The Spring Split of LEC 2022 wrapped up earlier today with all 6 teams locked in and the bracket set for the 25th of March.
The LEC Spring Split 2022 has drawn to a close as the last day of games was concluded hours ago. With that said, there were some surprises as MAD Lions did not make the playoffs and Misfits Gaming being top 4 in the last two splits in the regular season.
Also, Excel Esports making their first playoffs is a celebratory moment for the organization since it has joined the league. The usual suspects in Fnatic, Rogue, G2 are in the top 4 once more with the prospective new superteam barely managing to make it into the playoffs.
As the regular season has drawn to a close, there is a two-week break before LEC returns with the Spring Playoffs. As always, the #1 seed picks their opponent in the upper bracket. This time around, it was Rogue’s turn to pick once more after their great regular season split. This is how the bracket ended up as.
The Playoff Bracket
To refresh people’s memory, LEC runs a double elimination bracket where the top 4 are in the upper bracket and the 5th and 6th seeds are in the lower bracket. Rogue, Fnatic, Misfits, and G2 are the top four of this split in that order. Excel and Vitality are the 5th and 6th seeds and will play each other in the lower bracket. The bracket and schedule are as follows below.
Rogue had the privilege to pick their first-round opponent and have decided to go with Misfits. While that is a great matchup, what is even better is that G2 and Fnatic play each other in the first round. As always, the losers of either upper bracket series will get a 2nd chance in the lower bracket.
Although for XL and VIT, it’s all or nothing in the first series. The playoffs are set to set to start with Rogue vs Misfits on March 25th. That is followed by Fnatic vs G2 on 26th March, and finally Excel vs Vitality on March 27. That rounds out Round 1 of the LEC Spring 2022 Playoffs.
Initial Thoughts
The first thing that jumps out when you look at the bracket is we get Fnatic vs G2 in the very first round, which neither team wanted. Meanwhile, Rogue got the matchup they wanted. Misfits would not have had a choice as they were likely to be picked by whoever was first seed regardless.
Excel making the playoffs is monumental in itself and is good for the team going forward for the year. On the other hand, while Vitality made the playoffs, it was far from ideal as it was down to the last series to qualify for playoffs. If they had lost the match against Astralis, we would be looking at MAD Lions in the playoffs right now.
While many would expect Vitality to win in the lower bracket, their form should give people pause. To see one of the tournament favorites in the lower bracket after round 1 is not great news for the lower bracket teams. It will be an interesting playoff bracket for Spring 2022.
With all that said, LEC is on hold for now and the LEC will be back on March 25th with the playoffs on a patch 12.5.
