Worlds 2020 Play-In Team Preview: Breaking Down Papara SuperMassive
We look at Papara SuperMassive, their path to Worlds 2020, and how they might fare in the play-in stage.
Worlds 2020 is right around the corner and it’s time to preview and break down this year’s competitors. Papara SuperMassive qualified for the play-in stage as Turkey’s number one seed and will do battle with teams in Group A later in the month.
Previously known as “SuperMassive”, this organization is no stranger to the World Championship having qualified back in 2018, achieving a 17-20th finish. Now with a new name and fresh roster, Papara SuperMassive face the challenging task of taking down some of the best teams from across the globe during play-ins for a chance to reach the World Championship main event.
The Season
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The Turkish Championship League is one of the most developed and competitive League of Legends divisions in Europe with recognized brands like 1907 Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş battling for the title every year. Only one team from the league can qualify for the World Championship and Papara SuperMassive fought off the competition to make the spot theirs in 2020.
Although it has no impact on World Championship qualification, Papara SuperMassive achieved a decent result during the TCL Winter Season, finishing 3rd in the regular season and 5-6th in the playoffs.
SuperMassive turned it around for the vital Summer Season and once again finished 3rd place during the regular season. Determined not to repeat their disastrous playoffs performance of three months prior, SuperMassive convincingly took down Beşiktaş Esports 3-1 in the quarter-final before breezing past Galakticos 3-0 in the semi-final.
With a TCL trophy and a spot at Worlds on the line, SuperMassive faced 5 Ronin in the Summer Playoff Final, a team that they had failed to beat during the regular season. Nevertheless, the now five-time TCL champions refused to let that deter them and took down their opponents in an intense five-game series to secure their place at Worlds.
The Roster
Top Lane – İrfan “Armut” Berk Tükek
SuperMassive’s top laner, Armut, is the only player on the roster that appeared at the 2019 World Championship. As a member of the TCL’s Royal Youth – alongside Golden Guardians jungler Closer – Armut achieved a 17-20th finish, making a name for himself on the international stage, and securing a move to a promising new SuperMassive roster for the 2020 season.
Throughout Season 10, Armut has impressed Turkish League of Legends fans with his reliability on a number of key picks, averaging just 1.9 deaths per game, the third-lowest of any TCL player during the Summer Season.
Although he has showcased proficiency on a number of carry picks, the SuperMassive top laner banked on Ornn’s teamfight utility in eight out of twelve playoff games, netting a 4.5 KDA in the process.
Jungle – Lee “KaKAO” Byung-kwon
KaKAO is one of the most experienced League of Legends players in the world and has competed in four different regions during his illustrious career. Despite competing for over eight years, the South Korean jungler has only claimed two major titles as a player: The 2020 TCL Summer Playoff trophy with Papara SuperMassive and the 2014 Summer Champions Korea trophy with KT Rolster Arrows.
After failing to qualify for the South Korean top division with Seorabeol Gaming for the Summer Split, KaKAO sought out a new challenge and found it at Papara SuperMassive. Since putting pen to paper with the Turkish organization, the 24-year-old has guided his team to a remarkable 19-7 record and won the championship just three months after joining.
Many fans claimed that KaKAO is well past his prime after making the eyebrow-raising move to the Turkish league earlier in the year. However, the Summer Season stats tell an entirely different story.
With KaKAO at the helm, Papara SuperMassive secured the first tower in 83.3% of regular season games, first Rift Herald in 66.7% of games, and averaged 1.56 dragons at 15 minutes. Not only that, but the jungler has also clearly won his individual duels on a consistent basis with an average +523 gold difference at 15 minutes during the regular season.
Mid – Onur “Bolulu” Can Demirol
It’s a World Championship debut for Papara SuperMassive’s Bolulu who frequently struck fear into the hearts of both opposition players and fans with his devastating Zoe pick during the Summer Season.
Boasting an incredible 8.8 KDA, 563 damage per minute, and +446 gold difference at 15 minutes, the mid laner tops the charts for almost every statistic in his role and will definitely be one to watch during the play-in stage.
ADC – Berkay “Zeitnot” Aşıkuzun
AD carry Zeitnot is the longest-serving member of Papara SuperMassive and the face of the organization. Since joining in 2016, the marksman has represented SuperMassive in twelve tournaments including two Mid Season Invitationals and one World Championship.
Zeitnot had a decent regular season but turned on the style during the playoffs, destroying enemy bot lanes on Caitlyn and Kalista and consistently securing an early gold advantage for both himself (+690 at 15 minutes) and his team (+1560 at 15 minutes).
The AD carry also grabbed a game-winning penta kill in the final match of the playoff final against 5 Ronin to confirm his team’s place at the 2020 World Championship.
Support – No “SnowFlower” Hoi-jong
SnowFlower is one of two South Koreans on the Papara SuperMassive roster and has vital Worlds experience from a 17-20th place finish at the 2018 tournament with his current team. The support player locked in 10 unique picks during the Summer Season and had the highest KDA (4.9) among supports during the playoffs.
Having played against some of the best players in the world during his time at Afreeca Freecs and Jin Air Green Wings, the SuperMassive squad will be looking to lean on SnowFlower’s experience and hope it can guide them through the play-in stage.
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90/50/10 Predictions
90% odds that…KaKAO reminds the world of his ability to dictate the early game tempo and edge out advantages for his team, especially when facing less tenured junglers like INTZ’s Shini and Legacy’s Babip.
50% odds that…Papara SuperMassive qualify for the World Championship main event as the play-in format has given them a very generous run to the group stage. It’s likely that SuperMassive will face INTZ in the first knockout round, then will have a decisive best-of-five against the second seed from the Pacific Championship Series, PSG Talon.
10% odds that…Bolulu pops off, carries his team to play-offs, and proves a threat against even the strongest of Worlds opponents. Judging by the mid laner’s performances throughout the TCL Summer Season, he has the potential to link up with KaKAO and snowball an early advantage into an insurmountable gold lead.