This year is the 2020 League of Legends World Championship and it is being held in Shanghai. Originally for 24 teams from around the world to compete for the title of World Champions. Because of global events only 22 teams will vie for the title. Among those teams are 20 of the World’s best players. I have chosen 5 from each role and ordered them to make the list of the top 20.
20. TL CoreJJ
It may come as a shock to include CoreJJ on this list because he is from NA as well, but, his stats are nonetheless undeniable. With a 6.5 KDA in the Summer Split, he is the highest of any Support at Worlds 2020, and also has the highest vision score per minute of any Support at Worlds 2020. Additionally, he has the roaming prowess of LvMao and precision of Yuyanjia. CoreJJ tops the chart with an astonishing 38.9% first blood percentage (almost 10% more than the second highest). Again, understandably, these stats are in the worst major region, and therefore the argument that it is easier to achieve these stats is valid, but after all, this is still a former World Champion and his micro and macro knowledge cannot be underestimated. Although he has a relatively small champion pool, he plays what works, and will not have any issues playing whatever he can get after the ban phase.
19. SN Bin
Bin is an amazing top laner often overshadowed by the others on this list. Statistically, he has one of the best damage/gold earned ratios, with a competitive kill participation to his counterparts. The main difference is that he puts slightly more emphasis on the laning phase than the other Tops on this list, but in the right scenario, that lane advantage that he gets can easily snowball to suppress his lane opponent and minimize their ability to impact the rest of the map.
18. TES Yuyanjia
Yuyanjia is a rock in the bot lane for TES. He rounds out the team’s roster with incredible front-lining and pristine engages. Yuyanjia will find an opportunity in the most absurd of circumstances and smallest of windows. That’s just what he does, and he will not skip a beat. Expect him to be active like the rest of the Supports on this list, just with skill shot precision that will leave you in awe.
17. FNC Selfmade
The Carry Jungler. Selfmade is exactly what the name suggests. He takes resources and the results will follow. Topping the list of damage/gold earned for junglers, and having the second highest kill participation of any jungler at the tournament, Selfmade is a force to be reckoned with. The cherry on top is his early game prowess before he even has the gold to carry, rocking a whopping 44.4 first blood percentage, only second to DWG Canyon. If any jungler at this tournament can 1v9, it’s Selfmade.
16. DRX Deft
Deft is the mechanical king, and meta god. Deft can be considered a meta-slave (even though he has a larger champ-pool than most), but he plays meta, and plays it better than anyone else. This does leave him more exposed to draft counter play, but in the end Deft still gets the job done with a 4.8 KDA and the third highest damage/gold earned ratio of the ADCs.
15. TSM Bjergsen
Back at Worlds again. Bjergsen is a hot topic on this list because he is from NA and historically, NA just does not perform internationally, and historically speaking, neither does he. However, this year, Bjergsen is back in peak shape, and his stats, albeit in a weaker region, are undeniable. Bjergsen has a 6.5 KDA in the Summer Split, and the highest damage/gold earned ratio of any Mid, and the stats are even better in playoffs. With one of the highest kill participation scores of Mids at this tournament, and demanding presence in his games, he deserves spot in the conversation for one of the best Mids at this Tournament.
14. DRX Keria
Keria is textbook definition of a “Champion Ocean”. Keria has played 20 unique champions, almost double any other Support on this list. Not only is he a great Support, but he also plays each of these champions exceptionally well, from standard supports like Yuumi and Nautilus, to more off-meta supports like Sett and Kayle… Keria does everything a Support should do, and he does it better, with an RNG champ select that will leave opponents with 0 chance to negate his impact in champ select.
13. JDG Zoom
Zoom can be considered the Top lane equivalent to LvMao. A player that will roam around the map and actively seek out advantages. So much so, Zoom will often take lane deficits in the CS and XP stats because of how much time he spends pushing for advantages elsewhere on the map. He has a complex champion pool that have different methods of pursuing advantages but has the mastery and intuition to capitalize on even the smallest of opportunities.
12. GEN Ruler
Ruler is a player with the perfect name. He plays with exact calculation that sometimes just don’t seem feasible. He has an impeccable 6.6 KDA in the Summer Split, and the second highest damage/gold earned ratio of the tournament (only behind Jackeylove). A player this incredible while also crushing his lane opponent averaging a lead of two waves at 15 minutes (second in the tournament to Knight) can only emphasize the success he will surely have in this tournament.
11. TES Karsa
Karsa is probably considered the weak-link of TES, but I do not think it is justified. Karsa is an underappreciated jungler that is consistent, and demands counter-play. Using stats to compare Karsa to the rest of the junglers is what makes him underappreciated, as there are just some things that stats can’t express to value a player. He has one of the worst damage/gold earned ratio, and a lower KP and FB% compared to his competitors, but the strength of Karsa is in his utility. He has a diverse champion pool to utilize and can be considered the glue that holds TES together. I would not expect any jungler to perform better for TES with the current roster than Karsa.
10. JDG LvMao
LvMao is the support player that just does it his own way. With his most played champion this Summer being Bard. LvMao has a CAN-DO attitude that makes him active and keeps his enemies on their toes. LvMao is a roaming god and will always make the first move. While rocking a stellar KDA, and vision score, the stat that places him as the top Support is his kill participation and first blood percentage. With a 72.3% KP and a FB% of 30.8% he is the player that gets his team snowballing and must be taken care of. Potentially the biggest threat about LvMao is that he does this on any champion he plays… Bard is just the best to do it. Banning out Bard against LvMao, is not enough, but it may be a step in the right direction.
