Abbedagge ‘doesn’t feel like there’s a challenge at all’ when facing LEC mid laners

After helping Excel Esports reach its first LEC finals this year, professional League of Legends star Felix “Abbedagge” Braun sounded off on the current state of the region’s mid lane talent pool and how it has regressed over time to the point where a majority of the players aren’t as big of a threat.

The 23-year-old recently hopped onto the Euro League podcast to discuss the level of competition in the league’s mid lane and didn’t mince words when asked about his fellow peers.

“Even when I came back with Excel in spring, I was scrimming against people and I [thought] there was no pressure,” Abbedagge said. “I’m coming in, and I’m solo killing [and] taking over these lanes… it doesn’t feel like there’s a challenge at all. We didn’t scrim Caps, but it really felt like there’s no great competition.”

Abbedagge clarified this wasn’t coming from a sense of cockiness, especially because he said he wasn’t playing at his best level at the start of the year and still hasn’t reached the level he wants for himself. He does believe, though, that many LEC mid laners aren’t taking advantage or pushing preferable matchups as much as they could.

The group also discussed how aggression in the mid lane hasn’t looked the same this year as in past seasons and that many players are playing a lot more passively.

During the 2023 Summer Split regular season, for example, there were only three mid laners in the top 20 for the highest average gold difference at 10 minutes, according to League stats aggregate Oracle’s Elixir. Caps, Humanoid, and Larssen were the only players in their role to garner a significant early-game advantage for themselves, while the rest of the pack were borderline even with their opposing mid laner.

LEC mid laners seemingly aren’t playing forward enough and aren’t flexing their strength to pressure their opponent into possibly making a mistake or finding an easy pick. This is a huge difference when looking at other regions, like the LPL, which is well known for being extremely aggressive from the first minute onward.

Abbedagge will have to level up his play even further when he and the rest of Excel enter the 2023 LEC Season Finals later this month, where they’ll have a chance to qualify for the 2023 World Championship in South Korea.