The 2019 instalment of Rift Rivals Red will be the first to feature four League of Legends esports regions instead of the usual three. Joining the LCK, LPL and LMS will be the Vietnamese region (VCS) with EVOS Esports and Dashing Buffalo flying the flag for their nation.
To avoid mass changes to the format, the LMS and VCS teams will join forces and face off against the standalone LCK and LPL regions. That means both LCK and LPL will enter the tournament with four teams, while LMS and VCS will both have only their best two sides.
The teams that qualified as the best few in their regions are as follows:
LCK: SK Telecom T1, Griffin, Kingzone DragonX, DAMWON Gaming
LPL: Invictus Gaming, JD Gaming, FunPlus Phoenix, Top Esports
LMS-VCS: Flash Wolves, MAD Team, EVOS Esports, Dashing Buffalo (formerly known as Phong V? Buffalo)
The event will be divided into a group stage and a bracket stage. In the group stage, teams will play against all other teams with the same seeding (e.g. the second-ranked team from LCK will face the second-ranked team from LPL). All of the matches will be Bo1, with the winning region earning a direct pass into the finals.
The remaining two regions will enter the semi-finals, where they will compete in a Bo5 Blind Relay Race. In that part of the tournament, the regional coaches will get to choose which team represents their region for each game. No team will be allowed to play more than once, unless the series goes to five games. The winner will advance to the finals series, which will use the same format.
LCK and LMS-VCS will hope they can dethrone LPL, who have won both of the last two Rift Rivals Red tournaments. While it won’t be an easy task to defeat JD Gaming, FunPlus Phoenix, Top Esports and the reigning world champions Invictus Gaming, the 2019 MSI has proven anything is possible and that even Invictus have an Achilles’ heel.
Historically the most dominant team in League of Legends esports, T1 are enduring a rather up and down season. After an excellent showing at the LCK Spring Split, the South Koreans did not perform as well as they had hoped at the Mid-Season Invitational, where they had to admit defeat to eventual champions G2 Esports (2-3) in the semi-finals.
Four weeks into the LCK Summer Split, SKT T1 sit in seventh place with a 3-5 record and 35% win rate. While they started their campaign with a win against Jin Air Green Wings (2-0), SKT found themselves kneeling down to Afreeca Freecs (1-2) only two days later. That marked the beginning of a horror run that saw the Asian giants enter week four with five consecutive defeats to their name. They found their rhythm with wins over KT Rolster (2-0) and Gen.G (2-0), but the bitter taste of that losing streak lingers still.
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Flash Wolves entered MSI 2019 with high hopes but failed to deliver, finishing the group stage in second-last place with only three wins. They defeated Phong Vu Buffalos (2-0) and even managed to grab a win from eventual finalists Team Liquid. So while Wolves ended up losing most of their matches, they left a mark nonetheless with some good performances against the better teams.
It is a similar story in the LMS Summer Split, where Wolves sit at the bottom of the table with a 1-5 record after three weeks. Although that looks like a dire form line, the truth is they have performed well but failed to close out matches.
Wolves played like champions in their most recent fixture against Alpha Esports, who had no answer to their opponents’ early aggression. In the match prior, however, the Taiwanese let a good lead slip in game one against Hong Kong Attitude and then conceded an ace in the 18th minute of game two to go down by a big margin.
SKT T1 vs Flash Wolves betting predictions
When SKT T1 and Flash Wolves met each other at MSI 2019, we saw a rather one-sided fixture that ended in favour of the Koreans. However, recent form suggests T1 will not have it so easy at Rift Rivals.
Flash Wolves do not have the best record either, but what they do have is the element of surprise. As a team that is known to approach games aggressively, they will try to grab an early lead against an SKT T1 side that prefers to open up late in the game. T1 are still favourites due to their star-filled roster and experience, but Wolves are not quite such underdogs as the odds suggest.
This one could go either way. SKT T1 might have a slight advantage, but the $4.00 odds on Flash Wolves are well worth the risk in a Bo1 match.
