After an insane, action-packed first week of the LEC, the bar has been raised. We’ve seen incredible upsets, multiple super teams in the making, as well as some insane top-tier League of Legends. Week two not only lived up to expectations, but it also gave us a better understanding of just how strong every team actually is. It’s still too early to give out any concrete predictions, but things are slowly falling into place. So without further ado, let’s go over what happened in our LEC week 2 recap!

First — G2 Esports (4-0)

For G2, week two was much of the same. In other words — absolute domination on all fronts. Their level of play and overall mechanical prowess left everyone in awe. But just because they acquired sole possession of first place doesn’t mean they did so flawlessly. Far from it.

Their game on Friday against Excel Esports is the perfect example. They came into the game underestimating what Excel could bring to the table. They were far too confident, and it almost cost them the game.

Fortunately, Caps’ mind-blowing individual play was just barely enough to eke out the win. It wasn’t pretty, but they got the job done.

G2 Esports are, without a doubt, one of the best and most capable rosters the region has ever seen, and they definitely have the potential to go 18-0 if they don’t step on their own toes.

Tied for Second — Misfits (3-1)

Things started off exceptionally well for the Misfits squad on Friday as they were able to completely outclass Origen. It wasn’t particularly one-sided, at least not in the beginning, but Misfits created their own small leads and eventually snowballed to the point where they had three drakes, three towers, and eight kills by the 19-minute mark. Origen stayed close in gold, but it wasn’t enough — Misfits were too clean in their execution.

Saturday, however, brought a different kind of result. Misfits were utterly demolished by Team Vitality. To be more exact, it was a complete shellacking. Losing to a team of Vitality’s caliber isn’t shocking, but the fashion in which it occurred was. Misfits’ huge momentum came to a halt, but it was bound to happen sooner or later.

They’re entering week three looking to cement themselves as a top-tier contender. Fortunately, they have a somewhat “easy” schedule coming up, so they shouldn’t have a problem improving to 5-1.

Tied for Second — Schalke 04 (3-1)

Schalke made the most out of their second week of play. After going 1-1 in the first week of the LEC, they were able to take down both SK Gaming and Fnatic in pretty clean fashion. They were proactive from the get-go but also subdued in their execution when it mattered most.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about this Schalke line-up is the fact that they’re all on the same page this early on in the split. They can collapse in a split second, and that’s exactly what’s allowing them to look so clean and dominant. The fact that they’re all experienced veterans helps out as well.

Looking forward, they have the tools necessary to stay near the top of the region. Their upcoming match against Splyce, however, will show which team belongs in the upper echelon of the LEC.

Tied for Second — Splyce (3-1)

Much like Schalke, Splyce were able to end the week with two clean back-to-back wins. While they didn’t have the toughest of opponents, they did their job and didn’t skip a beat in the process. They were creative in their drafting and team play, they showcased fantastic synergy, and were able to correctly snowball their early leads into the mid and late game.

For Splyce, 2019 is a chance to prove not only that they’re a top-tier competitor but also a team that’s not one-dimensional. So far, they’ve been showing a lot of progress in that department. Watching them develop in the foreseeable future will be especially interesting.

Tied for Second — Team Vitality (3-1)

Rounding out the four-way tie for second, we have none other than Team Vitality. They were somewhat lackluster throughout the first week of competitive play, but they managed to step up big time last week. They were far more proactive and decisive in key moments, and perhaps most importantly — they all dominated on an individual level.

The fact that they took down Fnatic isn’t exactly a surprise given their recent downfall, but the way they destroyed Misfits in the early game was an absolute shocker. We saw the return of their Worlds form, and it was mesmerizing. Coming into week three, they’re the team to beat along with G2. If they keep playing at this level, they should be able to lock down a top 3 spot fairly quickly.

Sixth — SK Gaming (2-2)

Next up, we have SK Gaming in sole possession of sixth place. While they could eventually compete for a higher spot, they’re currently a pretty solid gatekeeper. They’re strong individually, but more importantly, they have a solid amount of synergy.

They’re not, however, going to blow your mind. They heavily depend on Selfmade’s early game impact, but they’re still a dangerous opponent. Their third-week schedule isn’t exactly easy, but if things go according to plan, they should end the week with a 1-1 record.

Tied for Seventh — Origen (1-3)

When the season began, people were divided into two camps when it came to judging Origen’s roster. The first one was filled with people buying into the hype, whereas the other consisted of hardcore skeptics. It seems the latter was in the right this time around.

The biggest problem with this incarnation of Origen is the fact that they’re completely mediocre in all facets of play. They’re passive and reactive; they make individual mistakes, mechanical misplays — you name it. They’re just not playing as a team of four veterans, and that’s the most confusing part. Origen is supposedly a beast in scrims, but that doesn’t matter if they can’t mount an offensive on the LEC stage.

Will they be able to bounce back and reach a satisfying level of play in the coming weeks? Perhaps, but the odds are stacked against them. 

Tied for Seventh — Excel Esports (1-3)

Even though they have the same record, Excel Esports played far better than Origen. They were more decisive in their losses, and even though they failed to get a win last week, they at least put up one heck of a fight.

Their game against G2 Esports was, by all means, an extremely close affair. They’re far stronger than people give them credit for. When their jungler Marc Robert “Caedrel” Lamont starts off on the right foot, they’re a force to be reckoned with. At least in the early and mid stages of the game.

Once the late game kicks in, they kind of fall apart, but it’s something they can (and will) work on. Excel had a fantastic game against the former “kings of Europe,” and it’s only a matter of time before they get on the same page and become a solid middle-of-the-pack team.

Tied for Ninth — Rogue (0-4)

Truth be told, there’s not a lot you can say about Rogue so far. They’re somewhat capable, as evidenced by their relatively (and we’re really being generous here) close game against Splyce, and somewhat close early game against G2 Esports. But in all four of their losses, their level of play was just barely enough to keep things slightly competitive before they ultimately lost in dominant fashion.

They’re showing some improvement overall, but it’s far too negligible at this point in time. By all accounts, they shouldn’t be able to improve rankings-wise as time goes on.

Tied for Ninth — Fnatic (0-4)

Last, we have none other than the reigning LEC champions, Fnatic. A 0-4 start is absolutely crushing, no matter how you spin it. They improved a fair bit in their second week, but it wasn’t enough, not in a landscape this competitive.

This week, however, they have a chance at finally scoring their first LEC win against Rogue. It’s not much, but it’s a step in the right direction. In short, they have the veteran presence and sheer experience to get out of this confusing conundrum, but how high they’ll rise once that happens remains to be seen. Either way, it’s crushing to see a former staple team struggle so much.

That’s it for our LEC week 2 recap! The second week of competitive play built upon the exciting narratives established in week one, and we saw some exceptional, high-level play across the board from (almost) all teams competing. Judging from the upcoming schedule, the third week of play shouldn’t disappoint either.