9. TES 369
369 is a fantastic top laner with an incredible ability to play for his team. With a high damage/gold earned ratio, and high kill participation, you can expect 369 to whip out the carry top laner’s and make some highlight teleport flanks at this year’s Worlds. 369 has also shown us is ability to master champions with 13 unique champions played in the LPL Summer Split. From champions like Renekton and Ornn, to lesser known like Kayle and Quinn. This guy has it all and will not disappoint.
8. DWG Ghost
DWG Ghost, the unkillable. Ghost has the highest KDA of any player on this list, and that goes without saying, he’s a monster. Comparatively to the rest of the pack, his stats may seem excellent, but not top 10 worthy, however his sheer ability to participate and dish out damage without dying, is what makes him a top 10 player going into this year’s Worlds. A huge emphasis has been put on ADC’s that can survive as long as possible in fights this year, and Ghost is textbook in that department. On top of that, he has one of the largest champion pools of ADC’s in the tournament as he can perform just as well on mages in the bot lane.
7. G2 Caps
CAPS! The Best of the West, is how he should be acknowledged. G2’s mid laner is a phenomenal player that has the history surely to be legend. Debuting only in 2017, he already has two silver medals from Worlds 2018 and 2019, and a gold from MSI 2019. Not to mention that domestically, he has won 6 LEC titles in a row of only 8 that he has participated in (only losing the first two he was a part of in his rookie year). Caps is a player that at his peak is unrivaled, and his stats leading into the Worlds 2020 indicate he is starting to ramp back up to peak performance. For Caps, performing well at worlds is a guarantee, and performing excellently is the expectation that he will surely meet.
6. TES Jackeylove
Jackeylove is any ADC players idol and for good reason. Comparatively to any other ADC at worlds, he has a significantly higher damage/gold earned compared to the rest of the field. Additionally, he consistently outperforms in lane averaging about a wave over his opposition by the 15 minute mark. Although he has a relatively low KDA compared to the rest of the ADC players attending Worlds this year, the blame can easily be put on the fact that LPL teams always prioritize killing Jackeylove to the best of their ability, because they know their chances of winning a fight decrease dramatically the longer he is alive to deal damage.
5. DWG Nuguri
Nuguri is a demanding laner that uses the resources he is given to fullest. With a whopping 23.6% of DWG gold funneled into the top laner he has the most of any top laner on this list. Furthermore, converting this metric to damage dealt per gold earned, he tops the chart as well. Nuguri is 10% more efficient in dealing damage per gold earned compared to the second highest in the category. In a top lane bruiser/damage focused meta heading into worlds, Nuguri is surely going to put on as much of a show as his midlaner (hehe) and will show the world what a real top lane carry can do. Nuguri in 2020 can be compared to Smeb in 2016. He dominates his lane with an average gold difference of over 1000 at 15 minutes, and CSD@15 of 11.5 throughout the LCK Summer.
4. JDG Kanavi
Kanavi is an insane jungler that should be on everyone’s radar. Kanavi was not awarded LPL Summer MVP for nothing, as he is probably the most present jungler. Kanavi is always in a position on the map that allows him to easily make a countergank happen, or cross-map counter work out in his favour. Just watching him play in LPL games and it almost seems as though he is playing with fog of war turned off as he seemingly effortlessly trots around the map matching or negating the enemy jungler’s pressure. With a high damage champion pool you will not likely see him play power-farm for late game or play a tank, he is always in your face, or lurking just out of sight.
3. DWG Canyon
Canyon, the world’s first blood king in Summer 2020. Canyon participated in 46.2% of first bloods in DWG’s games. Topping the charts of KDA in the jungle, while maintaining a diverse champion pool is a lethal mixture and he clearly performs. With such an insane first blood percentage, every team that plays DWG will surely need a lot of vision and extensive communication and tracking. Canyon is just as much of a threat around the map as ShowMaker and this duo can easily make a joke out of any other mid-jungle duo.
2. DWG ShowMaker
ShowMaker is the next best thing when it comes to the mid lane at Worlds 2020. In LCK Summer he lead DWG to only drop 5 games out of 39 total at finished with 16.0 KDA and 72% Kill Participation. ShowMaker is the epitome of doing what you need to do to win the game. Prioritizing champions with punishable early games (Twisted Fate, and Kassadin) to roam and secure winning lanes across the map and scale without misstepping and actually being punished. ShowMaker finished the split with a 23.4 KDA on Twisted Fate and 20.7 KDA on Kassadin… This guy is lethal.
1. TES Knight
Knight may come as a surprise as my top player coming into Worlds 2020, but the guy is unstoppable. Finishing the LPL Summer Split with a 7.2 KDA while playing 18 unique champions, and a whopping 77% Kill Participation. Knight is a literal madman and his champ diversity and mechanical prowess are enough to easily draw several bans just for him. Knight’s top three champions are Zoe (16-7), Syndra (18-2), and Ekko (9-5), and you can surely see AT LEAST one of those three getting banned first round by any team that opposes them.
There you have it! My top 20 players coming into Worlds 2020. I cannot wait to see how this year’s World Championship plays out. With the groups drawn, the Play-in stage starts September 25th @4am ET (1am PT).