Under the brand new format of the LEC, professional League of Legends groups can get eradicated from rivalry sooner than ever, with only a single round-robin standing in the way in which of the league’s “group stage,” the place solely the highest eight groups from the primary stage of every break up will advance. Today, the ultimate day of the Winter Split’s spherical robin will conclude, with three groups nonetheless seeking to sneak into the again finish of the development desk.
Fnatic, considered one of Europe’s most storied League groups, stands getting ready to being knocked out of group stage rivalry, which might mark the primary time the group has missed the playoffs of a break up. Since 2013, Fnatic have made the playoffs of each LEC/EU LCS break up, and may they lose in the present day, they’d break a 10-year-long streak.
Fnatic have taken their candy time getting on the proper foot this season, as they maintain a document of 2-6 by the primary eight video games of the one spherical robin. With one recreation left to play, it’s win-or-go-home for the orange and black. Here’s how Fnatic can nonetheless make it to the Winter Split group stage.
How Fnatic can qualify for LEC Winter Split group stage
Heading into the ultimate day of the Winter Split’s first stage, Fnatic nonetheless stay in charge of their very own future, and the second and third video games on the LEC schedule in the present day can be all that issues for Fnatic. The second recreation on in the present day’s schedule—KOI vs. Astralis—is extremely necessary for playoff seeding, as it is going to be assured to gobble up one of many two remaining group stage slots. Those two groups sit with data of 3-5 coming into the ultimate day of the Winter Split’s first stage, and the winner of that recreation will lock in a spot within the group stage, no questions requested.
The third recreation in the present day—Fnatic vs. SK Gaming—should clearly end in a Fnatic win for Fnatic to stay within the race. If Fnatic do win in opposition to SK, they’ll play a tiebreaker in opposition to the loser of KOI vs. Astralis. If they lose, they’ll go dwelling empty-handed and the opposite staff from the KOI/Astralis pairing will lock within the last seed.
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According to the LEC rulebook (rule 8.15.10), a tiebreaker recreation have to be performed for eighth place within the opening spherical robin of a break up, no matter who owns the head-to-head between the 2 groups. Fnatic gained in opposition to KOI in week one however misplaced to Astralis yesterday.
Today’s LEC motion will start at 11am CT with Team Heretics and Team BDS enjoying one other match with playoff implications.
