The 2022 League of Legends World Championship is right around the corner, with the Riot Games-organized competition scheduled to run from September 29 through November 5 in Mexico and the United States. Twenty-four teams from 11 regions qualified for this fantastic event, and they all fight it out for the coveted Summoner’s Cup, a new trophy Riot Games awards to the winner of the finals.
The League of Legends Worlds launched in 2011 and has since become a must-play event for the League of Legends gaming elite. The 2021 edition took place in the party city of Reykjavik, Iceland, and saw EDward Gaming come out on top and secure the title of champions, in addition to the team receiving a cool $489,500 between them. EDward Gaming defeated DAMWON Gaming in a thrilling final, the former running our 3-2 winners thanks to an MVP performance by Lee “Scout” Ye-chan. EDward Gaming is the fifth favorite to win the 2022 League of Legends Worlds and will be there or thereabouts when the big prize money is awarded.
In-Form JD Gaming Are the 2022 LOL Worlds Favorites
JD Gaming is the hot favorite to win the 2022 League of Legends Worlds. The Chinese esports organization is one of the newer teams on the professional circuit, having formed in May 2017 after JD.com acquired the LPL spot of the QG Reapers. The team put up some impressive results in 2020, with a victory in the LPL Spring 2020 worth $283.185, a 3rd-4th finish in the Mid-Season Cup 2020 worth $60,000, a runner-up finish in the LPL Summer 2020 for $145,133, and a 5th-8th in the 2020 World Championship that came with a $100,125 payday.
However, as impressive as 2020 was, it is fair to say 2021 was a year of disappointment for JD Gaming. Their only result of note was a 5th-6th finish in the LPL Spring 2021 competition, which brought in $30,670.
The current year has seen JD Gaming return to form. They finished fourth in the LPL Spring 2022 tournament, losing to Victory Five and banking $45,313. Victory Five finished third ($75,521) before Royal Never Give Up defeated Top Esports 3-2 in the final, securing the $302,087 top prize, resigning the runners-up to a $151,043 score. Top Esports goes into the 2022 League of Legends World Championships as second favorites behind JD Gaming.
JD Gaming goes into the 2022 League of Legends Worlds as hot favorites thanks to them winning the LPL Summer 2022 tournament, which qualified them for the Worlds. The team finished second in the Group Stage with a 14-2 record before brushing aside LNG Esports in the playoffs, defeating Top Esports 3-2 in the Upper Bracket Final, and then beating the same team 3-2 in the Grand Final.
A Look at the JD Gaming Roster
The JD Gaming roster comprises five Chinese gamers and one South Korean. Bai “369” Jiahao is the team’s toplaner, while Seo “Kanavi” Jin-Hyeok, the team’s South Korean, currently plays as a jungler. Jin-Hyeok is the oldest player on the JD Gaming roster at 23 years old.
JD Gaming’s midlaner is a spot occupied by Zeng “Yagao” Qi, with Wang “Hope” Jie undertaking botlaner duties for the team. Lou “Missing” Yunfeng fills the crucial support role. Chen “Yimeng” Mingyong is the substitute for JD Gaming; he specializes in the midlaner position.
It isn’t easy to find a case against JD Gaming’s favorites tag, although there are some incredibly talented rosts competing at this year’s League of Legends Worlds. You can never write off Top Esports, especially as they are also in hot form right now, while Gen.G, T1, EDward Gaming, and Royal Never Give Up has enough quality in their ranks to return home with the lion’s share of the prize pool.
