League of Legends fans knew they would see some thrilling matches thanks to new teams, roster changes, and a new structure, and they were, for the most part, not let down.
Fans had three days of action-packed contests that exceeded many expectations, both positively and negatively, despite announcements and delays.
Here are three key insights that provide light on the potential future of the 2023 #LEC campaign:
Rookies stealing the show
The year 2023 appears to be the one for the rookies. The importance that seasoned players provide to their clubs is undeniable, and league fans are aware of how packed the area is with them. However, the LEC rookies surpassed more seasoned players throughout the first three days of the Winter Split.
Three players in particular stood out among the eight rookies that entered the tournament this year. During their first weekend in the LEC, two junglers, Yike and Bo, as well as top laner Photon, made a good impact on both fans and players.
Since Yike is a new member of G2, everyone was watching how will he perform against Excel. But after giving up first blood to his enemies, the jungler soon rejoined the battle and aided his bottom lane success.
Addition of Photon and Bo transformed the squad into the super team they were meant to be in the previous season. The squad was in the perfect position to punish their opponents repeatedly because to the raw mechanics and game awareness of both players.
The dominating Duo
Different people had different predictions for which team will win 2023 season at the start. And even though the competition has just started, two teams have already gained the attention of spectators. Only two teams with a perfect record after the three days of the 2023 LEC Winter Split are Vitality and G2.
The opening day of action presented a test for both teams. However, the G2 and Vitality ultimately prevailed without exhausting themselves significantly, and they continued to win their following matches within 30 minutes and with leads more than 10 000 gold. These winning streaks could carry over to the following week. On Monday, January 30th, Vitality and G2 will face each other with only team coming out on top.
Small issues with match delays
The broadcast saw many game pauses and match delays during the opening weekend of the LEC Winter Split because of numerous but continuous problems. Both before and after the broadcast, the community voiced a variety of issues as a result. One viewer even noted on Reddit that the delay between games on the third day of the week was longer than the typical game length.
During the first week of the 2023 LEC Winter Split, the average game lasted over 33 minutes, according to gol.gg. Despite the unexpected problems, the show continued to entertain viewers with a variety of post-game interviews and in-depth analyst desk pieces. Fans were nonetheless outraged by the many postponements of games, to the point that the new LEC commissioner Artem Bykov addressed the problem and provided an explanation.
If the first half of the 2023 LEC Winter Split proved its supporters anything, it’s that the end of the competitive season would bring about an extraordinary event. As announced earlier by the LEC, the 2023 season finals are heading to Montpelier, city located in the South of France.
