On April 2 (Vietnam time), the LCK Spring 2022 concluded with Faker and his teammates crowned champions. This year’s Spring schedule for LCK was also significantly shorter than in previous years. The reason is said to be that LCK teams will have to enter the player selection for the upcoming Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou. The head coach of the Korean team is coach kkOma, and the players will also enter voting this month.
The Asian Games 2022 is an extremely important tournament that no LCK player wants to miss. This is the first time that League of Legends in particular and esports in general will be a medal event at this event. Furthermore, if they win a gold medal, Korean players of age like Faker will be immediately exempt from mandatory military service and will only have to fulfill special military service laws, allowing them to continue their careers.
If the LCK teams are in such a rush, the LPL is even more urgent. Not only to assert the level of League of Legends in China, but certainly, if they defeat the LCK in another final, right on home turf, the LPL will solidify its unique position in the world of League of Legends.
Because of the importance of this, recently, Doinb revealed shocking information that left the League of Legends community worldwide, and LPL fans in particular, astonished: “In LPL Summer, from the group stage to playoffs and then finals, will only last for a month and a half. All to prepare for the Asian Games 2022.” For those who may not know, under normal circumstances, LPL Summer usually lasts 3 months, from June to September. After that, teams will have a break to prepare for the World Championship that takes place right after.
With information from Doinb, a match day in LPL Summer 2022 could have 4 BO3 matches. If the group stage ends in 34 days, then the 10 teams entering the playoffs will compete for 6 days, with 2 BO5 matches each day. Additionally, there will be 2 extra days for the finals. Thus, including the short rest time, as Doinb mentioned, the LPL Summer may only take place over approximately 42 – 45 days.
In reality, LPL has also witnessed days with 2 consecutive BO5 matches. For instance, when SofM was still playing for Snake Esports, he had to play 2 BO5 matches in one day. If the schedule is indeed as Doinb informed, this will be one of the most grueling Summer tournaments in League of Legends history. Each team will need to prepare very carefully, as just one mistake could lead to a disastrous journey.
