The LCK has started off well with some competitive games and we bring you our Power Rankings for the league going into Week 3.
The LCK Summer Split has started off well with some surprises and upsets. Typically the LCK is not a high variance league but we have been seeing more of these teams being competitive amongst each other. Having said that, in light of the results so far, we are bringing you our power rankings going into Week 3 of the split. Let’s jump right into it.
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Power Rankings
There has been a shift in the standings based on the 2 weeks of games in the LCK. However, our list will be portrayed differently from the standings as of now as we take strength of schedule into account. Gen.G and DK are really close in terms of strength and T1 and NS are not far behind them. The top 3 looks all but confirmed. However, there are still a lot of games to be played and anything can happen. Thus, this is our power rankings
1. Gen.G
DK and Gen.G are really close in these comparisons for who is top or not. For now, it looks like Gen.G has a leg up on them. They are the only undefeated team in the LCK with a 4-0 record. It’s still fairly early to call it and say Gen.G is the strongest team but they look strong. Everyone on the team has been playing well and has stepped up since the debacle in the Spring Playoff Finals. If they can keep it up and go undefeated and potentially beat DK in Week 4, there is no reason for them to not be the best team in Korea right now.
2. DK
DK comes in as a close 2nd on this list. As mentioned earlier, the difference between DK and Gen.G is paper-thin in terms of skill and strength. One thing that DK is doing as of late is role swapping. The fad of the LEC has caught up to the LCK as Showmaker has swapped to ADC, Canyon has swapped to Mid lane, and Malrang is playing Jungle in the past 2 series.
The question is, do they keep doing this and how long do they continue to experiment with the lineup. It was clear that they had a lot of weaknesses during MSI and maybe role swapping will be the answer for them. They have done it so far against AF and DRX, but whether they do it against the likes of NS or Gen.G will be the main point going forward. However, it’s absolutely clear that the team is not content with their current situation and there will be more role swaps if needed in the future just to get the best lineup possible for them.
3. T1
Despite T1 struggling in the last series of Week 2, they come in as the 3rd team on our rankings. They pushed DK yet again but couldn’t close the series out but there are some good signs from the team. They have finally decided on a 5 man lineup and have played with that for all their series. The game vs NS on week 3 could cement their spot as a top 3 team in the LCK and will be a fun game to watch.
4. Nongshim RedForce
NS has started off their split in a fantastic fashion going 3-1 so far. Their only loss is against Gen.G and even then they pushed the series to its limits. This is a much-improved team and it shows in their performances. Where NS does really well is when they build up and then work around the map and get good team fights. This team excels from the mid-game and onwards and that is a good recipe to have in this meta. Whether they keep it up will be one to watch going forward.
5. Liiv Sandbox
Let’s start talking about another team that is much improved this split and that is LSB. This team has been very good in the early game. They have a really high priority on Heralds and First Turrets so far and have excelled in the early game, gaining gold and using that to win games by playing together. LSB is a solid unit and FATE leads them through the mid lane. It is nice to see them being very competitive and beating HLE and T1 in Week 2. Let’s hope they keep that up and see how far they can go.
6. Afreeca Freecs
AF started off the split well with a 3-1 record. However, their schedule in the past two weeks was relatively easy, and being where they are was expected given the roster they have. Regardless, they have a very good roster and they should be a good team to watch. The question for them will be how do they play against stronger opponents. They will be playing a slumping HLE and a high-flying Gen.G in Week 3 so AF will need to play well to possibly win both games.
7. Hanwha Life Esports
HLE has started the split very poorly as they are 1-3 in the split so far. Week 3 is not going to be any easier as they play DK and AF in the week. Their starting schedule has been hard and this is not getting easier in Week 3. This is a team that is going through a lot of turmoil and hopefully they can get better and be the team they are supposed to be.
8. KT Rolster
KT also had a pretty hard schedule to start with facing NS, DK, Gen.G, and AF in the past 2 weeks. It’s tough going for them even though they did beat DK. They have gotten better in the early game but as the game goes later, they make a lot of mistakes which hampers them in winning games. Harp being put into the lineup has improved the team and they should get better as the split wanes. They face DRX and LSB so if they play well, they could win both series.
9. Fredit Brion
BRO started with a 1-3 record in the split. This team is decent but is out of its depth in the league against the top teams. They are still competing with teams like AF, HLE, and the likes and won against LSB. They are going to be a competitive team, but going forward, we do not expect them to be in the playoff hunt.
10. DRX
DRX has been a disaster this split so far. Granted they have played really strong teams at the start but they have been underperforming massively compared to last split. DRX still has talent on the team but they should get out of their slump at some point. We can only hope they snap out of it and improve very soon.
Games To Watch This Week
There are some important games coming up soon and they will be fun to watch. So here are some of our picks:
- HLE vs AF(Wednesday): Will HLE get out of the slump or will AF keep up with their winning ways.
- T1 vs NS (Thursday): A battle for 3rd spot in the LCK.
- AF vs GEN (Saturday): A good game to watch in the weekend
There are some other games that will be fun to watch and people should tune in to the LCK as it continues on Wednesday with Week 3 kicking off with HLE vs AF.
