It is now nearly week 6 of the LPL 2022 Spring Split and there is only one team that is still yet to lose. LNG are the sole team to remain undefeated, and they will have their mettle tested on Sunday by RNG. Meanwhile, Team WE finally got their ball rolling, with a victory over LGD. Speaking of getting things moving, Anyone’s Legend and Invictus Gaming have both started to show good signs of life, having excellent games during week 5. However, there are still two days remaining to wrap up week 5, and so without further ado, here are the two remaining days of action from week 5, and the first five days of action from week 6.
Week 5: Day 6
Match 1: OMG vs Team World Elite
Saturday’s first match should be an interesting one. OMG remain as inconsistent as ever, and while they are still amongst the teams that are in playoffs, they seem fairly similar to the team they were last year. As of this point in the split, OMG are looking like they will be a gatekeeper team, defeated the teams that don’t make playoffs and losing to the teams that do make playoffs. With that said, they should have the upper hand in this match against WE, but a small underperformance from their side could lead to WE upset.
Meanwhile, WE have finally got a dub on the board. While it isn’t much, it’s honest work and improvement from their previous scoreline. With Beishang finally back with the team, they’ve looked better and could stand a chance against OMG. While they aren’t looking like a playoff-ready team just yet, they could become one just in the nick of time.
Prediction: OMG
Match 2: Bilibili Gaming vs Anyone’s Legend
The second match of the day will be a very telling one. Anyone’s Legend has improved tenfold in the past two weeks, with Forge returning to the roster and playing some of the best League of Legends he has ever played. The team is looking refreshed and ready to cause problems on purpose. After taking down both Ultra Prime and Rare Atom, they took a game off of LNG in what was a much closer series than the undefeated team would have liked. If they can upset BLG here, the sky is the limit for Anyone’s Legend.
Meanwhile, BLG just got handed a very surprising defeat. While Uzi made his glorious comeback, it was Invictus Gaming and their rookies that stole the show. This loss was surprising for many, but especially to BLG fans, who had only lost to RNG and LNG prior to that match. This match against AL will be a crucial one for both. If AL win, then they will have a massive momentum boost going towards the second half of the split. Meanwhile, if BLG manages to halt a team that is starting to ramp up, they might get back in the winning rhythm that they were not too long ago.
Prediction: Bilibili Gaming
Match 3: Top Esports vs JD Gaming
The marquee match of 2020, JDG vs Top is a modern-day LPL rivalry. No matter the current state of both teams, they seem to bring out the best in each other. JDG has been performing beautifully, are on a four-match winning streak, winning 8 of their last 9 games. That being said, their strongest opponent during their current steak was OMG, who, as mentioned are looking like the LPL gatekeepers. While Top did lose to said team, they have the potential to be one of the top 5 teams, so JDG still have to be very careful.
On the other side of summoner’s rift, Top Esports look reinvigorated, playing Wayward, a rookie top laner, and Mark, a support player that can add a bit more agency to Top’s plays. That said, they defeated TT, the team currently in last place in the LPL. Beating them is one thing, topping JDG on a winning streak is another. They still have some time to dot their I’s and cross their T’s, but time is running out for Top Esports. It’s now or possibly never.
Prediction: JD Gaming
Week 5: Day 7
Match 1: Rare Atom vs ThunderTalk Gaming
Sunday will start off with a match between the two teams that currently look the worst in the LPL. Rare Atom seem to be spiralling out of control and are on a five-match losing streak. While playoffs are still mathematically possible, it feels like a distant dream at this point, having 2 wins less and 1 extra loss compared to the team that is currently in tenth, who, ironically, are the one team they’ve defeated so far. Rare Atom needs to start getting wins now, or else they will be even further away from the playoffs.
Speaking of teams far away from playoffs, TT are currently at the bottom of the table. While they brought over Ucal and Chieftain, the team still hasn’t been able to find themselves, and lost the games they’ve played with the duo. Now, to be fair to them, their games were against BLG and Top Esports, so a loss is understandable. Still, Ucal specifically seems to be struggling in the LPL so far, and TT are already on borrowed time. They could very well end up being the first team to be mathematically eliminated from the playoff race.
