The acquisition of x6tence is just one of many business deals that Giants Gaming – officially the Vodafone Giants – have made this year following a US $3.3 million investment from the S��nchez C��zar Group, which consists of founder Jos�� Antonio S��nchez C��zar and key shareholders Alejandro Beltran, Gabriel Saenz de Buruaga, Luis Ferrandiz, and Lolito Fern��ndez.
The financial terms of the deal that united two of Spain’s biggest esports organisations were not disclosed to the public.
While the two parties are currently working on integrating x6tence’s staff into their new parent company, the team’s CS:GO roster were not a part of the deal. This leaves Jonathan “JonY BoY” Mu?o, Nicolas “NikoM” Miozzi, Tom��s “tomi” Guardia, Matias “tutehen” Canale, and Mor��s “OMG” Marquez-Cid without a team.
Although x6tence��s CS:GO squad have not won a single tournament since GAME Stadium 2017, the Spanish team showed some promise at the end of May this year when they made it to the semi-finals of ESL Masters Espa?a Season 7. Nevertheless, the overall performance of the roster did not reach the goals that had been set by the organisation.
“With yesterday’s news, we announced that our intention was to return x6tence to where it deserves to be, especially when it comes to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive,” read the announcement on x6tence’s official website.
“After a period of 10 months since the CS: GO first team project began, in which we have not achieved the stated objectives, it has been decided to pause the activity of the roster immediately.”
This deal won’t mark the end of x6tence as a CS:GO team, as Vodafone Giants CEO Jos�� Ram��n D��az said they will continue operating under their own name for the time being. Mr D��az also noted that this acquisition gives his organisation the ability to work with two brands at the same time, which should attract more sponsors and help develop the Spanish esports scene.
“Giants Gaming has been consolidating an unprecedented market leadership position in recent years and we believe that it is time to make a change of pace and go a step further. With the acquisition of the X6tence brand and our incorporation into the project, we kick-start a new stage of hope where we will work like never before to reformulate the rules of esports,” said Mr D��az.
The next step for x6tence is to “restructure the division and redefine new goals and objectives”, with the intention to grow the brand and assemble a team that will represent one of the oldest Spanish esports teams.
This deal also sees x6tence��s League of Legends team, which competes in the Liga de Videojuegos Profesional SuperLiga Orange (LVP SLO), rebranded as Vodafone Giants for the LVP SLO 2020 Summer competition, slated to kick off on Monday, June 15.
]]>S2V ESPORTS VS G2 ARCTIC LEAGUE OF LEGENDS BETTING & MATCH DETAILS
S2V ESPORTS VS G2 ARCTIC SLO SPRING SEASON BETTING PREVIEW
S2V Esports and G2 Arctic will lock horns on day one of Week 5 at SuperLiga Orange (SLO) on Monday, February 17.
G2 Arctic enter Week 5 of the 2020 SLO Spring Split with a 4-4 record next to their name. While they are sitting comfortably in the middle of the standings, the expectations on Arctic are quite high given their connection to LoL European Championship juggernauts G2 Esports.
G2 Arctic won their opening SLO fixture against Movistar Riders but lost to MAD Lions Madrid, UCAM Esports Club and Vodafone Giants Spain. Luis “Aesenar” Calder��n and his squad found their footing in round five when they bested eMonkeyz, to which they added a convincing win against x6tence. In last two rounds, which took place last week, G2 Arctic lost to BCN Squad and defeated Team Questo.
Since forming in January, Arctic have made only one notable roster change. Alejandro “Carbono” Gonz��lez Juli��n left the team at the start of February and joined eMonkeyz, while Nasser “Nasser” Rifai stepped up from the S2V Academy. G2 Arctic are 2-1 since Nasser’s arrival, which is a positive sign, with the new jungler averaging 3.43 KDA, 4.57 CSPM and 66.7% KPAR over those three games.
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S2V Esports would have hoped for a better start of the season, seeing how they are sitting eighth in the league with a 2-6 record. While the playoffs dream is still alive for Ram��n “Naruterador” Meseguer Fructuoso and company, they have a long road ahead of them.
S2V lost to MAD Lions Madrid, UCAM Esports Club and Team Questo in their opening three fixtures of the season. They managed to bounce back with two consecutive wins against BCN Squad and x6tence, but they failed to deliver against Movistar Riders, eMonkeyz and most recently against Vodafone Giants.
On a streak of three consecutive defeats, it is hard to be overly optimistic about S2V’s chances to upset G2 Arctic – especially if we take into account that two of their former members, ��scar “Oscarinin” Mu?oz and Sergio “FeeNiixZ” Garc��a, are now playing for Arctic.
S2V ESPORTS VS G2 ARCTIC SLO SPRING SEASON BETTING PREDICTIONS
Neither of the sides have impressed with their performances this split, yet it is safe to say S2V are in a much worse position than their adversaries. The only two teams they have managed to defeat are BNC Squad and x6tence, who can hardly be regarded among the strongest Spanish squads. What’s more, S2V lost to eMonkeyz, who are arguably the weakest team in the league.
