At Mobile Wins, we offer betting with regular payment methods on a host of the biggest eSports games, so it is only natural that our roster would include the mighty League of Legends. Alongside the likes of Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Starcraft, the game is one of the key foundations upon which the multi-million dollar world of competitive gaming has been built.
But what are the key issues and factors you need to consider before getting involved in League of Legends betting? Here we’ve put together a handy guide to introduce the thrills and spills of the game and how to get started with spotting a winning team.
About the game
League of Legends is a MOBA developed and published by Riot Games. MOBA stands for Multiplayer Online Battle Arena that started of as a MOD in Warcraft 3, but soon developed as a genre on it’s own. In League of Legends players take on the role of a ”summoner”, that remains unseen in the game. As summoner, players control a ”champion” of choice.
There are over a hundred champions, each with their own set of abilities. Together with a team of champions, players face of another team in an attempt to destroy the ‘nexus’ of the opposing team. A structure that is guarded by minons, champions and defensive structures.
History
Since the release in 2009, the game quickly gained popularity and seized momentum in july 2012, becoming the most played game in North America and Europe (by hours played). The growth only continued. By 2014, as much as 67 million people worldwide played LoL each month, with 27 million players active per day and a constant of 7,5 million players during peak hours.
Along the actual playing time, League of Legends became also the most viewed game on streaming site Twitch. Largely due to the lively competitive scene of the game. In 2021, League of Legends is still regarded as the king among esports. A phenomenal accomplishment after being challenged by so many games since then.
Doing battle online
For those who are new the game, League of Legends was first released by Riot Games in October 2009 for both Microsoft Windows and macOS. A multiplayer online battle arena-style game which was allegedly inspired by Warcraft III, the title sees two teams do battle against each other in an effort to destroy the other’s “Nexus” – a precious structure usually located behind a host of defences.
A fantasy game steeped in myth and magic, the title has won a host of industry awards down the years and remains one of the most popular titles in the world eight years later and beyond. Recent predictions even suggested that 100 million people play the game every month and when you consider its nearest rival (Dota 2) has 13 million monthly users, you get an idea of just how huge League of Legends is.
A key part of eSports
As we’ve already made reference to, the huge interest in League of Legends means that it has been a key part of the world of competitive gaming for a number of years. A host of professional and amateur tournaments are based around it, with a great number of gamers doing battle every year.
However, arguably the best-known tournament is the League of Legends World Championship, which first took place in Sweden in 2011 and saw gamers do battle for a prize pool of $100,000. Of course, since then eSports and the money involved has grown beyond all recognition and the prize pool for the 2016 World Championship was worth more than $5 million. The winning team SK Telecom T1 took home over $2 million alone, which is not too bad at all.
Five years later, in 2021, the prize pool has come down again to just over $2 million in total. This is mostly due to the pandemic, which has a devastating effect on large, live esports tournaments. Nevertheless, we think EDward Gaming was sufficiently rewarded for bringing home the trophy with half a million dollars.
The good news is that even if you’re not a pro gamer, eSports betting with Mobile Wins allows you to profit from your knowledge of the game and its top players.
How tournaments are structured
Obviously, if you’re planning to get involved in League of Legends betting on Mobile Wins, you will need to know how the biggest tournaments held in relation to the game tend to work.
The journey to the League of Legends World Championships begins with teams competing in separate League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) competitions which are held across different continents. There is also the League of Legends Challenger Series which feeds into LCS too.
Following round after round of battles in the LCS, the top teams from each continent then go on to qualify for a spot at the World Championships. As we’ve already mentioned, the prize money on offer for winning outright is now in the millions.
The basics of League of Legends betting
So now have a basic idea on how the top tournaments work. It’s time to find out the key points you should bear in mind when it comes to League of Legends betting. A particularly strong starting point is to ensure you are familiar with some of the biggest names that you will often see crop up during the course of major competitions.
Based in South Korea, DAMWON were the runners up of the 2021 League of Legends World Championship and have a huge reputation in this world after enjoying much success down the years.
SKTelecom1 is another strong South Korean team that won in 2013, 2015 and 2016. Though recently, they have fallen a bit from the grand stage. Another South Korean-based team called Samsung Galaxy, also have a strong history in the game and won the World Championship back in 2014.
China-based EDward Gaming is another name to watch out for in the world of League of Legends. 2021 proved that. The critical reader will notice that all these teams come from the Asian region. And it is true that Europe and the United States have trouble keeping up. Notable teams such as Fnatic, World Elite and Team SoloMid are not about to give up their place in the sun though and are always close behind.
