League of Legends Worlds 2022 is finally here, as the best teams have come from all over the globe to battle it out for the ultimate prize. Rarely before has Worlds seen so much extraordinary talent in one place.
Before Worlds 2022 can truly begin though, the Play-in Stage will decide who makes the cut for the main event. Here's how the teams are measuring up after the first day of games.
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Worlds 2022 Play-in Stage Day 1 Results
Group A
In Group A, the results were as follows:
- Fnatic 1-0 Evil Geniuses
- LOUD 0-1 Beyond Gaming
- Chiefs Esports Club 0-1 Fnatic
- DetonatioN FocusMe 0-1 LOUD
Fnatic, despite their substitute support, Rhuckz starting for both games, put on a fantastic showing on Day 1 of Play-Ins. Their win against Evil Geniuses was particularly impressive, showing clean macro and dominating a game many expected to be close.
Beyond Gaming and LOUD also picked up wins, although BYG took the head-to-head. Despite perhaps a slightly outdated meta-read, they played a very clean game, despatching LOUD with ease.
Group B
Group B had the following results for us:
- Isurus 0-1 MAD Lions
- MAD Lions 1-0 İstanbul Wildcats
- Saigon Buffalo 1-0 İstanbul Wildcats
- DRX 1-0 Royal Never Give Up
Mad Lions, not to be outdone by the other LEC seed, also went 2-0 on day 1 of Play-ins. Their wins were by no means flawless, but after a shaky playoffs performance, fans will be happy to see them start strong.
Saigon Buffalo also came out the gate swinging. Zac mid was not in many people's Pickems, but Froggy made it work, with beautiful setup for Shogun's MF to spray and pray to victory.
Perhaps the most surprising result though was DRX's victory over RNG. Famed for their reliability in Best-of-ones, RNG simply failed to perform. DRX looked to have a perfect and up-to-date meta read, even picking the Maokai jungle, and RNG looked stuck in the past.
Worlds 2022 Play-In Stage Day 1 Standings
Fnatic now sit atop the ranking in Group A, closely followed by BYG. Expect Evil Geniuses to make a resurgence in the coming days, but anything can happen in best-of-ones.
Group B also had their LEC seed in Mad Lions sitting in first place. Expect stiff competition from SGB, DRX, and RNG over the next few days, as Group B looks like one of the most stacked we have ever seen.
Day 2 of Play-Ins will kick off at the same time, 3 pm CT, or 10 pm BST.