The middle-ranking composition hidden in the fog is expected to be sorted out in the 4th week.
The League of Legends Champions Korea (hereinafter referred to as ‘LCK’), which hosts the Korean professional league of ‘League of Legends (LoL)’ e-sports, will be held from the 8th (Wed) to the 12th (Sun) at the LCK Arena located in LoL Park, Jongno-gu, Seoul. In the 4th week of the 2023 LCK Spring to be held, it is expected that the middle-ranking situation, which is showing chaos, will be revealed to some extent.
◆Hanwha Life Esports meets Brion
At the end of the 3rd week of the 2023 LCK Spring, there are three teams with 3 wins and 3 losses: KT Rolster, Hanwha Life Esports, and Brion. The three teams with a record of 3 wins and 3 losses are ranked from 5th to 7th depending on the set score, so the ranking may change depending on the result of each match. The confrontation between Hanwha Life Esports and Brion, scheduled for the 10th (Friday), could have a huge impact on the mid-level rankings.
During the three weeks since the opening of the spring, Hanwha Life Esports and Brion are showing different paces. After winning the first game, Hanwha Life Esports lost three games and ranked in the lower ranks. Ahead of the 2023 season, Hanwha Life Insurance, which reinforced its strength by recruiting a large number of winners from the LoL World Championship, achieved its first consecutive win as it gradually entered into harmony.
Brion, who built a lineup by renewing contracts with players who were active in 2022, recorded 2 wins in the 1st week, but suffered a losing streak in the 2nd week, and is showing a steady trend with 1 win and 1 loss in the 3rd week. In order for Brion, who started better than last year, to advance to the spring playoffs for the second year in a row, it is necessary to add a multiplier in the confrontation with Hanwha Life Esports. 스포츠토토
◆KT Rolster Turns Crisis into Opportunity
It is no exaggeration to say that KT Rolster’s Week 4 matchup is off-road. On the 9th (Thursday), they will meet D-Plus Kia, who are divided into the spring semifinals, and on the 11th (Sat), they will face Gen.G, who ranked first in a tie.
KT Rolster is alternating 1 win and 1 loss for each week this spring. In this process, KT Rolster is showing severe ups and downs. They lost to T1 and Liv Sandbox, who are classified as strong players, after a full set, and won cleanly 2-0 to Hanwha Life Esports and Brion, who are competing for the mid-ranking position, but were caught 0-2 by Guangdong Freecs, who did not win even a single win. It is evaluated that the drop in performance is large.
For KT Rolster, the 4th week schedule can be both a risk and an opportunity. If you win against both Dplus Kia and Gen.G, you can proudly present your business card to the top rankings. But the situation is not rosy. KT is far behind the regular league against Dplus Kia with 3 wins and 9 losses over the past 3 years, and is recording 2 wins and 10 losses against Gen.G.
◆ Commentators “You must watch the ‘New Rookie Battle’ where there is no place to retreat”
The matchup between Nongshim Red Force and Kwangdong Freecs is also noteworthy. From the spring of 2023, the LCK selects a game with high attention and places it in one Saturday game (starting at 3:00 pm) under the name of ‘Saturday Showdown’.
The two teams are ranked at the bottom with a record of 1 win and 5 losses as of the 3rd week. Ahead of the 2023 season, the two teams that have suddenly placed newcomers as the starting lineup are struggling against experienced teams, but are also showing off their spirited performance. The losing team in the match between the two teams on the 11th (Sat) will be in a situation where it will be difficult for them to rise to the mid-table for the time being, so it seems that they will be determined to win.
LCK commentators also picked ‘Rookie Match’ as a must-watch game. Commentator Noh-Chul Jeong of ‘Nofe’ described it as “the tumultuous LCK adjustment period for the newcomers,” and Brendan “Valdes” Valdes, who is in charge of the global commentary, said, “It’s going to be decided who will be the team to avoid the 10th place. It will be a ‘Saturday Showdown’,” he said, expressing his anticipation.