Prediction: Flash Wolves to win – $4.00 at GG Bet
]]>Rift Rivals Blue, or Rift Rivals NA-EU, is back and with it another chance for Europe to announce its claim as the stronger region. Putting two of the biggest rival regions in the esports world head-to-head was never going to produce dull games, and if the 2018 Rift Rivals is anything to go by, the upcoming edition is a must-watch tournament for any League of Legends fan.
Taking place from June 27-29, the 2019 Rift Rivals will again be held at the Riot North American Studios in Los Angeles, California. The tournament will feature six teams – three from each region – that qualified by finishing in the top three in LCS or LEC.
Like last year, Rift Rivals will be divided into two phases: a group stage and a finals series (Relay Race). As a battle between two regions rather than individual teams, the format is adjusted to better represent the overall performance of each side.
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Each EU team will play against each NA team once, with all matches played in Bo1. After the first stage is finished, the Relay Race will begin. Every team will play at least once in a Bo5 to determine a winning region, within the following parameters:
– The better-performing region from groups gets to counter-pick teams for the first three games.
– For the final two games, teams for each region will be selected at the same time with no counter-picks.
Seeing how dominant both NA and EU were in the Mid-Season Invitational, this Rift Rivals contest might well serve as a preview for the LoL World Championship. While the Eastern regions have dominated international competitions in the past, the gap is rapidly closing.
The six teams that will participate in Rift Rivals Blue 2019 are:
NA – Team Liquid, Team SoloMid, Cloud9
EU – Fnatic, G2, Origen
All six teams will have to sideline their duties in domestic leagues for the duration of Rift Rivals. Fnatic (6-0), G2 (5-1) and Origen (3-3) occupy three of the top four places in the LEC, while Team Liquid (6-2) lead the LCS ahead of Cloud9 (5-3) and TSM (5-3).
Last year we saw G2, Fnatic and Splyce take down Team Liquid, Echo Fox and 100 Thieves in a close and exciting tournament. Will we see something similar this year, or will the Americans usurp the throne and claim ultimate bragging rights?
This year’s Asian tournament, which is scheduled for July 4-7 in Seoul, is the first to feature teams from four regions.
SEE ALSO: ESPORTS LEAGUES AND TOURNAMENTS
The new addition means a different format compared to last year, when LCK, LPL and LMS teams competed against each other.
Group stage matchups will be decided by results in the Spring Split, with teams of the same seeding to face one another.
For example: SKT, who finished first in LCK, will play IG, who finished first in LPL.
All of the matches in the group stage will be played in a single round robin, Bo1 format.
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The top region at the end of the group games will then advance directly into the finals, while the second- and third-placed regions get another shot at glory in the semi-finals.
In the semis, teams will face off in a Bo5 relay with the matchups determined by the coaches from both sides.
SEE ALSO: RIFT RIVALS NA vs EU RETURNS TO LA
The winner of the semi-finals will then take on the first-placed region from group stages in another Bo5 relay.
The teams competing in the tournament are as follows:
LCK – SKT T1, Griffin, Kingzone DragonX, DAMWON Gaming
LPL – Invictus Gaming, JD Gaming, FunPlus Phoenix, Topsports Gaming
LMS – Flash Wolves, MAD Team
VCS – Phong Vu Buffalo, EVOS Esports
Seeing how VCS and LMS both come into Rift Rivals with only two teams, the two regions will merge to form a single region for the sake of the tournament.
Vietnam’s inclusion comes off the back of some impressive results at international level.
The region has also brought a completely new playstyle to the top tier of League of Legends esports, combining extreme aggression with unique strategies.
Phong Vu Buffalo mad a big statement at the 2019 Mid-Season Invitational when they beat G2 Esports, the MSI champions, twice in the group stage.
The venue for the 2019 Rift Rivals NA vs EU tournament is scheduled for June 27-29 in Los Angeles, which hosted the 2018 Rift Rivals NA vs EU, unlike 2017, when the event took place in Berlin.
SEE ALSO: ESPORTS LEAGUES AND TOURNAMENTS
It was expected the tourney would alternate between EU and NA, but Riot Games believes European organisers have enough work on their hands as it is with the preparations for 2019 LoL World Championship.
The scheduling alone means LEC will have to take a break one week after Rift Rivals just so they can minimalise the impact of travelling across the world for the players.
This has sparked up an interesting debate among League of Legends esports fans.
