022). All the cards are in hand, you need to defeat the giants of the East, but there will be problems with this.

Verdict: Relegated from Group B in 3rd place.

JD Gaming

Where they play: China, LPL

How did you get to Worlds: 1st place at LPL Summer 2022

Worlds 2022 squad: 369, Kanavi, Yagao, Hope, Missing

The quartet of group B is closed by JD Gaming. As they say, last on the list, but not least.

JD Gaming has a really big value, as they are the champions of the title league, namely China. In recent years, the South Korean dominance in the League of Legends has cracked, and on a level with the Koreans.

The reigning Worlds 2021 champions, EDward Gaming, come from the LPL, where JD Gaming won this year, the connection is clear.

For JD Gaming, 2022 could be the starting point in the history of the club. Previously, the team, due to the huge regional competition, only once managed to get to the World Championship. At the only one for the Worlds tag in 2020, JD Gaming reached the playoff stage, passing the group stage and, as a result, leaving the tournament after losing to their compatriots from Weibo.

At the culminating event of the season, JD Gaming have every chance to repeat and surpass the result of two years ago. Champions of the LPL must clearly understand what it takes and how to act, and will do it.

Verdict: 1st place in the Worlds 2022 playoffs.

Group B games will begin on October 8 at midnight. Quartet B G2 Esports will open with a match against DAMWON, after which JD Gaming and DAMWON Gaming will play at 02:00 CET.

The 2022 World Championship runs from September 29 to November 5 in Mexico and the United States. The Play-In stage will take place from September 29 to October 4 at the Arena Esports Stadium in Mexico City, and the group stage will take place from October 7-10 and October 13-16 at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. As part of the championship, 24 teams from all over the world are fighting for a total prize pool of $2,225,000.

Photo: Liquipedia/Riot.