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The newly minted pre-season LCS tournament will see its second iteration to kick off the North American competitive season. In a semi-playoffs like tournament structure, two groups of five will determine the respective top three being sent to the knockouts stage. This tournament will give teams an opportunity to try out both their new rosters and get a sense of the emerging meta.
With some many teams making drastic roster moves, the LCS Lock-In could provide early insight into the expected LCS leaders. Set to start on January 14th, these will be the groups to kick off the Lock-In.
Group A – 100 Thieves defends its title
100 Thieves emerged as the most recent LCS Champions at the end of Summer. Despite failing to qualify for Worlds Knockouts, the team had a generally strong showing. Now, the defending champions are locked into a seemingly stacked group. Cloud9 and TSM, fresh off their respective roster renovations, could very well make this the more competitive group out of the two.
There are plenty of question marks around TSM and Cloud9, as a majority of both teams will see players make their LCS debut. Though FlyQuest and Golden Guardians also linger at the bottom of this group, it seems likely that the battle tested 100 Thieves will emerge.
Group B – Team Liquid’s time to shine
Group B will include Team Liquid, Evil Geniuses, Immortals, CLG, and Dignitas. From the surface, this seems like a two horse race between Team Liquid and Evil Geniuses. Infused with talent from the LEC, TL are expected early favorites for Spring. Evil Geniuses, though also bringing over Inspired, have taken a chance in the middle lane on Jojopyun.
CLG have taken an entirely new look for 2022, looking to chance its now notorious representation. Though Immortals and Dignitas have found only fleeting success in the LCS, a good impression here could turn the tide for both organizations.
