EU LCS Outperforms NA LCS: A Reminder of European Dominance
The EU LCS has proven once again that it is currently superior to its NA counterpart. While NA fans may find this hard to accept, recent seasons have shown that EU consistently outperforms NA in major tournaments like Worlds and MSI.
When Rift Rivals began this year, it was expected that EU would emerge victorious, especially considering our combined LCS power rankings. With Fnatic and G2 leading the charge, even with Splyce playing a sacrificial role, it seemed like a sure win for EU. However, what followed was an unexpected advantage: an early grasp of the meta.
European teams showcased their innovation and prowess in using unique picks and team compositions on Patch 8.13. From Aatrox to Heimerdinger to Pyke, EU teams kept NA guessing throughout the tournament.
EU’s Mastery of the Meta
Let’s delve into the impact of Aatrox. Despite causing some concerns both before and after his rework, EU teams fearlessly picked him for both top and mid lanes. NA teams made the mistake of leaving him open, resulting in a 4-0 victory for EU. Aatrox’s early game dominance was undeniable, and it played a significant role in Wunder becoming the MVP of the group stage.
Another standout champion was Heimerdinger. According to League stats site Games of Legends, Heimerdinger has never been picked in the NA LCS. However, in the EU LCS, he became a formidable force. In the four games at Rift Rivals, NA teams discovered Heimerdinger’s terror first-hand. He helped Splyce achieve an upset victory over Team Liquid, shutting down their typically strong bot lane. Although some of Liquid’s mistakes contributed to this outcome, Heimerdinger’s 100 percent win rate in the tournament cannot be ignored.
Heimerdinger’s success was just one example of EU teams’ commitment to innovation in the bot lane. EU teams were more comfortable experimenting with compositions that featured the marksman in the mid lane or even excluded traditional marksmen entirely. Although NA teams found success with strong marksmen like Kai’Sa, it became an easy ban for EU during the later stages of the tournament.
Challenges for NA Teams
The bot lane woes were not the only struggles for NA teams during the tournament. Throughout the competition, NA top laners only had a positive kill-to-death ratio once in 13 games. Additionally, there were instances where NA mid laners appeared to be performing poorly or not taking the matches seriously.
Overall, EU outshone NA in every position, including coaching staff. Perhaps the devastating defeat suffered by EU last year fueled their motivation to dominate this time. From superior micro play in lane to a deeper understanding of the meta, NA teams have a significant gap to bridge in order to catch up to their European counterparts.
EU LCS, NA LCS, Rift Rivals, Patch 8.13, Aatrox, Heimerdinger, bot lane innovation, EU dominance