Riot Video games’ David “Phreak” Turley has by no means been one to draw back from daring predictions. The League of Legends play-by-play caster has made many contentious claims up to now, however that’s to not say he’s all the time improper — simply final summer time, Phreak predicted 100 Thieves to win the 2021 LCS Championship earlier than a single recreation was performed within the Summer season Cut up.
Phreak has been casting League of Legends for over a decade, and it’s honest to say that his predictions, right or incorrect, are from the angle of a seasoned veteran who has watched hundreds of aggressive LoL matches.
Earlier than the beginning of the 2022 LCS Spring Cut up, Phreak sat down with Inven World to share his daring predictions for the remainder of the season. Now that the LCS Spring Cut up is at its mid-point, let’s see how Phreak’s daring predictions are shaping up in actuality and which of them have come to cross.
Table of Contents
1: Evil Geniuses to the moon
Phreak had beforehand said through the 2022 LCS Lock In that he anticipated Evil Geniuses to win the entire thing, and for good purpose — EG didn’t drop a single recreation on their method to the finals. Nevertheless, EG ended up dropping 3-0 to Group Liquid, who’ve now one each of the Lock In tournaments in LCS historical past. Regardless of their loss within the finals of the LCS Lock In, Phreak expressed confidence in Evil Geniuses earlier than the beginning of the Spring Cut up.
“I used to be improper as a result of I mentioned EG was going to win the 2022 LCS Lock In, however I am nonetheless selecting EG to win the LCS,” Phreak mentioned, earlier than taking it a step additional. “I did say EG was profitable Worlds 2022 —I am much less assured now, however who am I if I do not persist with my weapons? Evil Geniuses are profitable Worlds 2022.”
This is able to be a daring prediction even when EG was dominating the LCS Spring Cut up in related trend to their Lock In kind, however that would not be farther from the reality. Midway via the Spring Cut up, EG is in a three-way tie for sixth place with a file of 4-5. EG is definitely a greater group than their present standing, and it’s far too early to guage a group’s full-season trajectory, however EG’s missteps within the first third of the Spring Cut up have been sudden, to say the least.
2: Cloud9 will miss Worlds 2022
Along with Evil Geniuses profitable the LCS, Phreak additionally put Group Liquid and 100 Thieves because the frontrunners for the 2nd and third seeds for North American illustration on the 2022 World Championship. This is able to exclude Cloud9, who has certified for Worlds eight of the final 9 years, out of the worldwide image for this season.
“I do know LS mentioned it is a failure if Cloud9 do not win each splits and it is a failure if Cloud9 do not prime 4 at Worlds 2022, however they don’t seem to be even going. Sorry LS, however this squad is not going to succeed in prime 3. We already picked our three groups and also you’re getting 4th place, which is worse than C9 did final 12 months,” Phreak said bluntly. “It is unfortunate, however I do not imply this as an insult. I do not dislike LS in any approach, however I’ve already made my calls.”
Phreak made this prediction earlier than Cloud9’s launch of Nick “LS” De Cesare and Max Waldo’s subsequent promotion to go coach, and after C9’s 3-0 superweek, Phreak has already admitted his preliminary prediction was improper after a Participant of the Week efficiency from prime laner Park “Summit” Woo-tae.
3: LCS Spring Playoffs image
Here is a have a look at the place Phreak predicted the groups competing within the LCS would end by the top of the Spring Cut up:
| 1st | Evil Geniuses |
| 2nd | Group Liquid |
| third | 100 Thieves |
| 4th | Cloud9 |
| fifth | Counter Logic Gaming |
| sixth | Dignitas |
| Seventh-Eighth | Golden Guardians | TSM |
| Ninth-Tenth | FlyQuest | Immortals |
Listed here are the present standings midway via the LCS Spring Cut up:
| 1st | Group Liquid | Cloud9 |
| third | FlyQuest | 100 Thieves | Golden Guardians | |
| sixth | Group Dignitas | Evil Geniuses | Immortals |
| Ninth | Counter Logic Gaming |
| Tenth | TSM |
Phreak has typically had a correct learn on how the break up has performed out thus far, with a number of exceptions after all in Evil Geniuses and FlyQuest. Nevertheless, with half of the season nonetheless left to play, there may be greater than sufficient time for EG to play again as much as expectations, in addition to time for FLY to begin dropping steam after a sizzling begin to the Spring Cut up highlighted by immaculate mid lane play by rookie Loïc “toucouille” Dubois was most not too long ago adopted by an 0-3 superweek.
4: T1 will win MSI 2022 and Faker won’t retire till he wins 5 World Championships
Practically one full month in the past, Phreak had T1 not simply profitable the 2022 LCK Spring Playoffs, however going to the Mid-Season Invitational and profitable that, too. It is too cool, I do not know – I am doing this solely due to hype causes,” Phreak admitted. “It is not pure evaluation, to be clear, however who cares? It is a daring prediction. Faker’s going to win one other MSI and he’ll additional cement himself as the best League participant of all time and nobody else will nonetheless be shut.”
Evaluation be damned, Phreak certain seems to be proper about T1 thus far. The younger squad led by veteran mid laner Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok has not misplaced a match this season and have solely dropped two particular person video games all through the method of dominating the LCK. Reflecting in marvel upon Faker’s profession because the definitive best League of Legends participant of all time, Phreak contemplated upon what could be satisfying sufficient for Faker to hold up the mouse and keyboard for the final time.
“The truth that Faker remains to be…jeez, it is nearly like you may’t make a prediction too daring in context of Faker’s profession. He’ll be the primary participant to win 4 World Championships? Yeah, that is not a daring take,” mentioned Phreak. “That is simply most likely what is going on to occur, so I am type of excited for that and the truth that Faker remains to be this superb. It is the tenth 12 months of his profession and he is nonetheless the perfect? He is on an undefeated group? That is ridiculous.”
5: Uzi’s finest days are behind him
League of Legends esports followers the world over had been delighted to listen to that legendary Chinese language AD carry Jian “Uzi” Zi-Hao could be popping out of retirement to affix Bilibili Gaming.
Nevertheless, AD carry Chiu “Doggo” Tzu-Chuan has began all however two video games within the 2022 LPL Spring Cut up to this point, and even within the ones Uzi has performed in, he has not regarded like his previous self.
It was anticipated that Uzi wouldn’t be enjoying each recreation of the season, and it was additionally anticipated that Uzi would wish a while to ramp up, however Phreak thinks it’s unlikely that Uzi will ever reclaim his peak kind: “My intuition is that he is not going to only return to greatness. He isn’t simply going to take over the league. I am not offered it should be the identical Uzi we had earlier than.”
Two video games isn’t sufficient for Uzi to be correctly evaluated at this level in his profession, however the truth that Doggo has been enjoying the lion’s share of matches and is a younger, rising star within the worldwide League of Legends aggressive scene after breaking out within the PCS may say greater than the 2 matches alone when it comes to Uzi’s ceiling in 2022.