It is time for the resumption of the European League of Legends season with the LEC Summer Split beginning in Berlin on Friday.
With only three months to go until the World Championship, there is plenty to play for on the European circuit with three seeds up for grabs in the region.
What: LEC Summer Split, League of Legends
Where: LEC Studio, Berlin
When: From Friday 17th June
How to watch: LEC Youtube / Twitch / bet365's Sports Live Streaming
Odds: Rogue 9/4, Fnatic 9/4, G2 Esports 5/2, Team Vitality 6/1, Misfits Gaming 12/1
G2 Esports performed when it mattered at the LEC Spring Split earlier this year, somewhat flying under the radar during the regular season but taking it up a gear in the playoffs.
After finishing with an 11-7 win-loss record in the first phase of the Split, they were then knocked down to the losers' bracket in the playoffs following a 3-1 defeat to Fnatic in the semi-finals.
But they came back with a vengeance, winning four successive matches 3-0 to take the Spring Split title.
In the Mid-Season Invitational they went on to finish the group stage with eight wins from eight matches, but were far from flawless in the Rumble Stage and were then beaten 3-0 by T1 of South Korea in the semi-finals.
Ultimately, although they won in the Spring, their league form needs polishing and there could be better options than G2 Esports at 5/2 in the outright market this time around.
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Rogue were the standout side in the regular season in the LEC Spring Split earlier this year, winning 14 of their 18 matches, but they capitulated in the final of the playoffs against G2 Esports, losing 3-0.
And it is possible that the best chance to win their first LEC trophy may have now passed them by, especially given that they have not improved the roster over the summer.
They are 9/4 to win the Summer Split but the better option at 9/4 could be Fnatic.
Fnatic remain one of the teams to watch in the LEC, having finished second to Rogue in the regular standings in the Spring Split with a 13-5 record, but they also showed they can excel in the playoffs, claiming the scalp of G2 Esports in the semi-finals.
They are an objective-focused group, with their percentage of first towers conquered standing at 83 per cent during the Spring Split regular season.
With star players Luka "Perkz" Perkovic and Barney "Alphari" Morris in their ranks, Team Vitality also have to be considered in the outright market, especially now they have drafted in a former Worlds champion in Kang "Haru" Min-seung.
But Fnatic came as close as any side to toppling Rogue in the regular season and produced moments of promise in the playoffs, so look the wisest selection.
MAD Lions are targeting a third successive League of Legends Worlds berth but will have to make the playoffs in the Summer Split for that goal to be a reality.
Reaching the playoffs is something they failed to do back in the Spring, having underperformed with an 8-10 win-loss record in the regular season, but they should be stronger this time around with 23-year-old mid laner Yasin "Nisqy" Dincer having joined their roster.
One team looking for drastic improvement on how they performed in the Spring are Astralis, who have been particularly busy during the LEC off-season.
The Danes were deeply disappointing in the Spring, finishing with a 3-15 win-loss record as their pursuit of a first ever playoff berth drags on.
But they have responded by bringing in top laner Kiss "Vizicsacsi" Tamas, jungler Andrei "Xerxe" Dragomir and support player Lee "JeongHoon" Jeong-hoon to enhance their chances over the summer.
Also lower down in the betting, little is expected of either Excel Esports or SK Gaming, who are 25/1 and 66/1 in the outright markets respectively, while the league's newest organization - Team BDS - are still finding their feet.
BDS replaced German side FC Schalke 04 in the division and looked out of their depth earlier in the season, picking up only four wins in the Spring Split, with only Astralis finishing below them in the standings.
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