Prediction: ThunderTalk Gaming
Match 2: EDG vs Invictus Gaming
In a match between two of the most historic teams in the LPL, what should be on paper to be an open and shut case, could end up being a banger. EDG just got handed their first loss of the split, getting smashed by Weibo Gaming in a clean 2:0 series. Their stable top side got torn asunder, while their all-star bot lane got upstaged. While this is likely a small blunder and EDG should return to their winning ways, it showed that gods can bleed, and IG are looking a bit like sharks let lose from a cage.
Invictus Gaming, a team without the two players that have built a legacy on the team, managed to upset BLG, the LPL superteam. The top side of the map specifically had a magnificent performance, while their opposite numbers just had a rough time against WBG. Not to mention that IG have always been a thorn in EDG’s side, so they also have that going for them. It’s not much and it will be an uphill battle, but Invictus Gaming are unlikely to just roll over and die.
Prediction: EDG
Match 3: LNG vs RNG
The final match of the week should be an absolute banger. Ale will take on Bin, the two carry top laners that took the Worlds stage by storm, one in 2020, one in 2021. Tarzan will take on Wei. Tarzan loves to play an aggressive and in-your-face style, while Wei is a facilitator that made a career out of being the smarter jungler and being at the right place at the right time. Doinb will face off against Xiaohu, two legends in the LPL and in the mid lane, each with their own playstyle and legacy left in the game.
But at the end of the day, it will most likely come down to the bot lane. Ming has the clear upper hand against Lvmao, who has been having a rough time. While both are veteran players, Ming seems to be more comfortable on the rift and makes far fewer mistakes. However, when it comes to the carries, LNG have the clear upper hand, where Light seems to be Gala-xies clear of his opposite number. Light has been either the best or the second-best bot lane carry in the LPL so far this split, depending on how you judge Viper’s performance so far. This match could go either way, but LNG, as the undefeated team so far, seem to have the upper hand.
Prediction: LNG
LPL 2022 Spring Split Week 6: Day 1
Match 1: Victory Five vs LGD
The first match of week 6 should, on paper, be a one-sided affair. LGD have returned to their struggling ways, losing to the previously winless WE. While they have a match against Rare Atom, it is hard to compare Rare Atom to Victory Five. With playoffs getting further every week from LGD’s eyes, it feels like it will take a miracle for them to return to being even a middle-of-the-pack team. And, sadly for them, their opponents are looking like a top-four team in the LPL.
And that’s due to Victory Five taking down RNG in a clean series. This means a lot for various reasons. The more obvious is that it cements Victory Five as a top-four team, alongside LNG, EDG and Weibo Gaming. The less obvious reason is that it was Victory Five’s first clean 2:0 win, and it came against a top-tier team. If V5 can now just be consistent in their wins, cleaning this series up 2:0, then they will officially join the hype train for LPL teams.
Prediction: Victory Five
Match 2: Top Esports vs FunPlus Phoenix
The second match of the day should be a good one. Top Esports have the chance to return to the top. While they will have to fight back hard against JDG, if they manage to win, they have a good chance of winning this match too. The LPL is all about momentum, and if Top Esports, a team with players like Tian, Knight and JackeyLove, manage to get momentum on their side, then the rest of the league better watch out, because when it comes to pure talent, they can go toe-to-toe with any team.
Meanwhile, FPX managed to bounce back from their losing ways, taking down Ultra Prime in a series full of ups and downs. Sitting right above Top Esports in the standings, this is a match that FPX can’t afford to lose. The problem is, much like their rivals, FPX have been quite inconsistent so far this split, with both Gori and Hang having very polarizing performances. And to make matters worse, they are going up against two players that, on a good day, are easily a top-three player for their role. At the end of the day, this match will be decided by which team has a better day and doesn’t decide to throw the match.
