We are going to go ahead and make a bold prediction: 2023 is going to be a great year for League of Legends and esports in general. I know, it’s hard to believe now. Esports has become somewhat stale as mainstream sports have dominated the headlines since the pandemic. Haters say that the same teams win every tournament and that players, such as Faker, are getting older and less fun to follow.
But this is the year it all changes - just look at what has been happening in the streaming world with Twitch’s monopoly on ESL being toppled! There is so much life in the professional esports scene with multiple global professional esports teams thrilling streamers lately and regions such as Japan producing top-quality talent. This article looks at which teams are putting together rosters that could surprise everyone at Worlds (looking at T1) and predicts 6 teams tipped to tear up Worlds 2023!
Team Liquid (North America)
Since its founding in 2000, Team Liquid, a North American esports organization, has been one of the world’s premier esports teams. League of Legends, Dota 2, and StarCraft II are three game titles in which the Team Liquid squad has succeeded in winning multiple championships.
Founders Victor “Nazgul” Goossens, Steve “LiQuiD112” Arhancet, and Nick “Tasteless” Plott established Team Liquid, growing the brand and putting it on the map. Nazgul and Tasteless were involved from the team’s conception, LiQuiD112 signed upon them forming Team Curse Gaming which later became Team Liquid after a deal was struck with Quantic Gaming.
T1 (South Korea)
This team is the best in the world and has won Worlds three times in a row. They are also the most popular team in all of League of Legends, with their fans famous for being very vocal about their love or hate for T1.
The players on T1 are some of the most successful and talented players around, including Faker, Bang and Ambition. Even if there was another player as good as Faker or Bang, they wouldn’t be able to outdo them because they’re so well-known and respected by other players around the world. Plus, they’ve got one more thing going for them: experience! This is important when it comes to winning games at competitions like Worlds because even though teams may have similar skill levels during these tournaments (they’re all very good), experience counts for something too—especially when everyone else has never played together before."
Royal Never Give Up (China)
Royal Never Give Up, often dubbed RNG, is a Chinese League of Legends professional team that competes in the League of Legends Pro League (LPL). They won the tournament’s championship match against Cloud9 3-0, becoming the 2019 League of Legends World Champions. After winning the LPL championship during the 2015 Spring season, the squad achieved second in the 2015 Summer season.
Royal Never Give Up will attempt to repeat winning performances. At the previous Worlds competition, RNG was unbeaten in Groups A and B and only dropped two games before making it to the semifinals. If they keep up the pace of their recent performances with their current team roster, 2023 might be their year to be World Champions once again!
G2 Esports (Europe)
In May 2013, seasoned League of Legends player Ocelote established G2 Esports. G2 is a major player in the European esports scene, and it has corporate headquarters in both Berlin and Madrid.
G2 is one of the most successful teams in League of Legends history, having won three World Championships and four consecutive EU LCS splits (from 2016 to 2019). (from 2016 to 2018).
Bae “Bengi” Seong-ung and Kang “Blank” Sun-gu, two of the finest League players in history, were signed by and currently play for G2. Both individuals are considered legends in their respective positions.
Isurus Gaming (Brazil/Latin America)
Brazilian esports team Isurus Gaming has operated since 2015. Twice winners of the CBLoL and Campeonato Brasileiro de League of Legends (CBLOL), Isurus is regarded as one of the top teams in Latin America.
Isurus has also qualified for the Worlds in 2020 and 2021, making them one of the most reliable Latin American teams. Isurus Gaming appears to be more powerful than ever this year thanks to the outstanding players on their squad, including Rafael “Rafaelxk” Almeida and Gustavo “Minerva” Silva.
There is no reason why Isurus shouldn’t be able to advance all the way through the World Championships this year if they can find good form and churn out winning performances.
Unicorns of Love CIS (Germany, Europe)
If you haven’t heard of them, Unicorns of Love are a European team that has been around for a long time. They’re known for their high-octane style and ability to pull out victories from nothing. Their biggest strength is their versatility, which allows them to draft almost any composition in the meta and make it work thanks to their individual mechanical skill.
Although they have historically struggled against Korean teams at international tournaments, this year could be different due to the meta shift away from late game compositions which favor fast push into mid lane skirmishes and top lane dives. This will allow UOL players like Fabian “Exileh” Schubert (mid) and Samuel “Samux" Fernandez Fort (ADC).
How World’s Championship 2023 fixtures will play out
The 2023 League of Legends World Championship will take place in Shanghai, China at the Oriental Sports Center. This is the same venue that hosted the 2019 Mid-Season Invitational and 2020 All-Star Event earlier this year. The tournament itself will be spread across three stages:
1st Stage: Round Robin (Teams play each other once)
2nd Stage: Playoffs (Top 2 teams from round robin face off in a Best of 5 series)
3rd Stage: Finals Playoffs (Top 4 teams from playoffs face off in another Best of 5 series)
World’s 2023 Final Thoughts
Finally, we’ll share our World’s predictions with you. Team Liquid looks like a strong contender to take the World’s trophy in 2023. When you look closely at their recent success versus other elite teams (such as 100 Thieves and FlyQuest), they stand out as one of the strongest competitors, although they probably won’t be favorites to win with the bookies or betting tipsters.