It could not be a worse year to be a North American fan at Worlds. As it stands currently, North American teams Cloud9, Evil Geniuses, and 100 Thieves have lost all of their games. Cloud9 currently stands at 0-3; Evil Geniuses and 100 Thieves are both 0-2. Following 100T’s loss to Gen.G, NA set the record for their worst international start in Worlds history. Unfortunately for North American fans, the winless drought only continued. Following 100T’s loss, C9 faced off against a terrifying T1 who demolished the LCS’s #1 seed and handed NA its seventh straight loss.
Record-Breaking Performance!
Prior to 2022, the worst international start for NA belonged to FlyQuest, TSM, and Team Liquid, who lost five consecutive matches at Worlds 2020 before FlyQuest defeated Unicorns of Love, and opened the floodgates for Team Liquid to beat G2 Esports the next day. Luckily for the LCS representatives this year, TSM went on to set the record for the worst individual performance by a North American team. Leaving the tournament winless, TSM lost all six of their double round-robin matches.
NA = Worst Region?
Despite the presence of two minor region teams in the group stage, NA is still the worst-performing region in the entire tournament. China’s LPL currently leads the pack with seven wins. The region is currently 7-2, with their only losses coming from LCK teams. With a win rate of 5-2, the LEC went lossless on the second day of the tournament, propelling them ahead of the fan-favorite LCK. Korea’s LCK has had a less-than-stellar showing. Despite still maintaining a winning 5-4 record, all four Korean teams have lost at least one match.
Shockingly, even the PCS—the first of two minor regions at the tournament—has more wins than the LCS. While they currently sit at a 1-1 record that will likely go unimproved, the PCS has had a greater impact for their region than any of the three North American teams. While they have the worst record, NA is not alone in their winless endeavor; the VCS’s GAM Esports is also winless with a 0-2 record.
The Frontrunners
Putting the struggles of North America aside, this year’s tournament has been extremely competitive. Although the teams in Group A have played an additional game, the remaining twelve teams have only played two matches. Of those twelve teams, only three of them remain undefeated.
From Group B, the LPL’s best team JD Gaming has a 2-0 record. Notably, one of those wins comes against the next-best team in their group: DWG KIA. JDG, alongside Gen.G and TES, is one of three teams fans believe can win it all. While DWG KIA, RNG, and T1 are thought to be dark horses, none of these teams won their domestic title this year. JDG, on the other hand, brought home the LPL Championship trophy and has its eyes set on the Summoner’s Cup.
From Group C, the LEC’s #1 team Rogue, also has a 2-0 record. Although they are yet to play the best team in their group (TES), one of the big three, they have defeated both GAM Esports and DRX. Like JDG, Rogue won their domestic title this year, their first in the franchise’s history. Unfortunately, with a match against TES on the horizon, it is unlikely they will retain this streak.
From Group D, the LPL’s #4 team RNG, has put on quite a show this tournament. With a 2-0 record, the 2022 MSI winners are looking to claim their second international title of the year. While they have already defeated the best team in their group, LCK #1 Gen.G, fans expect Gen.G to rebound in their second matchup and win the group.
