For the past five years, LCK Korea has been seen as the best region for League of Legends in the world. A Korean team has won the World Championship every year since 2013, and many expect this region to again produce the World Champion in 2018.
However, for the first time in a while, Korea has something to prove. Kingzone DragonX was heralded as the best team in the world heading into the Mid-Season Invitational. Kingzone had run roughshod over the other teams in the region during the Spring Split and knocked off Afreeca Freecs in the final to represent Korea at MSI.
At MSI, Kingzone was not able to live up to expectations. They lost four matches in the Group Stage and finished runners-up to Royal Never Give Up in the final. Kingzone is out to shake off that bad performance, and as a region, Korea is looking to prove that it is still the gold standard.
2018 LCK Summer Split Betting Odds (Courtesy of BetDSI)
Kingzone DragonX +170
SK Telecom T1 +425
KT Rolster +425
Afreeca Freecs +585
Gen.G +825
Griffin +2000
Hanwha Life Esports +2100
Jin Air Green Wings +2500
Team MVP +3000
BBQ Olivers +3300
Despite the problems at MSI, Kingzone is not changing anything up when it comes to their roster. The team is considered to have the best collection of talent in the world, they just need to perform better on the international stage.
There is going to be a lot of pressure on Khan this split. Khan was perhaps the biggest disappointment of all at MSI, and he will look to bounce back. While Patch 8.11 does not favor the top lane, Patch 8.12 does. That’s when he can prove he is still the best top laner in the world.
Redemption will be the theme for another Korean team this split. SK Telecom T1 had their worst finish in quite some time, finishing fourth in the Spring Split. While Faker and Bang played well in their traditional roles, SKT was unable to get consistent play out of its top lane, jungle, or support.
The hope is that they can get better play out of those roles in summer. Effort looks like he is turning into a solid support, but we still need to see better play in the top lane and jungle. SKT has two players at each position and will likely alternate them until one emerges through better play.
KT Rolster are looking to perform better too. Third place is not too disappointing considering how good this region is, but that’s not good enough for the original Korean superteam. Ucal has looked very good since taking over for PawN in the mid lane, and he can battle against the best in the world. The key in summer will be for the bottom lane to improve. AD Carry Deft was quick to blame himself for some of the team’s struggles in spring, and he will look to have a better showing.
In terms of contenders, you can’t rule out the Afreeca Freecs. The Freecs were seen as a fringe playoff team coming into the Spring Split, but they managed to finish second in the regular season and made it to the Grand Final. TusiN has emerged as a world-class support, yet they must get better play from the AD Carry position if they are going to truly compete.
Finally, if you’re looking for a longshot, take a look at Griffin. Griffin ran the table in Korea Contenders and then knocked off both Kongdoo Monster and MVP to earn promotion into the Summer Split. They have a fantastic support in Lehends, and Tarzan can make an impact as the team’s jungler.
