After a lengthy offseason following Worlds 2021, League of Legends action is set to return in January 2022. With the season just around the corner, bookmakers are predicting Spring 2022 to be a tight contest.
This year’s League of Legends European Championship (LEC) is looking to be a touch different from what fans are used to, with roster changes shaking up the playing field. Some old favorites have fallen out of favor, while a new super team has risen up to challenge for the trophy.
Visit Odds Shark’s Best Esports Betting Sites
Make sure to check out our guide on how to bet on League of Legends and let’s take a look at the event in more detail.
Who’s Playing In The LEC Spring Season 2022?
Not much has changed in terms of teams in the LEC. We’ll still see 10 organizations battling it out, with just one difference as Team BDS has acquired Schalke’s spot.
The biggest changes come in the form of rosters, where just about every team is set to come in with changes. Officially, rosters are only confirmed once the first matches start on January 14, however, there are already a ton of announced changes, as well as credible rumors.
It’s difficult to list all of the changes, but there are some very notable confirmed moves already. G2 Esports is rebuilding their team around Jankos and Caps, losing Rekkles, Wunder, Mikyx and their coaching staff.
Current LEC champion MAD Lions are said to be losing Humanoid and Carzzy, while Rogue saw both Inspired and Hans sama depart, with more changes on the way. Fnatic is also looking to make sweeping changes, with Adam and Bwipo already departing the team, and Humanoid reportedly joining the squad in the mid lane.
We’re also set to see somewhat of a super team, with Vitality pulling out all the stops to bring in a very strong lineup. Star jungler Selfmade has been confirmed to be staying on and is reportedly set to be joined by Perkz, Carzzy and Alphari, creating a very scary lineup.
Other squads have also made changes and if you’re an LEC fan, you’ll definitely see a few new faces, no matter which team you’re a fan of.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Fnatic | +175 |
| Team Vitality | +200 |
| G2 Esports | +400 |
| MAD Lions | +700 |
| Rogue | +900 |
| Team BDS | +2800 |
| Excel | +3300 |
| Misfits Gaming | +3300 |
| Astralis | +6600 |
| SK Gaming | +8000 |
Odds as of January 14 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]
How Will The Offseason Affect The LEC?
This offseason has the potential to be one of the most impactful yet in the LEC. Every single team is set to make some changes and most of the best rosters have seen significant adjustments.
While LEC odds already point to a key list of favorites, we should expect the unexpected this season. With so many new lineups, it’s going to be very difficult to predict exactly how things will go. Sometimes promising rosters simply don’t jell together well enough, while seemingly weak sides are able to overcome individual disadvantages with teamwork and creative tactics.
We’d count on there being a mixed bag of results, especially during the start of the season as teams warm up to competition again, before key teams solidify themselves as favorites going into the later stages of the round robin and then the playoffs.
Can The Vitality Super Team Live Up To Expectations?
Vitality’s reported super team is set to be one of the strongest squads in the LEC in 2022, putting them as one of the favorites for the spring season. With a lineup of Selfmade, Perkz, Alphari, Carzzy and Labrov, it’s difficult to see anyone being able to take them down.
However, we’ve seen super teams in the LEC before and they’ve not quite worked out. The most recent example of this was G2 signing Rekkles, only to have an underwhelming 2021 when they came in as huge favorites but ended up missing out on even Worlds qualification, never mind the regional trophy.
The team will definitely be keeping that in the back of their heads going into this season, knowing it is more than possible to fail, even as a super team. It will take a delicate mix of being able to jell together, handling the pressure and performing when it counts for them to live up to expectations.
What To Expect From The New G2 Esports
With them being one of the most dominant LEC teams of all time, we have to talk about G2. After their disastrous 2021, the team is being rebuilt around jungler Jankos and mid-laner Caps. Changes were expected after missing out on Worlds, but seeing three core members and the coaching staff depart was still surprising.
Replacements are yet to be confirmed, though rumors point to Broken Blade, Targamas and Flakked joining G2 to create a strong mix of experienced players and rising stars.
This will be the first time in a long time that G2 doesn’t come into an LEC season as one of the favorites and it will be very interesting to see if the new roster can return to the team’s old glory, or if they’ll need some time to figure things out again.
Can MAD Lions Continue Their Run?
MAD Lions were the standout team of 2021, taking home both the spring and summer season of the LEC with some decisive playoff matches. The team looked hot going into Worlds and even managed an impressive top-eight finish, being eliminated by finalists DWG Kia.
Things will look a bit different for them in 2022 as two of their stars, Humanoid and Carzzy, are on their way out. The team is reportedly bringing in Reeker and Unforgiven – two young stars looking to make their LEC debut – to replace them.
Normally, this would be a risky move as it’s very difficult to tell what two unproven players will bring to the table. However, MAD Lions seem to be experts at recognizing talent, having brought both Armut and Elyoya into the LEC, with both players becoming instant stars.
With that being said, losing Humanoid and Carzzy is still a huge blow, so we’ll have to see if MAD Lions have struck gold with their rookies yet again, or if their impressive streak will come to an end in 2022.