Betting Strategies
So now you have had pointers on both the tournaments and teams involved, the next natural step is to take the leap into the world of League of Legends betting. But what can you do to ensure that you are making bets in the most informed manner possible?
Well, we think there are many different strategies you can apply, but a decent starting point definitely is to monitor the form of teams by watching tournaments and keeping tabs on their latest results. This should give you a strong idea as to which teams are the ones to watch at present and which favourites might not be living up to their billing.
Another idea is to keep an eye on what is happening away from tournaments by tracking news on the different teams. This might provide an important insight into the relationships within teams and whether all is well within the camp. It is also useful to monitor any roster changes which might have changed the make-up of teams and particularly track where the most in-form players can now be found.
Finally, don’t just assume that backing the biggest teams is going to be your greatest chance of success and winning big. Keeping tabs on the lower levels of the tournament can be a useful pastime, as you might just spot a team which has the potential to become a real dark horse and take the LCS and the World Championships by storm. Having this kind of open mind could prove to be vital in your efforts to achieve success.
Famous League of Legends teams and players
Korea has been notoriously famous for winning almost everything that is League of Legends for years. Samsung Galaxy and SK Telecom T1 were just in a league of their own. Europe’s Fnatic being the only team that could barely catch up with the Korean storm. This was 2016 though and recently, there has been shift in meta. The 2018 World finals were played between Fnatic and the Chinese Invictus Gaming, the latter one winning decisively with 3 to 0 in a best of 5. So let’s take a closer look to the teams that have made up the League of Legends competitive landscape over the years.
Of course there are far too many teams to name them all. So instead, we’ll be looking at some of the best teams from each region.
Europe
Fnatic is a professional eSports organization consisting of players from around the world across a variety of games. On March 14th, 2011, Fnatic entered the League of Legends scene with the acquisition of myRevenge. Fnatic is one of the strongest European teams since the early days of competitive League of Legends, with multiple big wins and titles.
Fnatic is not just a team or a collection of teams, it’s an industry. Together, they literally won thousands of tournaments worldwide in different genres. Most memorable has to be League of Legends Worlds Season 1 with the team led by Xpeke. Losing many players to other teams, for season 2 the World Champions didn’t even manage to qualify. But never again, in the following seasons to come they are always considered candidates for the title. Earning a second place in 2018 and consecutive third places during 2016 and 2017.
G2 Esports is a Spanish eSports team. They were formerly known as Gamers2. They currently compete under the name G2 Kinguin in representation of their sponsor Kinguin. The team is fairly young, having only been part of the League of Legends scene since 2015.
However, where they lack in experience, they more than enough make up for in skill. Having won multiple EU LCS playoffs, and having been in both the 2016 and the 2017 worlds, they are one of the strongest European teams.
North America
Cloud9 is a North American ESports team formed by the former roster of Quantic Gaming following its dissolution. The team currently competes under the name Cloud9 G2A.
Cloud 9 has been apart of the League scene from a very early stage, and has had success in North America. With multiple NA Regionals and worlds participations, this team knows what it’s doing.
The land of origin of League of Legends hasn’t had much success when it comes to world championships. Considered generally as the ‘weakest’ continent, America still hosts one of the most popular teams in the world. Leave it to America to do the marketing! They entered the world stage in 2014 (season 3) straight in the quarter finals. There first match was against Fnatic, which they lost with 1-2. Game over. In the following years, Cloud9 has shown steady progress. First competing in the group stages, and in 2017 advancing to the semi finals. Season 6 (2018) didn’t deliver that final step in progression (finals), they were defeated in the quarter finals. Undoubtedly, they will be back next year stronger!
Team SoloMid is a North American eSports team, created around the community website SoloMid.Net in September 2009. The team was first seen in early 2011 after being formed to participate in the Riot Season 1 Championship later that year.
The organization previously hosted TSM Darkness and the now-disbanded Team SoloMid Evo. Team SoloMid is the only team qualifying for all six World Championships and all eight NA LCS Finals.
South Korea
Samsung Galaxy, originally founded as a Starcraft team in 2005. In September 2013, the organization formed Samsung Ozone and Samsung Blue. Ozone consisted of Homme, DanDy, dade, imp, Mata, and Looper. After both teams performing okay, the decision was made to merge both teams, Creating Samsung Galaxy. Defeating the legendary SK Telecom T1 3:0 for the title in the 2017 worlds, has quickly shot this team to legend status. However, whether this will remain the same after KSV has purchased the entire championship team, no one knows.
