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The professional League of Legends continues. With the LPL Summer 2023 finals just days away, where JD Gaming defended their title, we're back in the Chinese League of Legends. The 2023 Regional Finals take place here - the last chance for teams to clinch a spot at the 2023 Worlds.
The race for the two slots features 4 teams who crashed out of the LPL Summer 2023 play-offs at the Top 6 stage. LNG Esports have already earned their place in the "Swiss" Worlds 2023, but EDward Gaming and Weibo Gaming will fight for the second place in the South Korean tournament.
Let's try to figure out which of the teams will be more worthy to pass to the main event of the year, and who will be one step away from their goal. This should be The International.
Let's go.
Form Weibo Gaming
Let's open the analysis of the confrontation by analysing Weibo Gaming's form. In this match the team will play in the status of favourites.
Pre-match situation is confirmed by League of Legends betting sites. The odds for a victory Weibo is at a mark in the region of 1.5.
This situation may look quite unexpected, because in terms of status Weibo do not reach their vis-a-vis. In fact, Weibo's advantage is logical, as the club has shown some serious play this season.
Weibo Gaming can be called a newcomer to the LPL, as the club appeared on the Esports radar and big stage in 2021, and debuted on the LPL in 2022.
As a rookie, the results were very good. Weibo made the top 8 twice in 2022, finishing top 6 at LPL Spring 2022 and top 8 at LPL Summer 2022.
At the last tournament played before LPL Summer 2023, the previous LPL Spring 2023 split, the team again finished in the top 6. It's not surprising, as the club has a great roster.
- Weibo Gaming roster: TneShy, weiwei, Xiaohu, Light, Crisp .
Weibo Gaming very confidently entered the play-offs of the championship. In the group stage of LPL Summer 2023 the team played with a score of 10-6, which allowed them to take sixth place.
Weibo's first opponent in the play-offs was Ninjas in Pyjamas, who made a great run through the group stage and then surprised in the play-offs, reaching the top 8. But obviously they couldn't win, with Weibo winning 3-1.
Weibo's next opponent in the LPL Summer 2023 play-offs was LNG Esports, who showed top flight performance in the regular season, reaching the top 2 of the league and almost beating JD Gaming in the finals. Nevertheless, it was Weibo LNG that LNG had to deal with in the play-offs, and that match ended with the score 2-3 not in favour of WG.
In the regional finals Weibo started their performance from the lower grid, where their opponent was TES. A willful 3-2 victory was a key argument in favour of Weibo's advantage in that match.
Weibo Gaming's most popular champions in spades
Weibo Gaming is not known for diversity in the top line up. TheShy plays KSante (10 games, 8 wins), Gnar (6 matches, 50% wins). Sion (2 matches, 100% wins) and Renekton (2 matches, 50% wins) make rare appearances.
The ubiquitous Maokai is ignored in the forest (appeared only once and lost). But Vi (6 games, 100% wins), Elise (6 games, 60% wins), Sejuani (4 games, 75% wins) get quite a lot of attention.
The centre line is occupied by Syndra (7 games, 85% wins), Ryze (4 games, 0% wins), Talliyah (3 games, 66% wins).
From shooters like Lucian (5 matches, 80% wins), Varus (4 games, 75% wins), Zeri, Sivir and Caitlyn appeared 3 times each and only Sivir didn't win a single game.
Sapports: Nami (7 matches, 85% wins), Ashe (4 matches, 50% wins), Yummi (3 matches, 33% wins).
EDward Gaming uniforms
We continue the match analysis with the analysis of EDward Gaming's form. Here they play in the status of catching up.
Bookmakers do not really believe in the triumph of EDG. The odds on their victory is at around 2.5.
In truth, this match looks closer. That's because EDG and Weibo have played a virtually identical season. Also, EDG has a big background.
In 2021, EDG triumphed at Worlds 2021, etching their name in the annals of history as the best team in the world. Then something went wrong and EDG started to lose strength, but not critically.
In 2022 EDG again made their way to Worlds, but managed to be ranked "only" in the top 8. For some people this is a strong indicator, but not for EDG.
The last result of EDG was the top 3 at LPL Spring 2023. Then it was not enough to win one series to qualify for the Mid-Season Invitational 2023.
- EDG roster: Ale, Jiejie, FoFo, Uzi, Meiko.
EDG finished 8th place in the group stage, which is not a good result. This led to EDward getting into the first round of play-offs, where they easily shut down Team WE with a score of 3-1.
In the next round of play-offs the team faced a stronger opponent, namely OMG. EDG won that match with a score of 3-2.
LPL Summer 2023 ended with EDG in the top 6 after losing to TES in the quarter-finals. The losing streak is still held to this day, as EDG Ledge or LNG at the regional finals in a match to qualify for the 2023 Worlds.
EDward Gaming's most popular champions
Edward Gaming has a very extensive pool of champions in the top line up. Fiora, Sion, Kenen and Renekton appeared 3 times each, of which the first two won 2 matches each, but Kenen and Renekton took all their games. Jayce, KSante, Camile, Jax and Gnar appeared 2 times each (Jax won both matches, the others 1-1).
Things are much less varied in the forest by metha's dictation. The most pickable character is Maokai (7 games, 100% wins). Next are Vi (5 games, 80% wins) and Sejuani and Wukong (4 games each, 50% wins).
The centre line doesn't shine with variety either. The same popular Azir (6 games, 50% wins), Jayce (6 games, 83% wins), Akali (5 games, 80% wins).
In bot - Zeri (7 matches, 100% wins), Lucian (4 matches, 50% wins), Caitlyn (100% wins in 3 matches), Jhin (3 games, 66% wins).
The situation is as follows: Nami, Ashe, Yummi have 4 games each with 2 wins for the first, 3 for the second and perfect winrate for the third. Then come Heim (3 games, 66% wins) and Annie (3 games, 100% wins).
History of personal confrontations between EDG and Weibo Gaming
The teams have played each other three times during the 2023 season. Two matches were taken by EDG, and the last game during the LPL regular season ended in a WBG victory.
Predicted result of Weibo Gaming vs EDward Gaming at LPL Regional Finals 2023
Given the close results of the teams throughout the season, I predict that their head-to-head match will be quite close as well. When it comes to the winner, Weibo look the more viable option to me.
They have already beaten EDG in the season, and their run through the play-offs has been brighter than EDG's. What's worth a match against LNG in the quarter-finals. On top of that, they've already knocked off Regional Finals 2023 TES, who in turn knocked EDG off LPL Summer 2023: Playoffs. I'm in favour of WBG.
Bottom line: Weibo Gaming wins.