Prediction: Top Esports
LPL 2022 Spring Split Week 6: Day 2
Match 1: Invictus Gaming vs JD Gaming
Tuesday’s first match should be another banger. Both of these teams are going to fairly pumped for this match, as they are both, at the time of this article, on a clear upward trend. The key to this match could lie in the ones prior to this one. Should IG manage to take down EDG, then this match could be more one-sided than originally though. However, should they get crushed by EDG, it could cool down the team, making them second guess themselves and end up losing to JDG.
That said, the same is also true for JDG. Should they keep their winning streak up against Top Esports, then they should have a good time against IG. However, should they lose to their bitter rivals, it could end up creating a negative atmosphere, allowing IG to have their way. It’s also important to note that both of these teams are pretty much new rosters, with only 2 returning players from their 2021 campaign.
Prediction: JD Gaming
Match 2: RNG vs Rare Atom
The second match of the day, however, is likely to be a fairly one-sided affair. While yes RNG will be coming off a likely loss to LNG and having lost the match prior to that, they are still clear favourites in this match against RA. Xiaohu has been performing almost perfectly so far this split, and other than his fumbles against his legendary rival Rookie, he has been the number 1 mid laner in the split. Ming and Wei have also performed well, albeit to a much less consistent extent.
Meanwhile, Rare Atom have been a struggling team. Strive, a rookie, has arguably been their best player, and he is going up against Xiaohu in the mid lane. It will take a god-tier performance for him to take down his opposite number. And he is the key to taking down RNG. As shown by Victory Five, pressuring the bot lane and shoving Xiaohu back is the best way to defeat RNG. Strive will need to have the performance of a lifetime if Rare Atom are to take down RNG.
Prediction: RNG
LPL 2022 Spring Split Week 6: Day 3
Match 1: OMG vs Ultra Prime
Wednesday’s first match features OMG and Ultra Prime. Ultra Prime have been a very inconsistent team at the bottom of the table, losing to teams that they should beat and doing well against teams much better than them. They’ve seem to be found out, as Elk has not been able to have the same level of performances he had at the start of the split. And that creates the problem of who will carry Ultra Prime across the finish line.
That said, OMG have also been inconsistent this split. There will never be a better example than losing to LGD to then beat Top Esports immediately after. OMG need to find their consistency if they are to improve on their 2021 record at all. While this is basically the same team, they’ve upgraded in the top lane, and so they should, on paper, have a better record. However, this isn’t turning out to be true, as they are in the same place they were last summer.
Prediction: OMG
Match 2: Victory Five vs EDG
The second match of the day should be an amazing one. Victory Five are the up-and-coming fourth-best team in the LPL right now. EDG have seemingly been demoted to the third-best, after getting knocked down by Weibo Gaming. In a match full of LPL legends, such as Flandre, Scout, Meiko, Karsa and Rookie, the true winner of this match will most likely be the viewers. And with V5’s tendency to go to three games, it could be a long night.
That said, it will be a battle of the opposites. While they have been improving, V5’s bot lane still are miles behind Viper and Meiko. Meanwhile, Rich, Karsa and Rookie will want to exploit Flandre, Jiejie and Scout, who got rocked by WBG. Rookie especially will want to push his opposite number back. He is having a phenomenal split so far, and could very well end up being the number 1 All-Pro mid laner of the split if he keeps it up.
Prediction: EDG
LPL 2022 Spring Split Week 6: Day 4
Match 1: Team World Elite vs Bilibili Gaming
In a match to keep their head above water, Team WE will have to have to play at their best if they want to take down BLG. While it is possible, it will be a tall order, seeing as they are very far apart in the table. However, with Beishang’s return, WE have their full roster and will want to use it to the max against BLG. The team is full of rookies, with Beishang and Biubiu being the two most veteran players. Up against Weiwei and Breathe, it won’t be an easy time for the team.
