Esports Update: As we head into the New Year, it is time to look at the top five individual players in League of Legends.
No contest as Faker is the best
Faker continues to be considered the best player in all of League of Legends, consistently showing brilliance ever since his debut within Season 3. Faker has done it all since joining SK Telecom, continually competing for World Championships despite numerous roster moves around him. Faker does everything within the game at the highest level, beginning with incredible mechanics and ending with a seemingly endless champion pool.
Faker is a player who draws an incredible amount of attention from both his own team and his opponents, as everyone knows he is the most important player on the map at all times.
He has shown no sign of slowing down either, demonstrating his dominance in the most recent World Championships, even in defeat in the Finals to Samsung Galaxy.
Faker is one of the few constants in the ever-changing landscape of League of Legends, and it seems likely he will continue to be so for the foreseeable future.
Smeb a clear second
Smeb, these days of KT Rolster but previously with the ROX Tigers, is the only player since Season 3 to be considered in the same breath as Faker. This was particularly the case at Season 6 Worlds, where Smeb appeared to be at his peak while Faker had the smallest of struggles. While not reaching the World Championships this year with his new team, Smeb still displayed his incredible skill within the LCK season, continually winning champion match-ups that statistically would be considered “losing” ones if the players were of equal skill.
Smeb is an all-around player, combining the ability to play both tank focused engage champions while also being able to perform with carry champions such as Fiora.
Smeb will, however, begin to fall down the list of top global players should he be unable to achieve entrance to Worlds, given the overall play within Worlds helps greatly in proving one’s skills when the lights shine the brightest. KT Rolster projects as the fourth best team in Korea behind Longzhu Gaming, SK Telecom and Samsung Galaxy. Should that continue, a Smeb departure or the addition of better players seems likely.
Uzi elevates RNG
Uzi is widely regarded as one of, if not the, most mechanically gifted player ever to play League of Legends. Playing for China’s Royal Never Give Up within the LPL, Uzi has shown absurd mechanical skill ever since his debut, only improving as time has gone on. With a knack for pulling out and dominating with the rarely seen Vayne, Uzi is a laning focused all-star who is nearly impossible to beat within the Bottom lane.
Uzi does have a tendency at times to be over-aggressive, but his mechanical skill allows him to pull out of seemingly impossible situations. Uzi still has been unable to claim first place within the LPL or Worlds, yet his abilities as a player, similar to Smeb, are undeniable.
Longzhu one to watch with GorillA and PraY
Longzhu’s GorillA is arguably the best Support in the world, combining the ability to play a variety of champions alongside his incredible shot calling. GorillA’s ability to guide his team within the mid and late game is second-to-none, forcing the action with his heralded Alistar. GorillA has remained among the game’s elite for quite some time, with hopes of claiming a World title in 2018.
Joining GorillA in the Bottom lane is long-time partner in crime PraY, who has the opposite tendencies of Uzi. PraY is one of the most consistent players in League of Legends, providing damage and carry potential from a wide variety of champions. It’s difficult to separate the skill of PraY and GorillA given how long they have played together, but GorillA’s shot-calling combined with PraY’s mechanical gift and consistency allow for a potent late game combination. PraY is the rock upon which Longzhu is built, with an ability to carry no matter the meta or champion he is wielding. Similar to the other players on this list, PraY has shown no sign of slowing down, with an incredibly bright future ahead of him.
With two of the top five players in the World on their team, Longzhu are definitely the team to watch this season as they look to build on their first-place finish in the LCK Summer Season and Summer Playoffs of 2017. Faker and Uzi should lead their teams back into Worlds leaving only Smeb as the big question mark. Ultimately a top five player needs to be in Worlds and another absence should bring changes.
