Warning: spoilers below!
It’s official – the 2018 EU LCS Spring Split is over. Fnatic took the title in a tense final against G2 Esports, and Splyce have secured a third-place finish after defeating Vitality in a close five-game series.
Although there can only be one winner of the EU LCS, all eyes are now on the international stage to see what glory European teams can find against their international counterparts.
Rift Rivals Places Confirmed
Rift Rivals is an international event that pitches leagues against each other. During the week of Monday, July 2nd to Sunday, July 8th 2018, separate Rift Rivals tournaments will take place across Australia, Brazil, China, Vietnam, and the USA.
The regions taking part are:
- Oceania vs Southeast Asia vs Japan (hosted in Australia)
- Brazil vs Latin America North vs Latin America South (hosted in Brazil)
- China vs Korea vs LMS (hosted in China)
- Vietnam vs Russia vs Turkey (hosted in Vietnam)
- NA LCS vs EU LCS (hosted in the USA)
In the case of the NA / EU LCS Rift Rivals tournament, the top three teams from both the NA LCS and the EU LCS will be pitted against each other, to see which team can come out on top.
That means we will see Team Liquid, 100 Thieves and Echo Fox of the NA LCS go up against Fnatic, G2 Esports and Splyce of the EU LCS.
If the format follows that of the 2017 Rift Rivals tournament, each EU LCS team will play each NA LCS team in a double round robin format. The best team in each region then moves on to the final. The final will then be a longer Bo5 format, much like the playoff format these teams conquered in their regions, to decide the winning team.
Can EU get revenge?
Although Fnatic and G2 are no strangers to international competition, as they took part in the 2017 Rift Rivals against the NA LCS, this will be new territory for Splyce, who will definitely benefit from some international experience (though Xerxe will have some painful memories.) And after North America brought home the 2017 clash, EU has a chip on their shoulders.
Last year’s Rift Rivals tournament saw Team SoloMid take home the win after they defeated Unicorns of Love 3-0 in the final. Given Fnatic’s form of late, they will certainly be eyeing up the top spot, but don’t count G2 or Splyce out just yet.
Riot has yet to confirm which city and venue will host the NA/EU LCS Rift Rivals tournament, however, further information should be released sometime in the next few weeks.
You can see the original press release from Riot, along with information about other upcoming international events, here.
Do you think the NA or EU LCS will win at Rift Rivals? Let us know in the comments below!
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!
League Of Legends