It’s time to take a closer look at the North American standings after eight weeks of competitive play, in our 2019 LCS Summer Split week 8 recap! Just a single week is separating us from the end of the regular portion of the split. To say that it flew by would be an understatement. Looking back, what are the narratives that entertained us the most? The storylines that kept our attention as the split developed?

LCS Summer Split Week 8 Recap

First of all, the defending champions Team Liquid have not only managed to remain relevant but are as strong as ever. They were able to fend off all challengers and are currently without an equal on home soil. They might not dominate each and every time but they definitely have the most talent and potential out of all ten permanent LCS partners. They should diversify their arsenal going forward but then again, it’s hard to fault them seeing how they’ve been cruising on auto-pilot for the longest time.

Secondly, we saw many new challengers rise through the ranks, and that was perhaps the biggest surprise. Both Counter Logic Gaming and OpTic Gaming clawed their way to the top and are currently regarded as bona fide contenders — two teams that have what it takes in order to tango with the best the LCS has to offer. And that’s commendable, to say the least. We’ve all become a bit tired of seeing the exact same faces dominate the region. And while nothing has changed just yet, the fact that we finally saw new faces rise up the ranks is quite thrilling. They probably won’t leave a mark once the dust settles, but they’ve made huge progress over the last couple of months.

Conversely, the two perennial North American giants — Cloud9 and Team SoloMid — experienced quite a noticeable fall from grace. They are still at the top of the region and are incredibly capable contenders, but their play leaves a lot to be desired, to say the least. Both teams were unable to leave much of a mark and are currently playing far worse than anyone expected. While their potential improvement always lingers in the air, they definitely seem less capable and aggressive when compared to their Spring Split level of play.

Cloud9 are just not as dominant as they once were, whereas Team SoloMid regressed to a shocking degree. Furthermore, individual members of both teams simply aren’t playing at the highest of levels.

Finally, everyone outside of the Top 5 failed to lock down an identity in time and has suffered as a result. Teams like FlyQuest and the Golden Guardians are no longer a concrete threat (although they are capable of upsetting), Clutch Gaming is still hit or miss, with 100 Thieves and Echo Fox being both great and abysmal all at once.

If anything, the LCS never failed to entertain in week eight. Perhaps you couldn’t always see the best or most optimal League of Legends, but at least everyone clearly tried their best — for better or worse. In the end, the split itself provided more than enough entertainment (or heartbreak, depending on your allegiance).

With all that said, let’s do a somewhat quick LCS Summer Split week 8 recap in order to see where each team is at and how the standings could eventually resolve!

First — Team Liquid (12W-4L)

Much like with G2 Esports over in Europe, there’s just not left that can be said about Liquid. They’re definitely not as sound or as flexible, but they have a perfect read on each and every one of their competitors and they’re just too good at this point in time in order to not get our full benefit of the doubt.

They’re definitely vulnerable (as seen from their games against OpTic Gaming and Cloud9), but there’s no team right now that can fully exploit their inherent weaknesses. And yes, we can talk ad nauseam about their one-dimensional nature and their over-reliance on their bottom lane and Jake “Xmithie” Puchero, but until the region fosters an actual challenger, a team that can throw down with Liquid at the highest of levels, they’re going to keep getting away with it.

How well their playstyle is going to work on the World Championship stage in a couple of months still remains to be seen, but they’re definitely not getting pushed to their limit on home soil. Even when they do drop a game, they always manage to come back stronger and there’s no one that can actually challenge them in a Best of 5 setting.

Second — Counter Logic Gaming (11W-5L)

To say that seeing Counter Logic Gaming in second place is a surprise would be an understatement. By the same token, to say that they have improved leaps and bounds in a staggeringly short amount of time would also be an understatement.

Simply put, Counter Logic Gaming has a good understanding of what’s good and why. In other words, they are perfectly aware of their biggest strengths and even though they’re still somewhat uneven and prone to making incredibly bad plays, they’re at least working on their biggest problems and have shown incredibly grit and determination.

Again, they’re rough around the edges, but they have a surprisingly good read on the meta and they’re playing what they’re best at. They have a relatively “easy” schedule going forward and could, potentially, win all three games and cement their spot in the Top 2. Also, their new top laner is doing a ton of heavy lifting and his addition definitely elevated the team as a whole — both mechanically as well as strategically.

Right Behind Liquid — Cloud9 (10W-6L), Team SoloMid (9W-7L)

Almost Surely In the Playoffs — OpTic Gaming, Golden Guardians (8W-8L)

Much like Counter Logic Gaming, OpTic Gaming has made great strides in their play over the last two months. They’re definitely one of the better teams in the region (depending on the day) and should, in theory, be a tough nut to crack once the playoffs come around.

While they do have a couple of obvious weaknesses (which could be heavily exploited, especially in a Best of 5 setting), they’re still more than capable enough for throwing down with anyone in the region. The fact that they nearly took down Liquid last week only further proves the fact and justifies their high ranking. Then again, we often see both sides of the OpTic medal, and we’re not always impressed with what’s on display.

The same thing goes for the Guardians as well.

Could Get In — Clutch Gaming, 100 Thieves (7W-9L)

This is a strange bunch, to say the least. Two teams that redefine the world “inconsistent” any time they step foot on stage. They’re deceptively capable, but it all depends on a load of factors. Their draft, their opponent, the way they start off the game, their synergy on that one given day, and so on. Because of this, it’s impossible to confidently predict whether or not they end up upsetting any team ranked above them.

Their schedules all are intertwined and things will surely go down to the wire. A single game will definitely end up being the determining factor. That said, the odds are definitely not in their favor.

Out of the Running — FlyQuest (5W-11L), Echo Fox (3W-13L)

FlyQuest is definitely playing a lot better at this point in time, but it’s simply too late in order to make a run for the playoffs — the season is over. Their abysmal start to the split was too much to handle and they’ve been punished as a result.

As for Echo Fox, their 2019 season was, to phrase things as simply as possible, exceptionally disappointing. The only thing Echo Fox can do now is to restructure and build from the ground up. Maybe 2020 will bring more success? At least they can hope.

Thanks for joining us for our LCS Summer Split week 8 recap! Stay tuned for more League of Legends esports news and check out our LEC Summer Split week 6 recap to see how things are going across the pond.