We’re finally half-way through the LCK summer split. After a week of Rift Rivals, viewers came back to upsets and throws by some of the teams. What are the standings looking like entering the second half? What is the Korean meta shaping up to be?
End of Week Four LCK Standings
Griffin stands strong at the top of the standings with only one best of three loss to kt Rolster. The standings are identical to last week’s, however the games played showed many differences. Jin Air faced off against bbq OLIVERS at the start of the week to find out the worst team at the moment.
Jin Air won the best of three cleanly, which most viewers expected. However, no one expected Jin Air to defeat KING-ZONE 2-1 in a messy series. Some attribute Jin Air’s victory to KING-ZONE’s major mistakes in both of their losses, but Jin Air survived long enough to capitalize on KING-ZONE’s faltering mid and late-game calls.
The new jungle meta
With so much focus on the changes bot lane, people aren’t as interested in the changes happening in other places. Since the beginning of the split, Nocturne has been arguably the most powerful jungle pick with his consistent pick potential and pressure. Gold-funneling strategies transformed the jungle into a power-farming session for one player.
We’re seeing picks like Kindred who received major buffs in the most recent patch along with Graves and Camille. Even champions like Sejuani and Zac are returning for the crowd-control and play making capabilities.
It is important to note that when these tankier junglers are picked, it is almost solely when the enemy has already picked a tanky jungler. Bans on Nocturne and Kindred mean that the match will return to last meta’s tank meta. Teams pick Dr. Mundo for a similar reason; he is an outstanding tank with damage and presence.
SKT’s performance and future
Fan favorite SKT will always have a presence in the world as the powerhouse team from Korea. This last year has been difficult for the team and fans as they struggle in both the LCK and regional competitions. With roster changes, under-performances and questionable drafts, the team is looking like a bottom-tier team.
However, SKT is going 1-2 in their recent sets against teams. Aside from Wolf and Effort being swapped around bot lane, the roster remains consistent. If the team can keep up their recent improvements, we may see SKT climbing higher in the standings.
Heading into Week Five
Week Five has a few teams playing three matches since they played one this week. Griffin is one of those teams, playing against kt Rolser, Afreeca, and Hanwha. kt Rolster has the potential to defeat any team, so maybe they’ll beat Griffin in a close series. Can SKT redeem themselves? Will Jin Air prove their strength even more? Keep an eye out for next week’s LCK wrap-up!
Featured Image courtesy of Riot Games.
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