SK Telecom T1, founded in 2004, is a professional gaming team based in South Korea. SK Telecom T1 is the only team to win the World Championship three times and also the only team to win the “Triple Crown”: victories at the IEM World Championship, Riot Mid-Season Invitational, and Riot World Championship. In February 2013, the organization created a new roster, which consisted of Faker, bengi, Piglet, PoohManDu, and Impact. Since then SKT has had a few roster changes. However, with Faker as their midlaner, SKT soon became an unstoppable force. SKT managed to get into 4 world championships since 2012, winning 3 of them. SKT has been known as the emperor of the League of Legends competitive scene, standing undefeated until LCS Worlds 2017.
Move over! DAMWON is the new kid on the block and is taking over the South Korean LoL landscape by storm. Since 2019 they are just scraping medals everywhere. This is one team that flourished under the pandemic. A first place at the 2020 World Championship and a silver medaille on the 2021 World Championship are a proof of that. Expect to see much more of ShowMaker and his friends.
China
What happens in football also happens in esports. Rich businessmen buying teams and transforming them to prize winning machines. Founded in 2011, Invictus is actually Catastrophic Cruel Memory revamped. Wang Sicong, son of Wang Jianlin, bought the team for an estimated 6 million dollars and started building towards a team that would promote professional esports in China. A land with much potential, but in terms of gaming always a bit behind in the region. Invictus Gaming consist of successful teams for Dota 2, League of Legends, Crossfire, and StarCraft II.
CIS
Brazil and Latin America
Asia and Oceania
Taiwan/HK/Macao
When people talk about the best player in League of Legends, there really is no question. Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, the midlaner and carry for SKT T1, has been regarded as the best player in the world for years now. His personal skill, intelligence, and inhuman reactions, make it possible for Faker to outplay nearly everyone and come out of seemingly impossible situations. Since 2013, Faker has won 3 world championships, and far more other big tournaments. Even though Faker and his team lost their position as reigning champions, Faker still, undoubtedly, holds the title of best player in the world.
Biggest tournaments
The biggest tournament in League of Legends is the LCS Worlds. The League of Legends Championship Series World Championships is an annual 24 team-tournament with teams from all 13 LoL professional leagues participating across multiple stages. During the LoL Worlds 2017 the event broke the record for most viewers. The 2016 Worlds had a massive viewership of over 400 million views and 360 million total hours watched, over the whole event. The 2017 Worlds broke this, with a peak of already over 106 million viewers during a single match, and an unbelievable 4.3 billion hours watched in total. The League of Legends LCS Worlds is not only the biggest tournament of League of Legends, but also the biggest tournament in eSports history. In 2018, a new record of 200 million viewers at once was reached. There was a total of 6,2 billion hours viewed. An increase of 33% in one year! The explanation behind this surge is the recent success of Chinese teams. With many views coming from China this year to witness the succes of ‘their’ team.
Biggest League of Legends tournaments
When looking at League of Legends tournaments, there’s a lot. There’s so many tournaments that catch the eye, so we’re only going to take a look at the Premier tournaments. Sure, there are a bunch of Major’s that get a lot of attention as well. But the Premier events are truly at the height of the excitement.
League of Legends Champions Korea is the primary competition for League of Legends esports in South Korea. Contested by 10 teams, the league runs two seasons per year and serves as a direct route to qualification for the League of Legends World Championship.
The LCK is widely considered to be the strongest League of Legends competition in the world, with the game’s World Championship having been won exclusively by teams from the LCK since 2013.
Longzhu Gaming are the current champions, having won their first title on 26 August 2017 after defeating SK Telecom T1 (who have a massive 6 LCK titles to their name) in the finals of LCK Summer 2017. With the world’s powerhouses as it’s main attraction this tournament packs a massive punch, and is a sure-fire for entertainment.
The League of Legends Championship Series is the name of two professional League of Legends Esports leagues run by Riot Games.
Twenty teams compete in two separate competitions in Europe and North America, with ten teams per continent. Each annual season of play is divided into two splits, spring and summer and conclude with play-off tournaments between the top six teams from each region.
At the end of the season, the team with the most championship points qualifies for the annual League of Legends World Championship. In the EU LCS, Fnatic is the only team remaining that has played in every split since the first EU LCS split. In the NA LCS, Team SoloMid and Counter Logic Gaming are the only teams remaining from the first NA LCS split. Having a massive media coverage, and over 300.000 viewers for every game, this tournament has the chills and thrills that you’re looking for.
