After a swift six weeks of a tournament-reminiscent competition, G2 Esports just won the first-ever LEC Winter Split over MAD Lions. In addition to claiming their 10th domestic League of Legends championship, G2 have set themselves up for international success, punching their ticket to the Mid-Season Invitational.
While we’re still a ways out from talking about the World Championship, G2 has begun to lay the foundation for a run toward the Summoner’s Cup here in February. The format changes to the LEC make international qualification more complex, and in Europe, an earlier start to the season means postseason implications start to ramp up earlier too.
Here’s everything G2 secured for themselves today by winning the LEC Winter Split.
A ticket to MSI
No matter how they perform in the Spring Split, G2 will be attending the Mid-Season Invitational as Europe’s second seed, at the very least.
According to the updated LEC rulebook, the team that wins the Winter Split will attend MSI as the second seed, while the Spring Split winner will go to the tournament as the first seed. Should G2 end up winning both, the team with the most championship points will go as the second seed. This will be G2’s second-straight MSI appearance. Last year, the team made it to the tournament’s semifinals before being knocked out by T1.
Championship points
Thanks to their victory in the Winter finals, G2 earned 120 Championship Points. These points will be used in determining seeding for the LEC Season Finals later in the year. 120 points is the maximum amount teams can earn in the Winter and Spring splits, while the Summer Split will award more points.
For reference, winning Winter/Spring earns teams 120 points, the equivalent of coming in third during the Summer Split.
Should G2 fail to win either of the next two splits, the points they earned today will serve as a reliable fallback option once the Season Finals roll around after Summer.
One step closer to Worlds
A unique stipulation regarding the new LEC format allows any team that wins all three splits in a given season a direct ticket to Worlds. Although G2 still has a long way to go until they can advance directly, their chances of making it there just got a whole lot easier.
Obviously, winning Spring and Summer makes the most sense for G2 when it comes to their potential Worlds qualification, although a hefty 120 Championship Points will boost their seeding in the Season Finals, making their road to Worlds easier.
