Exciting Tiebreaker Scenarios in European LCS Final Week
With the European LCS nearing its end, fans are eagerly awaiting the potential tiebreaker scenarios. This year, we could see an unprecedented number of tiebreaker games, including a thrilling 5-way tie scenario. Let’s take a look at the current standings:
As you can see, the competition for playoff spots is incredibly close. Even SK Gaming has a chance to make it to the playoffs. Only Fnatic is guaranteed a spot, while the other teams will still need to fight for their positions. Now, let’s analyze the upcoming matches:
If this were a regular week in the LCS season, the matches wouldn’t seem particularly exciting, apart from the H2k-Origen game. However, what makes this week special is that each match will have a significant impact on the final standings. Every game played this week will be crucial for the teams involved.
Tiebreaker Scenarios
In order to keep things organized, let’s divide the tiebreaker scenarios based on the number of teams involved. We’ll start with the most exciting one: the 5-way tie.
There are two possible 5-way ties, but both are highly unlikely. For a tiebreaker for 4th place, we would need Gambit to defeat H2k (without Forgiven) and Copenhagen Wolves to upset the Giants. However, if Copenhagen Wolves lose to ROCCAT, their game against the Giants won’t matter to them, as they would already be auto-relegated. The second scenario involves defeating Fnatic, which seems even more unlikely.
The 5-way tie for 5th place is also challenging. We would need SK to defeat Fnatic and Copenhagen Wolves to have a perfect 2-0 week. The problem here is that if everything goes according to plan on Thursday, Copenhagen Wolves would be auto-relegated, which could affect their motivation to fight against the Giants.
4-Way Tie
In the 4-way tie scenarios, defeating Fnatic is not necessary. Here are a few conclusions from the tiebreaker scenarios for 4th place:
- If Giants go 2-0 this week, they are guaranteed a place in a tiebreaker for 4th.
- If Giants lose to UoL, they are automatically out of the competition for 4th. This game will be crucial for both teams, as UoL will want to win it to avoid going 0-2. Even if UoL goes 0-2, they can still make it to the tiebreakers for 4th place.
- If Fnatic remains undefeated and ROCCAT goes 2-0, they will secure at least a tiebreaker for 4th.
There is still a chance for Elements to secure 5th place with a 1-1 record. Their game against Gambit will be crucial, as a loss would limit them to a maximum of 6th place. Here are a few more conclusions from the tiebreaker scenarios:
- If Gambit defeats Elements, they will secure at least a tiebreaker for 5th.
- Depending on the outcome of the SK-Fnatic game, Gambit can fight in a tiebreaker for 5th place if they go 0-2. However, this has become more likely with Forgiven banned.
- Any of the teams (apart from the top 3) can still get relegated.
- There is one scenario in which Elements secures 5th place without playing any tiebreakers.
If any 4-way ties for 6th place are to happen, SK and Elements have to be involved. This would require SK to defeat Fnatic. Here are a few more observations:
- If Copenhagen Wolves go 0-2, there is no chance for a 4-way tie for 6th place.
- If Fnatic goes undefeated, SK has no chance of getting to the playoffs and therefore no chance for a 4-way tie for 6th place.
- Any of the teams mentioned in these tiebreaker scenarios can still get relegated.
Super Friday – 12 LCS Games in a Row
If everything aligns perfectly, we could witness 12 LCS games in a row on Friday. The results needed for this scenario are listed below:
The good news is that Fnatic doesn’t even have to lose a game for this to happen. However, Copenhagen Wolves would have to go undefeated, which is not impossible. All the games are possible, but Gambit without Forgiven might struggle against H2k. Nevertheless, anything can happen, so keep an eye on the matches.
The most exciting part of this scenario is the 5-way tie, where teams will fight for playoffs and try to avoid relegation. Additionally, there will be a tie between H2k and Origen to determine who gets a direct path to the semifinals. The game between SK and Copenhagen Wolves will decide who gets auto-relegated and who gets a chance to compete in 2016.
Thursday Matches
The outcome of the tiebreaker scenarios discussed so far can be changed on the first day of matches. Let’s take a look at the importance of each game:
The first game will provide us with crucial information. If ROCCAT wins, Copenhagen Wolves will be out of the LCS, which could affect their attitude towards the Giants game. We need Copenhagen Wolves to win this game to keep the tiebreaker hopes alive.
The Giants vs. Unicorns of Love game is one of the most important matches in shaping the playoff spots. If Giants lose, they are out of contention for 4th place. If Unicorns lose, they will be in a difficult position, with only a game against Fnatic remaining. A win for Giants in this game would secure them a tiebreaker for 4th place if they also defeat Copenhagen Wolves the following day.
For Fnatic, the game is merely about maintaining their perfect streak, as they have already secured first place. However, for SK Gaming, this game is crucial for their playoff hopes. They will need to beat Fnatic to stay in the running for the 5-way tie. No matter the outcome, there is still hope for the 5-way tie as long as Fnatic wins.
The game between H2k and Origen is not as crucial for the tiebreakers, but it will determine the battle for second place. If H2k wins, they will at least force a tiebreaker, while Origen can secure second place regardless of their result against ROCCAT due to a better head-to-head record against H2k.
The tiebreaker game of the week is the most important one. The result will either breathe life into the tiebreaker hopes or crush them. Gambit, without Forgiven, will have a tough time against Elements. Elements must win to keep the tiebreaker hopes alive. Let’s all rally behind Elements and hope for a 5-way tie on Friday!
There are many variables, and the Friday games could either be highly exciting or less important depending on the outcomes of the first day. If necessary, a separate article can be prepared to discuss non-tiebreaker scenarios or requested 3-way ties. Thank you for reading!
European LCS, tiebreaker scenarios, playoffs, Fnatic, SK Gaming, H2k, Origen, Copenhagen Wolves, Giants, ROCCAT, Elements, Gambit