It's 2026, and the LCS landscape has changed beyond recognition—new dynasties, fresh talent, and even a map remake. Yet every time the Spring Finals rolls around, veteran fans can't help but reminisce about the chaotic, reverse-sweep-fueled 2022 Finals Weekend. Three teams, ten superstars, and one trophy. The question still sparks debate in Discord servers: who really deserved Finals MVP? Was it the rock-solid top laner who absorbed all the pressure, or the flashy ADC who pentakilled Cloud9? And where are those legends now? Let's dive back into the 2022 LCS Finals MVP race—with the benefit of four years of hindsight.
🌟 The Contenders: Then and Now
Ssumday – The Unmovable Ornn
Back in 2022, Kim \"Ssumday\" Chan-ho had evolved from 100 Thieves’ lone carry into the team's ultimate glue player. Locking in Ornn game after game, he absorbed ganks, enabled his jungler, and rarely lost lane gracefully. But let's be real—when your signature champion is a massive stone ram, MVP voters aren't exactly rushing to cast their ballots. Unless he pulled out a surprise Camille and styled on everyone, the award felt out of reach.
2026 update: Ssumday returned to Korea, dominated the LCK for a split, and now streams under the T1 banner while occasionally subbing in for international events. His mechanical ceiling? Still terrifying, but that Ornn duty aged like fine wine.
Hans Sama – The Hyped Import
Team Liquid imported Steven \"Hans Sama\" Liv after his explosive showings on Rogue, expecting him to be the final piece of a superteam. If TL lifted the cup, Hans would absolutely be a key reason. Yet his support CoreJJ cast a long shadow—when bot lane wins, the playmaking support often steals the spotlight. An ADC can solo carry, but would Hans get enough resources in a team stacked with Bjergsen and Bwipo?
2026 update: Hans bounced between LEC and LCS, eventually finding a home on KOI, where he’s now a veteran mentor. He still flashes that world-class laning, but that 2022 trophy eluded him.
Bwipo – The Mad Scientist
Gabriël \"Bwipo\" Rau was the definition of a wildcard top laner. Champion ocean? More like a champion universe. He could flex anything from Volibear to Vayne, and his game knowledge was so deep he might as well have written the wiki. The problem? 100 Thieves loved putting Ssumday on tank duty, which threatened to nullify Bwipo’s aggressive edge. If the rematch turned into a snooze-fest tank versus tank, MVP hopes would drift toward a more explosive role.
2026 update: Bwipo shockingly transitioned to a full-time coaching role with Fnatic in 2025 and is now considered one of Europe’s sharpest strategic minds. Still shouts “it’s just a game” mid-scrim.
FBI – The Inconsistent Gunslinger
Victor \"FBI\" Huang and Huhi formed one of the league’s most feared bot lanes—when they clicked. The duo’s 2022 regular season was a rollercoaster, but in playoffs, FBI could turn into a hypercarry demon. If he and Huhi re-asserted dominance in the finals, the ADC could easily snatch MVP. 100 Thieves were the favorites, after all. The question was: could FBI maintain that peak for an entire Bo5?
2026 update: FBI and Huhi stuck together through multiple teams, finally winning an LCS title in 2025 on Disguised. Their synergy remains legendary—like a finely tuned duet.
CoreJJ – The Captain’s Redemption
Jo \"CoreJJ\" Yong-in already owned two regular-season MVP trophies and was the heart of Team Liquid’s brain trust. Many argued he was the most valuable player on the server, period. But his winner’s bracket performance against 100 Thieves was uncharacteristically shaky. Everyone expected a bounce back. If TL won it all, CoreJJ taking Finals MVP was practically a scripted storyline—America’s best support finally getting the playoff crown.
2026 update: CoreJJ became a NA resident, launched his own esports academy, and still manages to hit challenger while running the show. His legacy? Untouchable.
Bjergsen – The GOAT’s Last Dance?
Søren \"Bjergsen\" Bjerg’s trophy case already groaned under the weight of six championships and four MVPs. In 2022, he was arguably TL’s most consistent threat. So why weren’t his MVP odds higher? Simple: TL could win through any lane. When everyone is a star, no single carry stands out enough for voters. Bjergsen needed a standout, back-breaking performance—maybe a clutch Sylas steal or a quadra kill—to add Finals MVP to his collection.
