Riot’s NA LCS: Analysis of the First Two Weeks of Play
Team SoloMid is leading the standings with a 4-0 record in Riot’s North American League Championship Series after the first two weeks of play. Team EnVyUs follows closely behind. Meanwhile, Echo Fox and Team Liquid are tied for seventh place, with Spring Split champions Counter Logic Gaming in eleventh place. Let’s explore how the first two weeks of the NA LCS split has historically influenced the final outcome of the league.
2015 Spring Split
During the 2015 Spring Split, Counter Logic Gaming (CLG) topped the leaderboard after the first two weeks but ultimately finished in third place. Gravity, which started in second place, dropped to fifth, and Team 8, starting fourth, finished in seventh. Cloud9 managed to jump from eighth to second place after a sluggish start, becoming the only team to start at the bottom and not finish there. Winterfox, Team Dignitas, and Team Coast finished eighth, ninth, and tenth respectively, in line with their starting positions. Surprisingly, the 2015 Spring Split saw little variation in the standings.
2015 Summer Split
The 2015 Summer Split began similarly to the Spring Split, with CLG leading and Cloud9 struggling. However, this split saw more upheaval as four of the five initial top-five teams finished below or equal to where they started. The exception was Team Liquid, who started fourth and ended the split as regular season champions. Meanwhile, bottom-ranked teams such as Team Impulse, Cloud9, and Team 8 made significant improvements.
Comparing the Splits
In the 2015 Spring Split, the initial top-five teams lost a total of eight places throughout the split, while in the Summer Split, they lost only six places. In the 2015 Spring Split, bottom-ranked teams gained just one position, while in the Summer Split, they gained a combined total of six spots. The 2016 Spring Split followed a similar pattern to its predecessor, with Team Liquid climbing from last place to fourth by the end of the season and Team Dignitas dropping out of the league.
What to Expect
If you are a fan of Team SoloMid or Team EnVyUs, you may be pleased with your team’s performance so far, but history shows that top teams often stumble. If you support Team Liquid or Counter Logic Gaming, who are currently struggling, remember that Cloud9 and Team Impulse in 2015 overcame similar obstacles. It’s possible for bottom teams to rise, but it remains uncertain whether these teams have what it takes to turn their season around.
Do the first two weeks of a split have a significant impact on a team’s performance throughout the entire season? We would love to hear your thoughts! Comment below or tweet us @GAMURScom.
All statistics and information provided by lol.esportswikis.com
Riot, NA LCS, League of Legends, Team SoloMid, Team EnVyUs, Counter Logic Gaming, Team Liquid, Cloud9, Team Impulse