That said, it could be doable. BLG stumbled against IG, a team that only had two wins on the board, both being against bottom-tier teams. That has been BLG’s weakness this split. While they have amazing players with individual star power, they feel like five separate players instead of a united team. They rely on one of their players popping off and dominating the game, instead of working together to down down the enemy team.
Prediction: Bilibili Gaming
Match 2: LNG vs Weibo Gaming
The second match of the day is also going to be the match of the week. LNG are undefeated as of this article’s publication, and they have every means to remain undefeated. However, they have shown signs of weakness many times this split, often dropping games to much weaker teams. While this could just be them trying new things out now instead of during the playoffs, it still a luxury they cannot afford against the likes of Weibo Gaming.
Meanwhile, WBG are on cloud nine. After a monumental performance against EDG, they managed to take down the other team that was undefeated. Weibo Gaming could earn the title of god slayers if they manage to beat both EDG and LNG. And at the end of the day, it’s a real possibility. Weibo’s topside had an unbelievable performance, with TheShy putting on a vintage performance, Sofm dominating in the jungle, and Angel delivering the top-tier performance that was expected of him.
Prediction: LNG
LPL 2022 Spring Split Week 6: Day 5
Match 1: ThunderTalk Gaming vs LGD
Oh boy, what a way to start off Friday’s matches. Both of these teams have been struggling this split, with neither of them expected to make playoffs or end anywhere near them, to be honest. Both are sitting at only one win at the time of this article’s publication, with LGD having a match against Rare Atom that could result in a win. In a battle between two bottom-of-the-table teams, it will all come down to ease of execution, and who shows up when it matters the most.
While it was fairly expected that both of these teams would end up around here, it wasn’t expected to be this rough. TT have lost more than any other LPL team at the moment, with seven losses and one win. Add to the fact that they only have 1 game win during their losses, and it’s an uphill battle for them. Meanwhile, LGD have lost to teams that were looking abysmal, such as early split Anyone’s Legend and more recently WE. At the end of the day, someone has to win this match, picking up their second guaranteed win of the split.
Prediction: LGD
Match 2: Anyone’s Legend vs JD Gaming
The second match of the day should be a much better one. Anyone’s Legend have been impressive as of late, with the entire team having seemingly leveled up. While playoffs is still a ways away, they are now back in contention to make it, where at the start of last week, they would have been in the same tier as the teams mentioned above. It just goes to show what a week of good, positive matches can do to a team, especially one that has talented players, but just lacked the general direction to go forward.
Meanwhile, JD Gaming have every possibility to maintain their hot-streak alive. If they beat both Top and IG, and they are coming in as favourites to those matches, they will be on a six-match winning streak, eclipsed only by LNG’s and probably Weibo’s winning streak. This will be an incredible mark and a boost in momentum. While they are yet to take down any of the teams deemed as a top-six team, they could very well become one if they keep this level of performance up.
Prediction: JD Gaming
Match 3: FunPlus Phoenix vs Rare Atom
Friday’s final match features FPX and Rare Atom. Last year, this would be considered a top-tier match, possibly even match of the week. However, due to both teams undergoing rebuilds, this match features a middle-of-the-pack team up against a bottom-tier team. FPX have shown that they can punch above their weight, but have lacked the consistency to do so regularly. And so, they sit at the middle of the table, which at the end of the day isn’t half bad for a team that dropped 4 of their 5 players.
Meanwhile, the struggle is real for the side of Rare Atom. While they only lost two of their five players, they lost their two best players. While Strive has been performing really well, he doesn’t bring the same carry potential that Fofo used to bring. Meanwhile, Yuyanjia is replacing Hang, who moved over to FPX and will play this match. Yuyanjia is yet to impress this split, and is yet to win with the team either. Rare Atom are looking like a mess that FPX will be more than happy to wipe away.
Prediction: FunPlus Phoenix
And that concludes the preview of the final two days of week 5, as well as the first five days of week 6. Be sure to come back next time, to read about the last matches of Week 6, as well as the first few matches of Week 7.
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