Originally scheduled to take place in Sweden, COVID-19 forced Riot Games to cancel the event last May — but nothing stops the LEC, not even a pandemic. The Summer Split 2020 finals will indeed take place on September 5th and 6th. As for where that's another question.
In the teaser announcing its long-awaited return, Riot Games refrains from specifying a location, stamping instead its video with an "Arena not found" mention that's honestly quite cryptic.
Will the final be played online like the previous Split Playoffs? Can we expect to see the players on stage? Better yet, will the spectators finally be allowed to come back and cheer for their teams?
These are all questions that sadly remain unanswered for the moment.
This year's LEC Playoffs won't be played in exactly the same way as usual. In the new format, the final standings at the end of the Summer Split will determine which teams will qualify for Playoffs. The Championship Points will then determine the seeding of each of the qualified teams.
In other words, as we enter the eighth and final week of the Summer Split, the stakes have never been higher. For MAD Lions and Rogue, the deal seems to be already closed, G2 Esports and SK Gaming are safe as long as they maintain their level, but the situation is quite different for Fnatic and Excel Esports.
Misfits, Origen, and Vitality are trailing the top six, and a single mistake from the teams above them could spell the end of the adventure. Moreover, with FC Schalke 04 winning their fourth consecutive game last week, we might witness some miracles...