The Regional League of Legends enters a turbulent zone. The play-offs of the biggest split in the professional League of Legends - the LPL Spring 2023 play-offs - begin.
The top ten teams from the group stage begin the battle for $610,000, the Chinese title and two berths to the Mid-Season Invitational 2023 on March 30.
Opening the clashes in the main stage of the LPL Spring 2023 will be ThunderTalk Gaming and Royal Never Give Up. Both teams finished 7th to 10th, which in turn led to the clubs being placed in the first round of the lower net.
ThunderTalk Gaming played the group stage with a score of 9-7. The team settled for 8th place in the regular season.
Royal Never Give Up played with a score of 8-8. They finished in a lower position - 9th place in the main stage.
Let's see which team will continue on to the LPL Spring 2023 playoffs, and who will have to say goodbye to their ambitions of going to MSI and start preparing for the summer season.
Royal Never Give Up uniforms
We begin our match-by-match breakdown with an analysis of Royal Never Give Up's playing form. In this match, they will have to play as favourites.
Bookmakers estimate the chance of Royal Never Give Up winning by odds in the region of 1.6. Such a figure inspires optimism towards ThunderTalk Gaming.
If we abstract away from the results of this season, yes, RNG is indeed a head stronger and more dangerous than their future rivals. Last season the team was the leader of the region, and at the same time one of the major players on the international competitive scene, but those days are over.
Royal Never Give Up line-up
The new competition year started chaotically for RNG. The team was searching for the right combination of performers, which led to constant shuffling and swaps, but in the end they arrived at the new line-up.
Royal Never Give Up players
The players, solid, that's a fact. The team had difficulties at the start of the line-up, but still made it to the play-offs, which was quite expected.
The trio of Wei, GALA and Ming won MSI last season and wouldn't mind going there again now. Breathe, too, is no slouch: Top 8 Worlds 2023.
Royal Never Give Up results
Royal Never Give Up were LPL Spring 2023 champions last season and then won the Mid-Season Invitational 2023. Finished in the top-8 at Worlds 2022.
In the regular season, RNG finished 9th in the group table. The team finished the regular season 8-8.
Royal Never Give Up champions
Top line picks are KSante (4 games, 25% wins), Renekton (3 games, 66% wins), Jayce (2 games, 0% wins).
From Foresters: Maokai (3 games, 33% wins), Sejuani (3 games, 0% wins), Graves (2 games, 50% wins), Poppy (2 games, 0 wins) and Wukong (2 games, 50% win rate).
In the midrange a classic situation: Azir (2 games, 50% wins), Akali (1 game, 0 wins), Ryze (1 game, 100% wins).
On the shooters too, it's pretty usual, except for ignoring Lucian-a. The most selectable champion is Zeri (4 games, 75% wins). There were Caitlyn (3 games, 33% wins), Ziggs (2 games, 0% wins) and Varus (2 games, 0% wins).
Heimerdinger (2 games, 50% wins), Yuumi (2 games, 50% wins).
ThunderTalk Gaming uniforms
We continue our analysis of the match with an analysis of ThunderTalk Gaming's form. In this match they play in the status of the outsider.
Bookmakers estimate the chance of ThunderTalk Gaming winning at odds in the region of 2.2. Quite a complimentary valuation for a team at this level.
ThunderTalk Gaming has not claimed the laurels of a top team before, but rather played in the ranks of the "average". In the new season they can change their status, but they will have to do their best.
ThunderTalk Gaming roster
ThunderTalk Gaming experienced similar problems. The whole beginning of the year the team was stormy, and decisions became commonplace, but in the end they were able to put together a very combative lineup that overtook the same Royal Never Give Up in the regular season.
ThunderTalk Gaming players
- Hoya
- Beichuan
- Ucal
- huanfeng
- yaoyao
The most experienced TT fighter is HuanFeng. As part of Suning, he managed to reach the Top 2 Worlds in 2020.
In the new season, none of the performers particularly stood out. None of the players doled out MVP honours, while there was plenty of time, and the duo-bots from RNG, GALA and Ming, were twice celebrated as the most effective players.
ThunderTalk Gaming's performance
TT's most recent landmark result was a top-2 at the Demacia Cup 2022. The club had never qualified for the Chinese league playoffs before, so making the main stage of the LPL Spring 2023 is already a milestone achievement for the team.
The team finished 8th in the group stage of the biggest regular season competition. Their match statistics are 9-7.
ThunderTalk Gaming champions
Gnar (11 matches, 54% wins), Gragas (6 matches, 33% wins), Sejuani (6 matches, 50% wins) are the most frequent picks in the top TT Gaming.
Viego (15 games, 33% wins), Poppy (10 games, 50% wins), Wukong (7 games, 28% wins) are favored in the forest.
The centre line is most often occupied by Sylas (8 games, 75% wins), Ahri (6 games, 33% wins), Azir (5 games, 100% wins)
Aphelios (10 matches, 30% wins), Jinx (9 matches, 77% wins), Kalista (5 games, 60% wins) appeared in the bot line.
Nautilus (5 games, 50% win rate), Braum (5 games, 60% wins), Leona (5 games, 60% wins).
History of head-to-head encounters
The teams played each other in the group stage. TT then lost 0-2.
The outcome of the match
I do not expect any revelations in this match. Royal Never Give Up should win.
The title club has secured a permanent squad with notable players in it. Thanks to the personal performance, the team will press from the early stages, as we have already seen in the face-to-face clash with TT.
I admit that the lesser-status opponents will reclaim the map from the Kings, but no more than that.
Bottom line: victory for RNG.