Tencent League of Legends Pro League is the top level League of Legends league in China.The first season of the LPL was the 2013 Spring season. The top three finishers of the playoff tournament receive automatic bids to the League of Legends World Championship. Playoffs are an eight team single elimination with each step a best-of-five series. In 2014 Riot Games began providing an English language broadcast. The format is modeled after the League of Legends Champions Korea format in South Korea. In September 2015 it was announced that Riot Games was in negotiations with Tencent to take over operations of the league. As of 2017, the league will adopt the EU LCS format for selecting regular season groups. The highest ranked teams from the previous split will lead the groups with other teams being selected. This also means the format now includes the best of 3 matches. With Tencent distributing the game in China, the league gets Tencent’s massive 300 million follower base with it. This league hosts some of the World’s greatest teams, and therefore creates the perfect league for some world class entertainment.
The Mid-Season Invitational is an annual League of Legends tournament hosted by Riot Games since 2015. It is the second most important international League of Legends tournament aside from the World Championship.The event features the Spring Split champions of the five major competitive League of Legends regional leagues, as well as a wildcard team from a lesser region determined by the International Wildcard Invitational, held a few weeks beforehand. This tournament is the second most exciting tournament of the season, and the first time each year that the fans get to see all of the world’s best go up against each other. It is a sample of what to expect in the world championship, and definitely worth a watch.
The League of Legends World Championship is the annual professional League of Legends world championship tournament hosted by Riot Games and is the culmination of each season. Teams compete for the champion title, the Summoner’s Cup, and a million dollar champion prize. In 2017, the finals were watched by over 60 million people, and had over 300 million views, breaking 2016’s finals’ viewer records. The tournament has been widely praised for its performances, and is the number 1 watched Esports event in the world. This tournament, with all of its twists and turns, is an absolute must see.
Bets
- MATCH WINNER
- HANDICAP
- WINNER MAP 1
- FIRST BLOOD (MAP 1)
- FIRST TO 10 KILLS (MAP 1)
- TOTAL TIME (MAP 1)
- TOTAL KILLS (MAP 1)
- ODD / EVEN KILLS (MAP 1)
- WINNER MAP 2
- FIRST BLOOD (MAP 2)
- FIRST TO 10 KILLS (MAP 2)
- TOTAL TIME (MAP 2)
- TOTAL KILLS (MAP 2)
- ODD / EVEN KILLS (MAP 2)
- WINNER MAP 3
- FIRST BLOOD (MAP 3)
- FIRST TO 10 KILLS (MAP 3)
- TOTAL TIME (MAP 3)
- TOTAL KILLS (MAP 3)
- ODD / EVEN KILLS (MAP 3)
Top 5 highlights
- The Ashe arrow (SK Telecom T1 vs. ROX Tigers World Championships 2016)
- Huni’s 2-on-1 (Fnatic vs. SK Telecom T1 Mid-Season Invitational 2015)
- The Fnatic backdoor heartbreak (Fnatic vs. OMG World Championships 2014)
Get involved in League of Legends
Here at Mobile Wins we absolutely love League of Legends. It is a true classic of the esports world and a title which all competitive gaming enthusiasts should undoubtedly get involved in. There are so many thrills and spills to be had, so head across to our pages on League of Legends betting to find out more about all of the key upcoming clashes. Once you’re ready to bet, we’ll give you a great welcome offer to get you started on esports betting on a high note.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Esports Betting
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How are esports tournaments organized?
Esports tournaments are typically organized by esports organizations, game publishers, or event organizers. They can be held online or in-person, featuring players and teams from around the world.
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What are some popular esports games?
Some popular esports games include League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), Fortnite, Overwatch, Call of Duty, and Valorant.
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What is the role of a coach in an esports team?
The coach of an esports team provides strategic guidance, analyzes gameplay, conducts team practice sessions, and helps players improve their skills to perform at their best during tournaments.
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What are LAN events in esports?
LAN events (Local Area Network) are esports tournaments where players and teams gather in a physical location to compete face-to-face, often in front of a live audience.
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What is the biggest esports tournament?
The biggest esports tournament depends on the game and region, but some of the largest and most prestigious events include The International (Dota 2), League of Legends World Championship, and the Intel Extreme Masters (CS:GO).
Other Questions?
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