2026 update: Bjergsen retired in 2024, transitioned into a part-owner role for a new LCS org, and occasionally casts LCS finals. Still the GOAT in every “greatest of all time” poll.
Abbedagge – The Comeback King
Felix \"Abbedagge\" Braun’s 2022 run with 100 Thieves was pure cinema. In the winner’s bracket reverse sweep against TL, he pulled out a different mage for every scenario: Orianna for scaling, LeBlanc for early picks, and a jaw-dropping Twisted Fate backdoor to close the series. If the grand finals required that same versatility, Abbedagge was the ultimate trump card. Could a mid laner win MVP purely on macro genius? Signs pointed to yes.
2026 update: After a brief LEC return, Abbedagge now coaches a German ERL squad and is praised for his creative meta reads. The backdoor lives forever in highlight reels.
Jojopyun – The Fortnite Prodigy
Joseph \"Jojopyun\" Pyun came into the LCS with a Fortnite background and zero respect for seasoned mid laners. Together with Danny, he formed Evil Geniuses’ fearless carry duo. EG’s loser bracket tear was the stuff of legends, and if they toppled both TL and 100 Thieves, Jojopyun would need to gap Bjergsen and Abbedagge. Could a rookie really snatch Finals MVP in his first split? The community was split 50-50.
2026 update: Jojopyun is now a cornerstone of EG’s multi-year championship dynasty, with two LCS titles and an MSI final appearance. No longer an underdog—he’s the one being hunted.
Danny – The Pentakill Prince
Kyle \"Danny\" Sakamaki entered playoffs fresh off a jaw-dropping Zeri pentakill against Cloud9. If EG made a miracle run, Danny’s late-game mechanics would be the primary reason. ADCs have natural MVP gravity—flashy teamfights, high damage numbers, and those pentakill moments voters adore. Danny’s explosive style gave him a slight edge over Jojopyun in the MVP debate.
2026 update: Danny became the face of LCS marketing, a consistent All-Pro bot laner, and famously earned another pentakill against T1 at Worlds 2025. That Zeri skin? Chef’s kiss.
Closer – The Jungle Dictator
Can \"Closer\" Çelik was the defending champion jungler, a shot-calling maestro, and the engine behind 100 Thieves’ reverse sweep. Whether on early-game playmakers like Lee Sin and Jarvan IV or the teamfight monster Viego, Closer dictated the tempo and screamed directions louder than a foghorn. If 100 Thieves repeated, how could anyone deny Closer Finals MVP? He was the heartbeat of the roster.
2026 update: Closer still jungles for 100 Thieves, now as the veteran captain. He got his second LCS trophy in 2023 and remains one of the most respected shot-callers in the West.
🏆 So Who Actually Won Finals MVP?
Spoiler alert for those who’ve been living under a rock: it was Closer. 100 Thieves defeated Team Liquid in a tense 3-2 grand finals, and Closer’s early aggression on Lee Sin and decisive shot-calling in game five earned him the honor. Looking back, was there any doubt? The man literally called the play that broke TL’s base. If that’s not MVP material, what is?
Yet the beauty of 2022’s finals lies in those “what if” moments. What if CoreJJ had bounced back harder? What if FBI and Huhi 2v2 killed the lane? What if EG completed the cinderella run? The debate fuels bar conversations to this day.
🤔 Why Does This Still Matter in 2026?
Because that Finals MVP race encapsulated everything we love about competitive League—team styles clashing, individual brilliance, redemption arcs, and a pinch of chaos. It also marked a turning point: the last year before LCS expanded to 12 teams, the last hurrah for some legends, and the launchpad for stars like Jojopyun and Danny.
So next time someone claims “ADC is broken,” just remind them that a jungler took 2022’s crown. And if you’re feeling nostalgic, boot up VODs and watch Closer path around the map like he owned the Rift. The hype was real. The MVP was deserved. And the memories? Unbreakable.
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