Greetings to all fans of eSports and League of Legends in particular! At EGamersWorld you will find a series of predictions for LCK Summer 2022 and I will lead them, Iie.
Recently, the Korean professional League of Legends scene has been attracting more and more viewers. And this outcome does not surprise me at all, because T1 returned in excellent shape and went through the entire LCK Spring 2022 without a single defeat in the series. Even at the Mid-Season Invitational 2022, matches involving Faker and company were watched by more viewers than Royal Never Give Up.
Even at the very beginning of the Korean split in the spring, I confidently stated that T1 seemed the strongest to me, despite the opinions of most bookmakers and analysts who believed so much in Gen.G.
Kwangdong Freecs vs Hanwha Life Esports
I will say right away that KDF do not seem like the most team to me, however, against HLE, most teams with slots on the LCK almost always look like favorites. This spring, Hanwha Life Esports naturally ended up in last place in the table. Even so, they managed to defeat both Nongshim RedForce and DRX once, which only confirms that the players are capable, but their game together looks rather unstable compared to the rest.
So, on the one hand, we have a strong middle class of the Korean scene, who can really show something at the LCK and consistently reach the playoffs.
On the other hand, it is an extremely unstable team, however, which, with the right roster, can reach the final or semi-finals of the continental league with courage.
Kwangdong Freecs uniform
Let's start with the fact that KFG from their very appearance on the LCK under the name Afreeca Freecs showed very good results, as a new team at that time. And they have been able to maintain the trend for as long as 6 years.
They consistently take 5-6+ places in the main tournaments of their region, which is already a good indicator. Often pull out a place in the semi-finals.
Of the other pluses, I would definitely highlight the fact that they do not have the habit of frequently changing the roster, but rather work on those mistakes that are, improving the teamwork and teamwork of the players. When esports players stay on the team for a long time, most often it is a very good sign.
But after the previous season, the organization decided to renew and recruit young guys, three of whom were in the reserve and the basis of the very T1. Judging purely by LCK Spring 2022, the solution turned out to be quite successful. All the players show excellent personal skills and I think that over time they can only get stronger as a whole team.
Composition of Kwangdong Freecs:
- Kiin - top laner
- Ellim - forester
- FATE - mid laner
- Teddy - bot laner
- Hoit - support
Hanwha Life Esports Uniform
As I wrote above, the team, in my opinion, is extremely unstable in its execution. Yes, 2021 ended well for the guys. The LCK 2021 Regional Finals against T1, who were then, to put it mildly, out of shape. And a passage to Worlds 2021.
But, surprise surprise, a lot of players went to more "serious" teams like Gen.G and DRX. Except for just one Vsta as a support, the entire roster changed and showed the worst result at the spring split.
The only plus is that the team does not change at least the coaching staff, unlike the annual change of players.
I really want to believe that the team has drawn conclusions for themselves at the end of LCK Spring 2022 and, just like the lagging LPL teams, will be able to surprise us with an improved game. But this will only have to be watched by ourselves in the upcoming match.
Hanwha Life Esports roster:
- DuDu - top laner
- OnFleek - forester
- Karis - mid laner
- SamD - bot laner
- Vsta - support
Meeting history
KFG 2:1 HLE – LCK Spring 2022 Group Stage
KFG 2:0 HLE – LCK Spring 2022 Group Stage
KFG 2:0 HLE – LCK Summer 2021 Group Stage
KFG 2:0 HLE – LCK Summer 2021 Group Stage
KFG 0:2 HLE – LCK Spring 2021 Group Stage
Even judging by the last five meetings between the teams, one can offhand assume that Kwangdong Freecs is familiar with the strategies and style of play of Hanwha Life Esports, and therefore can dominate.
Match outcome
Kwangdong Freecs is the obvious and unconditional favorite of this meeting. However, don't write off the new meta, new hero pools for both teams, and the fact that HLE could have gathered after the failure at the spring split. Nevertheless, statistics do not believe in miracles, and therefore KFG seem to be much stronger.
Outcome: victory for Kwangdong Freecs.
