North American League fans have a big reason to celebrate. TSM, one of the teams from North America, has finally won an international tournament after years of disappointment. Although Rift Rivals only included North America and Europe this time, it was a surprising outcome as not many expected North America to perform so well. By the end of the week, it was clear that North America is currently better than Europe in League.
The three North American teams, TSM, Cloud9, and Phoenix1, have different playstyles but they all utilized strategies that worked effectively against their European opponents. TSM and Phoenix1 would have been favorites in the final against Unicorns of Love, and even Cloud9 would have given them a tough fight despite their poor group stage record against UOL.
The standout player of the tournament was Phoenix1’s rookie jungler Mike Yeung. Despite being only halfway through his first split, Yeung has already established himself as a force to be reckoned with. He won the MVP award for the group stage and consistently outperformed established European junglers.
Yeung’s aggressive playstyle, which involved invading the enemy jungle and focusing on getting himself ahead, gave him a significant advantage. This was in contrast to European junglers who were often called to support their team’s lane swap strategies. North American teams were comfortable with standard lanes and focused on controlling dragons, allowing their junglers to farm both sides of the river.
North American mid laners also showcased their strength throughout the tournament. They dominated their European counterparts in lane and had a significant impact in team fights. North American teams were also adept at playing around mid lane pressure and grouping mid to create opportunities.
NA teams also had an edge in drafting and overall team composition. They picked playmaking supports like Thresh and Rakan, which are highly prioritized in the current meta. In contrast, European teams oscillated between comfort picks and counter picks, but lacked a cohesive strategy. North American teams drafted more cohesive compositions and executed their game plans effectively.
Rift Rivals may not be as prestigious as Worlds or MSI, but the results of this tournament cannot be ignored. North American teams clearly outperformed their European counterparts and showcased their strength in fundamental aspects of the game. This should serve as a wakeup call for European teams to improve if they want to succeed at Worlds later this year.
In conclusion, North America dominated Rift Rivals and proved that they are better than many people initially thought. The tournament was a success and showcased some fantastic League of Legends. North American teams should be proud of their performance.