Needing to travel across the world, adjust to a different time zone, fly back and then adjust to home time again could put EU teams at a significant disadvantage ahead of Worlds, not least because they finish their splits a whole two weeks later than NA.
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Questions of scheduling and venue selection have led to a lot of tension among LoL fans, many of whom do not agree with Riot’s decisions.
The format of the tournament will resemble the format we saw last year, which can be quite tricky to understand as it is unique in its own way.
The tournament will feature six teams – three from LCS and three from LEC. The participants were picked according to their finish in the Spring Split, with only the top three from each region handed a ticket for Rift Rivals.
The teams that will compete are as follows:
NA – Team Liquid, TSM, Cloud9
EU – G2 Esports, Origen, Fnatic
Each EU team will play against each NA team once in a single round robin Bo1 format. There will be no eliminations in this stage, but the final results of the group phase will give one region a slight advantage ahead of the finals.
In the finals, the teams will play at least one Bo5 match against the opposing region. The worse-performing region from the group stages will have to blindly pick a team to represent them in the upcoming three Bo5 matches. The better-performing region then chooses its own champion team for the finals.
Despite not being one of the bigger tournaments in the LoL esports world, the Rift Rivals is a must-win for the two regions involved – as much for the bragging rights as for the prize money.
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There will be 5 regions, each with their own set of teams and rules for Rift Rivals.
Region one: NA LCS (North America) vs EU LCS (Europe)
NA LCS: Team Liquid, 100 Thieves, Echo Fox
EU LCS: Fnatic, G2 Esports, Splyce
Region two: LPL (China) vs LCK (Korea) vs LMS (Taiwan)
LPL: Invictus Gaming, Edward Gaming, Royal Never Give Up, Rogue Warriors
LCK: Kingzone DragonX, Afreeca Freecs, kt Rolster, SKT Telecom T1
LMS: Flash Wolves, G-Rex, Machi Esports, MAD Team
Region three: SEA (Southeast Asia) vs LJL (Japan) vs OPL (Oceania)
SEA: Ascension Gaming, Kuala Lumpur Hunters, Mineski
LJL: PENTAGRAM, DetonatioN FocusMe, Unsold Stuff Gaming
OPL: Dire Wolves, The Chiefs, Legacy
Region four: LLN (Latin America North) vs LLS (Latin America South) vs CBLOL (Brazil)
LLN: Rainbow7, Infinity eSports
LLS: Kaos Latin Gamers, Rebirth eSports
CBLOL: Kabum! e-Sports, Vivo Keyd
Region five: LCL (Russia) vs TCL (Turkey) vs VCS (Vietnam)
LCL: Gambit eSports, ROX, Team Just
TCL: Bahceshir SuperMassive, Royal Bandits, Beykentuni YouthCREW
VCS: EVOS Esports, GIGABYTE Marines, Vikings Gaming
As stated before, each regions will have its own set of rules governing each individual regional tournament. The past Rift Rivals have had the a $20,00 USD prize pool for each of the winning teams for the major regions (NA vs EU, LPL vs LCK vs LMS) with an undisclosed amount for the non-major regions. They will also be playing for regional trophies embedded with the regions’ colors and team icon.
Predictions for Rift rivals 2018
NA LCS vs EU LCS
Each team in a region will participate in a single round robin against each team in the opposing region, with the stronger region being announced at the end of two days of play ins. At the end of the round robin stage, the stronger region will have the ability to counterpick the first three matches of a best of five series. The last two matches will be blind pick, meaning teams for both sides will be decided simultaneously. Each team for each side will play at least once in the Bo5.
North America has historically won in last years RR, but this year looks to be more of the same. G2, FNC, and Splyce represent the EU teams, and out of those teams, the most stable team looks to be G2. FNC is high in standing but has had synergistic issues with Rekkles on this patch while Splyce is simply struggling. Team Liquid for NA is a strong team but not without faults and the same can be said of 100 Thieves and Echo Fox, but all three teams are tied for first in the NA LCS. With EU still trying to find its groove, NA clearly has the edge in this chaotic meta.
Betting prediction: NA LCS to win at GG Bet.
