Intel Extreme Masters tournament begins this weekend, the 21st of November. The League of Legends teams are ready to compete and with the recent changes to some North American teams it will their chance to show off new skill. With two open slots for the tournament Origen and Jin Air Green Wings both get a bye and will automatically advance to semifinals. Origen will face the winners of Team SoloMid vs. LGD Gaming. While Jin Air will face the victors of Counter Logic Gaming vs. Unicorns of Love.
Here are the teams, their location and how they might fare in the tournament:
Origen
Founded nearly a year ago after Enrique “xPeke” Cedeno Martinez departed from Fnatic, the team since put up impressive performances. In Worlds, the European based team finished up top 4 in the same position as Fnatic. During the 2015 EU LCS Summer Playoffs they took second place. This team means business and they have a good chance to take home first place.
Team SoloMid
The past couple of months have been turbulent for the North American based team. They picked up a new AD carry and in the process angered their very own. In this past season Team SoloMid started off well placing first in a handful of tournaments. However, the end of the season spelled disaster for the team as they did not make it out of the group stage for Worlds. The IEM tournament could turn the end of the season around and a win would solidify the teams decision to bring on a new AD Carry.
LGD Gaming
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Traveling all the way from China, LGD Gaming are a formidable adversary. They placed above Team SoloMid in the group stages at Worlds. In the 2015 LPL Summer Playoffs they took first place, a much needed improvement over the start of their season. They come into the IEM’s hoping to bring home a win.
Jin Air Green Wings
One of many South Korean teams that do not receive much international attention due to other more popular teams such as SK Telecom T1 and KOO Tigers. Jin Air started their season off strong and it seemed like it would be their year to shine. Mid way through the season turned disastrous for the team, losing match after match. After failing to qualify for Worlds, this could be a chance for Jin Air to show the other Korean teams that they can still compete at their level.
Counter Logic Gaming
After parting ways with AD Carry Peter “Doublelift” Peng the team searched for a new AD Carry. CLG made the decision to release the four year veteran on the grounds that over the years strife had built too high between Peter and the CLG organization. With the CLG organization yet to release official news of a new AD Carry many speculate that Jason “Wildturtle” Tran (who was moved to sub after Peter arrived) will take on that new role. Heating up the rivalry surrounding CLG and TSM.
Unicorns of Love
Since their emergence as a team in 2014 the Unicorns of Love have gained a serious fan base. The team is known for picking off meta picks and a dramatic playing style that can work to their favor. In this years 2015 EU LCS Spring Split, the team pulled a stunning upset over Fnatic coming back from the brink of death not once but twice. During the season they also defeated the top seeded team at the time, SK Gaming. The Unicorns of Love make for some of the most interesting team compositions and will undoubtedly be fearsome competition.
Be sure to tune into the action on November 21st to see your favorite team compete and check back with Esports Editions for updates on the tournament.
