The 2022 LPL Summer Split kicks off next week

The 2022 LPL Summer Split will start on June 10, the Chinese league confirmed on social media today.

At this time, not much else is known about the start of the League of Legends competition. Due to a recent city-wide lockdown in Shanghai—where the matches are held—it’s likely that teams will have to compete online.

For that same reason, Royal Never Give Up, the winners of the 2022 LPL Spring Split, couldn’t attend the Mid-Season Invitation in Busan, South Korea in May. RNG had to play remotely from home while other teams played with artificial ping. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop the Chinese representatives from adding another trophy to their cabinet after they defeated T1 in the final (3-2).

The COVID-19 restrictions in Shanghai are beginning to ease, according to a recent report by the BBC. After two months of being locked in their homes, citizens of the city have been allowed to move around more freely. But, looking at the government’s strict approach to the pandemic, it’s unlikely that the 2022 LPL Summer Split will return to an offline setting immediately.

The pandemic hasn’t stopped Chinese teams from making roster moves in the offseason. RNG surprisingly traded Bin for Bilibili Gaming’s Breathe this week, with the latter of the two orgs also releasing legendary ADC Uzi from its roster. With another week until the league starts, more moves could be on the way.