2014 LPL Regional Qualifier Format
Edward Gaming dominated the 2014 LPL Summer Playoffs and secured themselves a spot in the 2014 Riot Games World Championships. They only dropped a single game during the grueling best of five, double elimination gauntlet. Yet there are still two spots up for grabs, and though they qualified, EDG's seed is unconfirmed. The LPL Regional Qualifier will take place on September 6th and September 7th, and onGamers has the details.
Format: The tournament will be a double elimination best of three this time. While the seeding for Playoffs was determined by placement in the 2014 LPL Summer regular season, initial matchups were randomly drawn for the Regional Qualifier.
Participants: The teams participating in the 2014 Regional Qualifier for LPL are Invictus Gaming, OMG, LGD Gaming, StarHorn Royal Club, and Edward Gaming.
- EDG already has a spot at Worlds, and they will only appear in the final best of three against the tournament upper bracket winner. The winner gets first seed, and the loser gets second seed.
- IG picked up their spot as a result of coming in second place during 2014 LPL Spring, despite not even placing top four and making it to the 2014 LPL Summer Playoffs.
Schedule (Note that times are slightly off from the graphic above, but they're taken directly from the TGA website):
| Date/Time (PST) | Match | Participants | Placing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/5 10:00PM | UBS1 | OMG vs iG | |
| 9/6 12:00AM | UBS2 | LGD vs SHRC | |
| 9/6 3:00AM | LB1 | Loser UBS1 vs Loser UBS2 | |
| 9/6 10:00PM | UBF | Winner UBS1 vs Winner UBS2 | Second/First |
| 9/7 12:10AM | LBF | Winner LB1 vs Lower UBF | Third |
| 9/7 3:00AM | First Seed | Winner UBF vs EDG | First |
Where to Watch:
LPLen's Twitch channel will broadcast the game with English commentary.
TGA's website will broadcast the games in Chinese from the arena.
FAQ:
Why does EDG still have to play for a seed after winning both LPL Spring and LPL Summer?
Edward Gaming is guaranteed at least second seed at the 2014 Season World Championships. They only have to play a single best of three to secure first seed against the Regionals tournament winner.
Why so many games? Weren't the Playoffs enough?
LACE and LPL tournament admins decided that a longer Summer Playoff with more best of fives and double elimination would give teams experience with a best of five format to prepare for Worlds. Because of limited time for the Regional Qualifier, the games here are best of threes.
How did Invictus Gaming get a spot when they weren't in the LPL Summer Playoffs?
Invictus Gaming placed second in the 2014 LPL Spring Playoffs, which guaranteed them a spot in the Regional Qualifier. One theory is that they didn't take much of the Summer Split seriously and instead took advantage of a relaxed split to experiment.
Why is LGD Gaming in the tournament if they placed fourth in LPL Summer Playoffs?
The top three seeds and the top two seeds in LPL Summer and Spring respectively are guaranteed placement in Regionals. Because Edward Gaming placed first in both splits, the invitation was extended to the fourth place Summer team, LGD, as well.
Who are these teams and why should I care?
Check back with onGamers for more information on the participants as Regionals draws closer.
