S15 second round matchups revealed! AL turns out to be the unlucky team, Faker’s luck is off the charts, and TES benefits from a favorable draw.

Greetings to all LPL fans and League of Legends summoners, this is Tianxia Game Report.

Not long ago, the first day of the S15 World Championship Swiss round ended. Because of the Swiss system’s special rules, a live draw is held after each round to determine the next matchups.

The eight matchups for the second round have just been revealed and will kick off tomorrow at 1 PM.

Second round matchups chart: AL becomes the unlucky team

First, let’s briefly recap the results from day one. For the LPL region, BLG surprisingly lost to North America’s third seed 100T, AL defeated Korea’s second seed HLE, and TES, the last LPL team to play, also successfully beat Europe’s top seed G2, securing their first win.

From the LCK side, the first day’s record was 3 wins and 1 loss. Apart from HLE’s defeat, GEN, T1, and KT all claimed victories with relatively easy matches, facing little resistance.

According to the Swiss round rules, teams that won their first round (1-0) will face each other in the next round.

Meanwhile, teams that lost their first round (0-1) will also compete against each other. The exact matchups for tomorrow’s games had to wait for the second round draw. Fans are particularly concerned whether the three LPL teams can get favorable draws, especially BLG, which is in a precarious position where a loss tomorrow would be unacceptable and they might face a strong opponent.

Under the guidance of host Yusuang, Jiejie drew the eight matchups for tomorrow. The biggest unlucky team from the LPL turned out to be AL. Despite beating Korea’s HLE in round one, AL was drawn to face Korea’s strongest top seed GEN in round two, turning the first two rounds into a grueling battle against the LCK region.

Faker’s luck shines brightly, TES receives a surprising advantage

In the second round, many hoped for a China-Korea clash where AL or TES could face T1 or KT. Instead, AL drew GEN, which is quite tough, so we’re rooting for AL to give it their all and possibly pull off a big upset in this BO1 stage.

Personally, I think it’s acceptable if AL loses here. Facing some challenges in the Swiss round can actually help a team find better form for the quarterfinals. Last year, GEN advanced easily but performed poorly in the quarters.

Faker’s T1 is in excellent form. After an easy first-round win over FLY, they drew CFO in the second round, avoiding Chinese and Korean teams. T1’s preferred opponents in this draw were 100T, TSW, and CFO, and they got one of them, making a 2-0 finish quite likely.

However, it’s worth noting that CFO might be the strongest wildcard team and could still cause an upset.

TES got a favorable draw, essentially receiving a lucky break. They will face 100T, who defeated BLG, and a win would give TES a chance to avenge their teammate’s loss. I believe as long as TES avoids major mistakes this round, their chances of winning are high. Whoever wins this match will be 2-0, greatly easing their path to the quarterfinals.

BLG avoids strong opponents but must quickly secure their first win

Now for the 0-1 group matchups. The biggest worry was BLG drawing HLE or G2, but fortunately, they avoided those and will face FNC. Although FNC is a capable team, if BLG regains their form, they have a strong chance to win. This round is a must-win for BLG.

If BLG loses again, they will have to play in the elimination round and must come back from behind in a best-of-five. Since BLG lost to a team considered weaker, and Swiss rules prevent facing the same team twice, BLG loses a potential easier opponent later on. Overall, BLG has made their path to advancing harder and must secure this win to calm nerves.

HLE and G2 also received good draws. It can be said that the strong teams in the 0-1 bracket got favorable matchups, giving them a chance to reach safety. Let’s hope BLG can work hard and return to their league form.

At the same time, we hope the LPL teams that are already 1-0 can push for a 2-0 and advance to the next stage, avoiding possible internal clashes later on.