LEC Playoffs 2021 Viewers Guide – Will Rogue Upset the Equilibrium?

The LEC Playoffs for Spring 2021 is here. Six teams in the LEC are locked in for the LEC Playoffs, where they will compete live in the Berlin studio. The action kicks off on March 26, with a series on every day until March 29, where there will be a break before the next rounds of games throughout the following weekends.

G2 Esports, Rogue, MAD Lions, Schalke 04, Fnatic, and SK Gaming are the six teams competing in the LEC Playoffs after the Regular Split’s final week. Fnatic and SK gaming took the fifth and sixth place seeds after the final LEC Superweek in the Spring 2021 Regular Split. On the other hand, G2 esports secured first place, with Rogue earning second. MAD Lion locked in 3rd place the penultimate week, with Schalke spelling into fourth on the Regular Split’s final day.

People can tune in to watch the LEC Playoffs through various broadcasts, such as the LoLesports stream, YouTube, Twitch TV, and more. 

 

LEC: Crown pic.twitter.com/ltq4EYH6AD

— LEC (@LEC) March 25, 2021

Kicking off the opening LEC Playoffs Spring 2021 weekend is the Lower Bracket Elimination round. Fnatic and SK Gaming will duke it out. The opening elimination match kicks off March 26, with the best-of-five series starting at 18:00 CET.  On March 27, we have the first of many Upper Bracket matches, with the first-place G2 Esports facing off against Schalke. The final Upper Bracket match of the week is between MAD Lions and Rogue, who battle on March 28. Both Upper Bracket matches are due to kick off at 17:00 CET.

With the conclusion to the MAD Rogue match, there will be a break until April 2, where the SK / Fnatic match winner will face off against the lowest-seeded loser from the Upper Bracket. ON April 3rd, we will have the second round of the Upper Bracket, with the two advancing teams battling it out for a Finals spot. April 4 sees  The Lower Bracket again, with the loser’s highest seed of Upper Bracket 1 getting their elimination match. After that, it will be a Lower Bracket Final on April 10, with the winner getting a spot in the Final on April 11.

The LEC Playoffs’ eventual winner will earn the right to represent the LEC at the MSI 2021 event in Iceland. 

One of the biggest narratives of the LEC Playoffs this Split is the journey of Rogue. When LEC franchising began two years ago, Rogue was just another North American organization coming to Europe. However, the brand has certainly developed European talent and acquired the perfect veterans for its team, making it a top dog in Europe. As it stands, Rogue is tied with G2 at the end of the Regular split with a 14-4 record but have lost both matches against them, putting Rogue in second place. Furthermore, Rogue has had some crazy battles with G2 in the Regular Split, making the best-of-five series between both teams greatly anticipated. It seems likely we’ll get them in the Upper Bracket Round 2, but there’s nothing guaranteed.

On the contrary, Rogue can potentially destroy the equilibrium G2 and Fnatic have in Europe. Throughout Europe’s professional League of Legends history, only three teams have won a LEC or EU LCS trophy: Fnatic, Alliance and G2 Esports. Rogue is the next best to challenge for that, and it will be a tremendous day knowing G2 has competition in the split, with Fnatic not beating them since Summer 2018.

Furthermore, there is another huge story for the LEC this LEC Playoffs. G2 Esports has acquired Fnatic’s franchise player, Martin “Rekkles” Larsson, who has performed phenomenally on the G2 side. G2’s story is about going to MSI and looking better than before with the new ADC. G2 Esports heading to MSI will more than likely reignite the old new rivalry between G2 Esports and the LCK’s DAMWON KIA. The rivalry is one of the best international rivalries, which has brewed well in both Worlds 2019 and 2020. Even in 2021, DWG wants to face G2 esports once again. 

Finally, Fnatic has not had the best season without Rekkles. But now is the time for them to rise and shine in the Playoffs. Fnatic has had moments of brilliance in the Regular Split, but they too have had deplorable moments. The week off from Regular Split action might be enough time for the roster to correct its mistakes and make a solid run, to remind everyone why Fnatic has been so dominant for so long.

 

Either way, the LEC Playoffs are certainly going to be explosive. We wish you the best of luck if you are supporting any of the horses heading into the games this weekend and beyond.