Worlds 2022 Semifinals: How does the jungle pool stack up?
The remaining four junglers at Worlds 2022 stack up to be a strong pool of proven, world-class players. What play-styles are being shown, and what advantages are these players creating for their team?
Seo "Kanavi" Jin-hyeok - JD GAMING (JDG)
Kanavi has been a monster in the jungle ever since his full debut on JDG back in November 2019. A Korean prodigy originally on Griffin, he would find more success once in China, fitting comfortably on the JDG squad.
This Worlds, Kanavi has shown no signs of slowing down, and is showing up as the best jungler at the tournament. Of the remaining junglers, Kanavi has the highest DMG% share for his team at 19.2%, whereas the other three jungles hover around 15%-13%. Clearly, Kanavi can be a carry point for JDG, a team already filled to the brim with players who carry.
Kanavi favoring champions like Viego or Graves speak to this high DMG% share: both Viego and Graves can scrap early, all while keeping up their farm. Kanavi can both proactively pick fights, while making sure to not fall behind on resources. Similarly, Nidalee fulfills this same role, and Kanavi is the only jungler of the four to play Nidalee on stage so far.
Mun "Oner" Hyeon-jun - T1
T1 has turned on their Worlds buff, and Oner has been empowered likewise. T1 and JDG are the only two teams at the tournament so far to drop only one game, albeit with T1 playing one less game than JDG. Regardless, Oner has been a core tenet of T1's success - although with many of these top teams, you can say that with just about every player.
Oner has the smallest pool of unique champions played at four, but is incredibly consistent with a powerful pick like Sejuani. Half of T1's eight wins have Oner on Sejuani, and he has won all four of those Sejuani games.
Viego is a pick Oner and T1 prioritize, just as JDG does with Kanavi, so their Semifinals drafts will be super interesting to track.
Hong "Pyosik" Chang-hyeo - DRX
Of the four junglers, Pyosik may have been the least hyped up one heading into this tournament. Post DRX vs EDG however, Pyosik stocks are rising, and it's clear to see why.
Less in the realm of Kanavi, Pyosik looks to enable his team more than he looks to be the star of the show. Interestingly, he can step up to put on the carry pants every once and a while on a counter-pick like Kindred. In Game 3 of the DRX vs. EDG Quarterfinals series, Pyosik's Kindred behind Deft's Draven began to flip the series on it's head to take Game 3 and eventually reverse sweep the entire series.
Pyosik has shown versatility on the World's stage, and at this point in the tournament, it's a trait you must have. DRX have continued to surprise, and their match-up against Gen.G is going to be a banger.
Han "Peanut" Wang-ho - GEN.G
Out of every jungler in pool of four, Peanut has had the most tenured career. At 24, he has been competivley playing since December of 2014, and by Worlds 2016, he was already in talks of one of the best junglers in the world during his stint at ROX Tigers.
Six Worlds later, Peanut is back on Gen.G and has taken his historically control-style of jungling up a few notches. Like Oner, Peanut has been a mainstay on the Sejuani pick, although he does not maintain a 100% winrate on the pick like Oner. Peanut still shines in his champion pool, picking seven unique champions at Worlds 2022 so far, the most of any remaining jungler at the tournament.
While Maokai has not been as prevalent in Quarterfinals like he was in Group Stage or Play-Ins, Peanut has shown he can bust out the Maokai in the jungle on-stage, which has yet to be seen on-stage for the other three junglers.
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Image source provided by Riot Games.