The 2022 League of Legends World Championship is gearing up to be one for the history books. Although the 2022 Worlds tournament doesn’t commence until September 29, Riot Games have recently announced the final four groups who will be competing to claim the Summoner’s Cup.
As in previous years, the Worlds 2022 will run for five weeks, kicking off with the play-in stage. The play-ins last for a week, with the 12 teams who failed to qualify fighting it out for one of four coveted spots in the group stage. We’ll talk a little bit more about the play-ins later, but first, let’s see which teams have made the grade and have been confirmed in the 2022 Worlds group draw.
Group A
Group A includes some heavy hitters. South Korean standouts T1 aren’t strangers to the League of Legends World Championship. However, their last tournament win was in 2016. In recent years, they’ve failed to secure anything up a third-place finish. Could 2022 be their big comeback year?
Edward Gaming have also been announced for Group A. In the eyes of many pundits, this Chinese team is the one to beat, having walked away with the top prize at the 2021 Worlds.
Rounding out Group A for now are Cloud9. Although this American esports outfit has amassed an impressive set of tournament trophies, they’ve failed to secure a first-place finish at LoL World Championship so far.
Group B
South Korea has produced some top-level talent in recent years. DWG KIA are undisputed champions in League of Legends circles. They’ve also got form when it comes to winning out at the World Championships, having won the tournament back in 2020.
Joining DWG KIA in Group B is JD Gaming. They’re a fairly new team, having only launched in 2017. They’ve also failed to qualify for several Worlds tournaments in recent years. Nonetheless, 2022 could prove to be a big year for them.
Group B will also play host to G2 Esports. This European team failed to qualify for the 2021 tournament, with their last major appearance being in 2019 when they walked as runners-up.
Group C
Group C is something of a mixed bag. First you’ve got GAM Esports. This team are living legends in their native Vietnam, with successive first-place finishes at the Vietnam Championship Series Summer Season. 2022 marks only the second year this lineup has made it through to the Worlds group stage.
They might have performed well in Europe, but Rogue has yet to become a powerhouse on the international scene. This year could change all that, with Rogue joining several other European teams in the Group stages.
Top Esports has been around for a few years, but this team took some time to make much of an impact outside of its native China. However, since 2020, Top Esports has emerged as one to watch.
Group D
Gen.G made their inaugural Worlds appearance back in 2018. However, they didn’t make it any further than the group stage. After failing to qualify for the 2019 World Championship, Gen.G came back all guns blazing in 2020. That year, they made it to the quarterfinals before being knocked out of the competition. In 2021, they made it all the way to the semifinals.
100 Thieves made their first Worlds appearance in 2018, but ended up finishing third in their group. Their next Worlds appearance would be in 2021, although 100 Thieves once again found themselves falling short during the group stage. Hopefully, 2022 is the year they buck the trend and push forward to the quarterfinals and beyond.
Taiwanese outfit CTBC Flying Oyster are the new kids on the block, having only formed in 2022. As such, they’re something of an unknown quantity.
What’s Next?
Now the group stage has been drawn, a further 12 teams will be allowed to do battle during the play-ins. The top-performing four teams from the play-in stage will then be allocated a spot in one of the four groups. Eager to follow the action? Check out the latest LOL schedule at 1337PRO to see who wins out during the play-ins before the group stage commences on October 7.
