The best League of Legends talent in or around Australia compete in the Oceanic Pro League, which features some of the biggest and most popular esports organizations in the region.
The OPL’s second split of the 2018 season is well underway, and Dire Wolves, who walked away victorious in the first split, will look to defend their title against the likes of Chiefs Esports Club and ORDER. With pride, cash, and 2018 League of Legends World Championship implications on the line, the OPL is surely something to watch.
Some of you may not be too familar with the OPL and its competitors, though, and that’s why we’ve compiled a guide that explains all of it to you. Here is the viewer’s guide to the Oceanic Pro League.
Stream
OPL matches are livestreamed on the league’s Twitch channel and the official League of Legends Oceania YouTube channel. If you can’t catch the games live, VODs for each match are available on YouTube.
Teams
The Oceanic Pro League pits eight of the best teams in the Asia-Pacific region against each other. The league does have relegation and promotion, but it does not occur during the season. Following the second split’s conclusion, the bottom three teams from the OPL’s second split and the top two from the Oceanic Challenger Series compete to decide the three teams that will make it into the next season.
Here are the teams currently in the Oceanic Pro League.
- Avant Garde
- Bombers
- Chiefs Esports Club
- Dire Wolves
- Legacy Esports
- Mammoth Esports
- ORDER
- Tectonic
Schedule
Starting with the second split of 2018, OPL matches are played on Fridays and Saturdays. For the local talent and fans, they compete in the evening with a 5pm AEST start time. For most Europeans and North Americans, however, the OPL’s broadcast begins pretty early in the morning.
Friday, July 13
2am CT: ORDER vs. Bombers
5am CT: Chiefs Esports Club vs. Dire Wolves
Saturday, July 14
2am CT: Mammoth Esports vs. Tectonic
5am CT: Legacy Esports vs. Avant Garde
Friday, July 20
2am CT: Tectonic vs. Legacy Esports
5am CT: Avant Garde vs. Mammoth Esports
Saturday, July 21
2am CT: Bombers vs. Dire Wolves
5am CT: ORDER vs. Chiefs Esports Club
Friday, July 27
2am CT: Dire Wolves vs. Mammoth Esports
5am CT: Legacy Esports vs. ORDER
Saturday, July 28
2am CT: Bombers vs. Tectonic
5am CT: Chiefs Esports Club vs. Avant Garde
Friday, Aug. 3
2am CT: Tectonic vs. Dire Wolves
5am CT: Bombers vs. Legacy Esports
Saturday, Aug. 4
2am CT: Mammoth Esports vs. Chiefs Esports Club
5am CT: ORDER vs. Avant Garde
Friday, Aug. 10
2am CT: Dire Wolves vs. Avant Garde
5am CT: Legacy Esports vs. Chiefs Esports Club
Saturday, Aug. 11
2am CT: Tectonic vs. ORDER
5am CT: Bombers vs. Mammoth Esports
Friday, Aug. 17
2am CT: Avant Garde vs. Tectonic
5am CT: Mammoth Esports vs. Legacy Esports
Saturday, Aug. 18
2am CT: Bombers vs. Chiefs Esports Club
5am CT: ORDER vs. Dire Wolves
System
The OPL’s eight teams are split into two groups of four. Teams within the same group play each other twice in a single split while opposite group teams only collide once in the regular season for a total of 10 matches.
Each match is played in a best-of-three format, with teams receiving three points for a 2-0 win, two points for 2-1 win, one point for a 2-1 loss, and zero points for a 2-0 loss. Standings do not take into account the teams’ respective groups, meaning each team is placed in the same eight-team table.
At the end of the regular season, the top five teams will advance to the playoffs. Unlike the NA and EU LCS, which have a more traditional bracket structure where the top regular season teams receive first-round byes, the OPL gives an even greater advantage to the best regular season team.
As a reward for a great split, the top regular season team in the OPL automatically advances to the postseason finals. The fourth-seeded and fifth-seeded teams play first in the best-of-five format, with the winner advancing to play the third-seeded team. The winner of that match plays the second-seeded team to decide who will go against the top regular season team in the finals.
The surviving team of the gauntlet is not only crowned the split champions, but they prove to everyone—even outside the region—that they are the strongest force in the Oceanic Pro League.
