As the 2021 Season in League of Legends is about to begin, it's time for the crew of Inven Global to take one last, reminiscent look at the whirlpool of a year that was 2020. And what better way to do it than to give out some end-of-year (though technically start of the year now...) awards?
We're happy to announce the inaugural edition of the Inven Global Awards (IGA). Voted by the crew of Inven Global, the IGA's are awarded to the best teams, players, talent, and stories in competitive League of Legends for 2020, split into 11 categories.
Today, we present you the 11th of those categories: the "Best teams of 2020" award, presented to the teams that were the most impressive, both on and off the Rift.
Previously on Inven Global Awards
The off-season winners of 2020
The most improved teams of 2020
The most memorable moments of 2020
The best top laners of 2020
The best junglers of 2020
The best mid laners of 2020
The best bot laners of 2020
The best supports of 2020
The best broadcast talent of 2020
The best rookies of 2020
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FlyQuest had by far the best year of their own legacy, but also the best year for the LCS as a whole. What started as "The year of Cloud9 and Cloud9 only!" quickly fell into "A year of who does the LCS even have?" once C9 crumbled halfway through the Summer Split. But then there was FlyQuest, an org that put together a strong team with fewer resources and saved the world while doing it. FlyQuest's promotion of Tricia Sugita in the off-season led to the org revamping its identity, truly giving back to its fans and the whole globe. They saved trees in the spring, the oceans in the summer, and both at Worlds. Overall, they donated about $25,000 throughout the year, plus got other orgs involved to help them in their quests. Beyond that, they made it to back to back Finals — something no other LCS team did — and made it to their first Worlds. FlyQuest had a standout 2020.
Only one team won Worlds. Looking at you, DAMWON! They had a slightly less dominant Spring Split, but came into the summer on fire, only dropping five games total through the regular season and playoffs. And when it comes to talent, DAMWON had it in every corner. From top to support, all five players were at the top of the LCK and even top of the world. They used a hard-hitting, fast-paced style, constantly forcing their opponents to act, and act quickly. Unlike most of the past Worlds winners, who often have close, five-game-series and a hard-fought battle, DAMWON brought the Worlds trophy back to the LCK without even breaking a sweat. Throughout the entire tournament, they dropped only three games. They also broke a record, with the fastest Worlds game ever against G2 Esports in the Semifinals, with a 19-minute victory. DAMWON was about as dominant as anyone has ever been in League Esports. And in 2020, there was never really a chance for anyone else.
Like DAMWON, G2 was a pretty clear cut above the rest of the LEC. They won both splits, yet again, marking four in a row for the superteam. Outside of a few weird weeks — like Week 4 Spring Split, where G2 lost first to 4-2 Misfits Gaming and then the 0-7 Schalke 04 Esports — G2 was solid throughout meta, team comp, and player position. That's right, G2 won both splits with the same roster but once again role swapped their carries, Luka "Perkz" Perković and Rasmus "Caps" Winther. Perkz started as their mid laner, returning to his historical position after a year in the bot lane, sending Caps to AD carry in his place, all just to swap them back in the summer. G2 is the DAMWON of the LEC, with an aggressive, diverse style, exhibiting flashy plays, and always showing up when they need to the most. (Except for, you know, when fighting against DAMWON in the Semis where they lost in 19 minutes and...)
Top Esports was the LPL's first seed at Worlds, and supposed to make it to the Finals over LPL third seed, Suning Gaming, to fall to DAMWON in their place. But despite their untimely demise at Worlds 2020, Top Esports was a team to behold throughout the year. Like FlyQuest, they went to back to back Finals in the Spring and Summer Splits. But unlike FlyQuest, they won in the summer, taking down JD Gaming who won last spring. Top Esports was strong at the start of the year but later added World Champion AD carry, Yu "JackeyLove" Wen-Bo, to the lineup, taking them to the next level. Nearly every player on the roster was top three in the LPL in their position, and their domestic play dominance led them to be considered favorites alongside DAMWON for Worlds. They weren't quite able to make it there, but their year was extraordinary for a team who had previously only ever gotten one third-place finish in an LPL split.
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