Worlds 2022 is kicking off in less than a week, ushering in some of the season’s best League of Legends action.
With a total of 24 teams all aiming for the Summoner’s Cup, veterans and newcomers alike will be trying to showcase their skills. Every role will matter for the success, but with the meta of the Worlds patch likely shifting towards the top side of the map, the top laners will become even more valuable than ever. This list will include not only the best individual players but also will consider how important their contribution is to their teams.
Here is our list of the five best top laners coming into Worlds 2022.
5) Choi “Doran” Hyeon-joon
If we’re judging Doran’s overall performance throughout the year, he probably doesn’t stand out that much, especially considering he has been playing on the Gen.G superteam with top-tier players like Chovy and Ruler. Nonetheless, Doran has fulfilled his role perfectly and stepped up when it matters the most.
Whether he’s playing Ornn, Gnar, or any other champion, Doran was capable of staying relevant and not falling behind. He has the highest KDA (4.3, according to gol.gg) out of all the top laners from the LCK, with the lowest average deaths in the summer (1.9), as well as the highest CS per minute (8.6). In other words, he’s one of the best weakside players in the world.
His greatest strength, though, might also be his biggest limit. It’s hard for a weakside player to be equally effective when strongsiding and receiving the resources, so it might create a small disadvantage for the team in the long run. This is also the main reason why we put him fifth and not any higher on this list since all the players above him can have much better carry potential.
4) Chen ”Breathe” Chen
Breathe joined RNG after the end of the Mid-Season Invitational in June, following a strange agreement made with BibiBili Gaming that saw him and Bin swap teams.
For people who may not know him, Breathe is one of the best duelist top laners in the world.
Despite not receiving much attention from his team, he is great at keeping up with the resources and gold. Breathe is known for being a mechanical god with Fiora and generally strong with champions that excel in isolated or one-vs-one situations. When it comes to splitpushing, he’s the man for the job.
While many may not count him as a top player coming into Worlds, we expect him to be one of the major beneficiaries of the top-centric meta. His only small flaw is his teamfighting abilities, which are lacking compared to other tops due to his particular champion pool of duelists. Nonetheless, Breathe is definitely a player to watch at this year’s Worlds.
3) Huang “Wayward” Ren-Xing
To put it simply, Wayward is a better version of Doran. Arguably the best Gnar in the world, Wayward shines primarily on champions that scale incredibly well into the late game.
He basically holds his own during the game’s early stages until he reaches the right spikes on his champions and then proceeds to become a menace in teamfights. Even if he falls behind, Wayward can consistently find good angles to initiate winning fights.
Based on how impactful he was in the LPL finals, Wayward and Top Esports might have won if they didn’t decide to make him sit out in game one of that series. Other than that, if he and TES can lower their individual mistakes, we might be looking at the potential world champions.
2) Choi “Zeus” Woo-je
It was honestly tough to place Zeus on this list due to how T1 performed overall in the Summer Split. While most people would rate him lower than second, he was crucially one of the main reasons why T1 held on to second place in the LCK.
Of all the T1 players, Zeus was probably the only constant presence on the roster. Oner seemed lost at times, and the bot lane had a downward trajectory after returning from MSI. Looking at his individual stats, Zeus was second to Doran in gold per minute and damage per minute in the Summer Split, while also having a slightly higher KP percent, according to gol.gg. Zeus’ impact on the team is evident, and it’s even more impressive that he achieved these numbers with an underperforming team.
The tournament’s meta could give more relevance to Zeus, who will become an important pawn for the team’s success. If they can enable him properly, then T1 might have their say at Worlds.
1) Bai “369” Jia-Hao
369 is the most well-rounded top laner coming into Worlds 2022. There is no one at the moment who can even match him. He has no issues in playing both weakside and strongside, like most top laners on this list. But what makes him so special is how he’s also able to find great opportunities when playing from behind.
Whether it’s with a flank or by making a pick, 369 can exploit the enemies’ smallest mistakes. This is a rare and unique quality since it requires mechanical execution and a strong understanding of how teamfights should be played at all times.
From being criticized at the end of last year to becoming the best top laner in the world, this is probably the best revenge story for 369—and he’ll do whatever it takes to try to make sure he’s standing on top of the world when this tournament ends.
Published: Sep 24, 2022 02:13 pm