Let Worlds 2024 begin. The Play-In stage of League of Legends Worlds 2024 kicks off with an exciting match between Mad Lions KOI, the LEC third seed, and Vietnam’s second seed, Vikings Esports. This opening battle pits two teams from different regions, each with their own stories and ambitions for the tournament.

Lions still hungry

Mad Lions, led by their experienced jungler Javier "Elyoya" Prades, are entering this tournament after a year of ups and downs. Their roster is made up of four rookies, making their international debut, but the team showed their potential by delivering an impressive performance at the very end during Season Finals, where they even managed to take down the king himself, G2 Esports, in a best-of-five series.

As one of the top four favorites to make it out of the Play-In stage and reach the Main Event, they will be eager to start strong. However, with this being the first international appearance for most of the roster, it remains to be seen how well they will adapt on the world stage.Mad Lions are known for their strong draft strategies and creativity on the map, which could make for an exciting and dynamic match to open these Worlds.

Ragnarök is coming

On the other side, they face Vikings Esports, a team that has been battling all year to challenge the dominant GAM Esports in the VCS, a league recently shaken by match-fixing scandals. Vikings are resilient and have shown they excel at adapting and scouting their opponents. Their star player, ADC Nguyễn "Shogun" Văn Huy, will be key to their success. With previous Worlds experience and a standout performance in 2022 at both MSI and Worlds with Saigon Buffalo, Shogun has carried his team throughout the year filling the gap they may have as a team. After a lackluster 2023, he is now back in top form, ready to lead Vikings in their very first international run.

The match will kick off at 14:00 CET in Riot Games' Berlin studio, and both teams will be looking to secure a crucial victory and kick off their Play-In campaign successfully.