LPL vs LCK vs LMS
Perhaps the most hyped matchup in RR, China vs Korea vs Taiwan will bring a lot of spice to the LoL scene. The format for the tournament is quite different between the regions as there are four teams for each league competing. Each team will play their respective seeded team (1st place LCK vs 1st place LMS vs 1st place LPL) based on last split’s results. At the end, the regions will be seeded in strength from the results of those matches. The first place, strongest team receives a buy into the finals while the 2nd and 3rd place team play a best of five for the semifinals. Each team will play a minimum of one game with neither side having a counterpick. The same rules apply for the Finals.
The rankings for each region is generally LCK > LPL > LMS. In this case, it is very likely that will remain the case. The LMS have the Flash Wolves, a very renowned team for defeating strong opponents, but the rest of the LMS teams may not have the international experience or skill to compete against the best from China and Korea. Korea has the all powerful kt Rolster and Kingzone DragonX, with a struggling Afreeca Freecs and SKT Telecom T1 at the rear. China has the MSI winning Royal Never Give Up, an internationally recognized Edward Gaming and the high, regular season ranking Rogue Warrios and Invictus Gaming. When history comes to pass, it is Korea that holds the most consistency and the highest skill in international tournaments.
Betting prediction: 1st LCK, 2nd LPL, 3rd LMS at GG Bet.
SEA vs LJL vs OPL
Each region will play a single Round Robin against the other teams in each region, with the lowest ranked teams from each region evidently not meeting on the rift. After the matches, the top two regions will square off in a best of five with a blind relay, meaning that no counterpicks will be had for either side.
SEA has since had the removal of the Vietnamese teams from its roster, bringing the power of the regions down significantly. In addition, despite the recognizable names from the OCE, they actually placed last in last years Rift Rivals. This by default gives Japan the heavy favorites to win this year’s tournament. Although PENTAGRAM from the LJL had a horrible showing at MSI, Ascension Gaming from SEA did not fair better. The most damning piece of information is that the LJL’s top seed is not PENTAGRAM but rather DetonatioN FocusMe, which may speak to the LJL’s hidden strength.
Betting prediction: 1st LJL, 2nd OCE, 3rd SEA at GG Bet.
LLN vs CLS vs CBLOL
Latin Americas square off while throwing Brazil into the mix in this region’s clash. Teams from each region will play teams from each other region once, with rankings determined after that round. The semifinals will take place between the 2nd and 3rd place teams in a similar format, with each team from a region playing the opposing region’s teams once. This will result in 4 games, with a region needing 3 wins to advance. If a 5th game is needed, the regions will respectively decide which team plays the 5th game. The Finals follow the same format as the semifinals.
Historically, Brazil has led the charge followed by LAN and then LAS. However, this year’s teams in the LAN include the infamous Rainbow7 with their strong domestic presence. Kabum! from Brazil made their way in 2014 and completely shocked the world with their international performance, but ever since Brazil has not had the benefit of high international showings. LAS may have a tall mountain to climb to try and win this regions trophy and bragging rights, as Kaos Latin Gamers finished behind the other regions at MSI.
Betting prediction: 1st LLN, 2nd CBLOL, 3rd CLS at GG Bet.
VCS vs TCL vs LCL
Each of these regions have had an immense international showing with specific teams. The format will consist of each team playing the other regions’ teams once in a single round robin. Afterwards, the 2nd and 3rd place team will play a ‘King of the Hill’ matchup, where the 3rd seed from each region will face off in a best of one. The winner will vs the 2nd seed from the losing region and eventually advance up the ladder until one side claims three wins. The finals is a bit more simple – a best of five with the 1st place region getting team counterpick for the first three games. The last two games, if needed, will be a blind pick without counterpick.
The clear favorites here are the VCS. Through repeated international performances that exceeded anybody’s expectation, Vietnam has been made into its own region. Not to say that Turkey and Russia have been completely outdone, as SuperMassive and Gambit Gaming are well known teams in the community, but Vietnam is simply on another level. When it comes to the TCL vs the LCL, both teams flunked out at the same time in MSI, but SuperMassive has a much better lineup when it comes to flexibility and skill.
Betting prediction: 1st VCS, 2nd TCL, 3rd LCL at GG Bet.
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