In a busy week in League of Legends, it will be China's LPL, South Korea's LCK, Europe's LEC and North America's LCS which will be attracting the most attention but there are a handful of smaller regions entering their summer playoff seasons too.
Over the next few days there are key games in both Japan's LJL and the Pacific Championship Series, otherwise known as the PCS, which features teams from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and Southeast Asia.
Both regions have League of Legends World Championship berths to play for and are worth monitoring as we edge closer to the iconic end-of-year event.
Here is a look at playoff matches taking place in each region on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
| What | Fukuoka SB Hawks Gaming v Burning Core, LJL Summer Playoffs |
| Where | Japan |
| When | 10.00am, Wednesday 24th August 2022 |
| How to watch | Twitch |
| Odds | Fukuoka SB Hawks Gaming 1/12, Burning Core 6/1 |
Fukuoka SB Hawks Gaming and Burning Core locked horns in the first round of the LJL Spring Playoffs earlier this year with Burning Core prevailing 3-1 to move on to the next round.
However, when the sides meet in the opening round of the LJL Summer Playoffs, a repeat of that result is highly unlikely as highlighted by the match prices which rate Hawks Gaming as heavy favourites.
Fukuoka SB Hawks Gaming were the much better side during the LJL Summer regular season, placing third with a 15-6 record.
They possessed one of the standout mid laners in Kim "DasheR" Deok-beom, who collected six MVP awards during the season, and they defeated Burning Core at the start of the month.
There is no value in simply backing Hawks Gaming to win, but they are worth a bet at -2.5 on the match handicap at 11/10.
| What | Deep Cross Gaming v Beyond Gaming, PCS Summer Playoffs |
| Where | Taiwan |
| When | 10.00am, Thursday 25th August 2022 |
| How to watch | Twitch |
| Odds | Deep Cross Gaming 8/15, Beyond Gaming 11/8 |
The Pacific Championship Series will send two teams to the League of Legends World Championship at the end of the year - the winner will reach the group stage and the runner-up will make the play-in stage.
One team who will believe they should take up one of those slots are Deep Cross Gaming, who reached the PCS Summer Playoffs after placing second in the regular season standings with a 13-5 record.
They achieved that position courtesy of a win in the second-place tiebreaker with J Team, showing they can hold their nerve when it matters, and they should win their first playoff match against Beyond Gaming.
Beyond Gaming progressed to the second round of the playoffs after beating J Team themselves in the first round, but in the regular season they finished four spots below Deep Cross Gaming, who are worth a bet to win this at 8/15.
| What | Rascal Jester v Crest Gaming Act, LJL Summer Playoffs |
| Where | Japan |
| When | 10.00am, Friday 26th August 2022 |
| How to watch | Twitch |
| Odds | Rascal Jester 1/3, Crest Gaming Act 9/4 |
The winner of the aforementioned LJL encounter between Fukuoka SB Hawks Gaming and Burning Core will set up a second-round match with the winner of this contest between Rascal Jester and Crest Gaming Act.
The odds suggest it will be Rascal Jester who will advance from the first round of the playoffs but these teams had identical 8-13 records in the regular season and it could be closer than expected.
Crest Gaming Act also got the better of Rascal Jester only three games ago in the regular season.
Rascal Jester's overall pedigree is likely playing a part in the prices - they came a game away from the LJL Spring Playoffs final earlier this year - but based on form, this could be a tight contest.
Only the overall winner of this year's LJL Summer Playoffs in Japan will qualify for the League of Legends World Championship and it would be a surprise to see either of these sides fill that position.
But neither will go down without a fight in the playoffs and the best bets in their first-round clash are over 3.5 maps at 4/11 and over 4.5 maps at 7/4.
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