It’s a rivalry as outdated because the esport itself. Traditionally, in League of Legends, EU has in reality been “higher than” NA, let’s not child ourselves about that. The 2 areas’ worldwide representatives have hit completely different highs, and in head-to-head matchups throughout the board, issues have come up a lot rosier for these east of the Atlantic.
And till very not too long ago, North America hardly had a constructive chapter to contribute to the rivalry (until you depend Rift Rivals, which nobody actually does).
Taking a visit down reminiscence lane, right here’s each worldwide best-of sequence at main tournaments between North American and European groups within the historical past of League.
2022 World Championship
Evil Geniuses 3-0 MAD Lions (Play-In qualification spherical)
Lastly.
Evil Geniuses had had a historic yr in 2022, each good and unhealthy. On the nice facet, North American expertise was profitable out. In a yr with a shocking Spring Cut up title, 17-year-old Canadian rookie mid lane sensation jojopyun was hitting each excessive expectation set earlier than him, American then-AD carry Danny was thriving in his second yr, functioning because the workforce’s most important win situation, and Montreal’s most interesting, Vulcan, picked up proper the place he left off after departing Cloud9.
On the unhealthy facet of issues, at MSI 2022, EG misplaced all six video games they performed to then-LEC champions G2 Esports, and dropped their contest to Fnatic in Play-Ins at Worlds to go away the file in opposition to EU in 2022 at 0-7 coming into the yr.
Three days after jojopyun’s 18th birthday, EG got here into the sequence in opposition to Europe’s fourth seed as underdogs. Each member of the roster stepped up, particularly substitute AD carry Kaori, to stun LEC MVP Nisqy and his three First Staff All-Professional teammates, jungler Elyoya, AD carry UNF0RGIVEN, and assist Kaiser. MAD once more didn’t make it out of Play-Ins for the second time in three years, nonetheless holding the unlucky mantle of being the one main area workforce in historical past to take action.
With their three wins over MAD Lions on this sequence, North American groups doubled their win complete in worldwide best-of sequence over Europe.
2019 Mid-Season Invitational
G2 Esports 3-0 Staff Liquid (Remaining)
Nonetheless the quickest worldwide best-of-five in League historical past, G2 Esports bringing residence Europe’s second-ever worldwide title on the expense of Staff Liquid constituted 70 minutes and 39 seconds that might perpetually reside in infamy within the hearts of North American followers, and as one thing to eternally hold over the heads of their transatlantic rivals for European followers.
What made it even worse for followers of Liquid was the way in which that the hype coming off an unprecedented, 3-1 upset win over reigning world champs Invictus Gaming within the semifinals got here crashing down in actually epic style. Seven months after doing the identical factor along with his Fnatic squad at Worlds, mid laner Caps had swept an NA squad. Talking of which…
2018 World Championship
Fnatic 3-0 Cloud9 (Semifinal)
5 years sat between considered one of 2018’s Worlds semifinals and the prior time North America and Europe had met in a global best-of sequence again in 2013, and for the primary time ever it was in best-of-five style. Nonetheless, the identical quantity of video games could be performed as Fnatic slammed the door within the faces of Cloud9’s world remaining hopes to the tune of a sweep. Cloud9 had simply swept the LCK’s Afreeca Freecs and had been driving excessive earlier than operating into considered one of two European world semifinalists that yr.
Fnatic, nevertheless, was on a collision course with future. They topped their group with eventual world champions Invictus Gaming, and disposed of the LPL’s EDward Gaming in four-game style. After sweeping Cloud9, they grew to become the primary non-Jap area workforce to make a world remaining since… properly… Fnatic again in 2011.
2013 World Championship
Fnatic 2-1 Cloud9 (Quarterfinal)
This Cloud9 roster was presupposed to be a world-beater. Seeded straight into Worlds quarterfinals(!) for his or her efficiency at All-Star Shanghai earlier within the yr, LCS champions Balls, Meteos, Hai, Sneaky, and LemonNation, higher often known as “outdated C9,” had simply gotten carried out speedrunning their area to the tune of a 25-3 file of their first few months as a unit.
Fnatic, alternatively, needed to enter the knockout stage the arduous manner. After dropping one sport to the LCS’s Staff Vulcun, sOAZ, Cyanide, xPeke, Puszu, and YellOwStaR gained seven in a row to high their group, beat Cloud9, and misplaced in 4 video games within the semifinals to Royal Membership and a 16-year-old rookie AD carry named Uzi.
2011 World Championship
in opposition to All authority 2-0 TSM (Losers’ bracket finals)
The one North American roster at this match that had anybody that may very well be thought-about an “import” (in quotes as a result of the time period and its corresponding rule didn’t exist till just a few years later) in Chinese language-born AD carry Chaox, TSM completed a decent third place on the first-ever World Championship.
It’s nonetheless tied for NA’s highest-ever Worlds end (see: 2018 Cloud9).
in opposition to All authority 2-1 TSM (Winners’ bracket semifinals)
Within the match that arrange the above rematch within the losers’ bracket, again in an age when double elimination existed at Worlds, European squad in opposition to All authority, led by sOAZ within the high lane and AD carry YellOwStaR within the backside lane, would go on to lose an all-EU world remaining to Fnatic, 2-1.
Fnatic 2-0 Epik Gamer (Winners’ bracket semifinals)
Sure, Doublelift’s Epik Gamer. Earlier than the famous person AD carry cemented his legacy on Counter Logic Gaming, TSM, and Staff Liquid, Doublelift completed in fourth place on the Season One World Championship as a assist participant, with Dyrus as his lane companion. Westrice, Dan Dinh, and Salce rounded out the roster that was swept by eventual champions Fnatic, whose roster was comprised of xPeke and wewillfailer within the high lane, CyaniceFI within the jungle, eventual Finals MVP mid laner Shushei, AD carry LamiaZealot, and assist Mellisan.
Fnatic 2-1 Counter Logic Gaming (Spherical 1)
Hey, no disgrace in dropping to the first-ever world champions, proper? CLG did beat Europe’s Staff gamed!de in a one-game fifth-place decider, however HotshotGG, Saintvicious, Bigfatlp, Chauster, and Elementz couldn’t muster sufficient to take down then-top-laner xPeke and Fnatic.
In fact, for any Rift Rivals truthers on the market, candy victory for North America got here in 2017 when a legendary TSM squad of Hauntzer, Svenskeren, Bjergsen, Doublelift, and Biofrost swept Spring MVP Vizicsacsi’s Unicorns of Love.
However don’t anticipate many to think about the now-defunct match a official League sequence win on the worldwide stage.
And earlier than you ask, no: All-Stars holds even much less weight.
