Hi VLR, this week I want to talk about group for split 2, because to me they are a lot off issues with it.
The first issue and the most easiest one to understand is the fact the 2 ascention team could end up in 2 different group, and this is a probleme because if one of them end in the group of death, this team might get eleminated from Tier 1 even if they are the best ascention team among the 2 ascention teams, while the other one would manage to go to playoffs and potentially save their place in ascention…
So they are 2 possibility to solve this problem, first add a rule that ensure that the 2 ascention team end in the same group, the 2nd solution is to allow a team that end last to go to Ascention.
The 2nd and the 3rd problem I want to point at, is a little but more complex and it require to explain how the groups are made. First things, Split 2 groups are only based on Split 1 groups, and doesnt take in account the result of the playoffs, wish is already a probleme because you technicaly can have the 3 teams that goes to Toronto that end in the same group in split 2, and if DRX would have beat Paper Rex, that would have been the case.
[Explanation of groups]
Anyway, so the draw is based on last group result, and how it’s made is a little bit weird, because, the team that end in the same place in both group, are paired together to be sure they don’t play against each other, yeah it’s a little bit weird concept, so 1st together, 2nd together, and so on, and Riot will draw 3 pair to swap their groups. The idea Riot have, is to swap half of team wish on the paper isnt the worst idea because thats mean you will play against 3 new team, and they are only 3 team maximum that you will not play that year, with another draw they are a risk you end up with group that are really similar from the split 1 and teams plays against the same teams.
But the problem is that they put the pair in pool, so basically the team that will be swap will be either the 1st or the 2nd but not both. Either the 3rd or the 4th but not both, and either the 5th and the 6th and not both, and thats create a weird side effect. With that system, you are sure that every team that end 2nd in a Split 1 group and team that end 1st in the opposite split 1 group will end together in the split 2 group, and thats exactly what did happen to Sentinels and G2, the 2 best team in Amercias without any doubt, where forced by the rule of draw to end in the same group, and even more unlucky, the 4th best team in playoff is also in their group.
I like the idea of having only 3 team that will swap, but how it’s done is really bad. You can keep this criteria and still make group based on playoffs, it’s possible. And if you really don’t want to base it on playoff, you don’t have to make pool for the swap. But let’s be honnest, the best solution would be to comeback to 2024 format, with just a small change. Split 1 we do intra-group, and split 2 we do crossgroup, so a single round robin over the year and every problem are solve.
Anyway before we finish this video, lets talk about the only group that has not been draw yet EMEA. Based on the draw rule I can even show you that they are only 4 possibility of Split 2 groups in EMEA, and 3 thing that will not change whatever the draw will be :
- First Heretics and BBL are in the same group, and in the opposite group we will have Liquid and Fnatic, yeah, even if one of those 2 pairs end up top 2.
- Second NAVI and Karmine are in the same group, and in the opposite group we will have FUT and Vitality
- And Finally GiantX and M8 are in the same group, and in the opposite group we will have KOI and APEKS, Apeks was kinda lucky to loose against Giants, because Koi seems worse than Mate.
So thats all for today video, dont hesitate to tell me wish EMEA draw would be the worst, and as usual… Byee.