G2 Arctic have improved since they signed Nasser, and while his arrival alone will not be enough to catapult them to the top of the league standings, it is safe to assume this squad will be competitive throughout the split.
As a best-of-one (Bo1) fixture, an upset is not entirely out of the question. In most cases, unexpected results in LoL esports come after the underdogs out-draft their opponents, but we don’t believe that will happen here.
S2V have not shown anything that would make us believe they can cause problems for G2 Arctic. What’s more, Arctic have two former S2V members in their ranks, and that alone should give them an edge. Furthermore, S2V’s top laner Markus “Acidy” K?pp and jungler ��scar “Nyx” Ruiz Vargas are two of the worst performing players in the league.
G2 Arctic to win
Tricked Esports vs Gambit Youngsters
Friday, December 13 – 12:30 CET
After claiming second place at DreamHack Open Winter, Tricked Esports ($1.40) will look to keep their wheels spinning in Sevilla when they face Gambit Youngsters ($2.77) in the opening match of the group stage.
Tricked have been on the rise recently, ascending from 70th spot in the CS:GO global rankings back in March to 20th as of December 9, 2019.
Looking back at Tricked’s venture in DreamHack Open Winter, Nicolai “HUNDEN” Petersen and co. defeated forZe (16-10) and FURIA (16-14) in the group stage, to which they added a convincing 2-0 win against CR4ZY in the semi-finals. Unfortunately, Tricked ran out of steam in the grand finals, where they lost 1-2 to forZe.
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Gambit Youngsters’ most recent tournament was the EPICENTER 2019: CIS Qualifier, where they started off strong and defeated both Syman Gaming (2-0) and MELBET (2-0) to secure a spot in the grand finals. However, just like their next opponents, Gambit ran out of gas when it mattered and had to admit defeat to forZe (0-2).
GambitY have not played a single competitive match since that event ended on November 24, which does raise some questions as to whether they are ready to perform this Friday.
Tricked and GambitY have met twice in 2019. Their first meeting came at the Copenhagen Games in April, when Tricked won 2-1. The second clash came at WePlay! Forge of Masters Season 2 last month, where Tricked saluted again with a 16-7 win.
Tricked are the superior team here and should come out of this bout victorious with at least four rounds to spare.
Prediction: Tricked -3.5 – $1.75 at GG Bet
GODSENT vs Illuminar Gaming
Friday, December 13 – 15:30 CET
The second fixture of the day will feature GODSENT ($1.50) locking horns with Illuminar Gaming ($2.45) for the very first time.
GODSENT will arrive at Sevilla fresh from a third-fourth finish at DreamHack Open Winter, where the former SMASH roster put up a very solid run but came up short in the semi-finals against eventual champions forZe. Since then, GODSENT have lost to Hard Legion Esports (1-2) at United Masters League Season 2 and defeated Nemiga (2-1) at SECTOR: MOSTBET, meaning they head to Spain with a 3-2 record in their last five.
Illuminar Gaming have had much more success in their recent fixtures. They triumphed at ESL Mistrzostwa Polski – Fall 2019 and then claimed the gold medal at WESG 2019 East Europe after defeating AGO (2-1) for the second time that week, thus extending their winning streak to nine games.
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As these two sides have not yet met on the battlefield, all we have to work with is their performances against other teams.
While GODSENT produced a weaker run over the course of the last month, they were facing much tougher opponents compared to Illuminar. We must also take into consideration the individual performances of the players, where GODSENT come out ahead.
Over the course of the last three months, GODSENT’s players averaged a 1.07 rating, while Illuminar’s roster averaged 1.02, with two of their players averaging less than 1.00. Again, we have to factor in that GODSENT’s roster reached the higher rating against tougher opponents.
Good form is without a doubt a huge factor, especially in best-of-one (Bo1) fixtures, but GODSENT should prove too tough of a nut to crack for Illuminar. GODSENT lose 9.48 rounds on average when they win and Illuminar win 9.47 per map when they lose, so the numbers suggest the favourites should cover the 3.5-round line.
Prediction: GODSENT -3.5 – $1.98 at GG Bet
]]>CR4ZY vs Movistar Riders
Friday, December 13 – 11:00 CET
The opening clash between CR4ZY ($1.44) and Movistar Riders ($2.63) is expected to be a rather one-sided affair.
The last tournament CR4ZY participated in was DreamHack Open Winter 2019, where they left a lot to be desired. While Luka “emi” Vukovi? and his crew made it through the group stage with a 2-1 record next to their name, they failed to deliver in the playoffs as Tricked Esports bested them 16-7 on Dust II and 16-6 on Vertigo.
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While we cannot be too satisfied with what CR4ZY achieved in recent weeks, Movistar Riders are not in a much better spot heading to Sevilla.
Movistar’s most recent tournament was the OMEN Atlantic Challenge, which was a two-day B-Tier event. While they won their semi-final against Team Heretics (2-0), they fell short against DETONA Gaming (1-2) in the upper bracket finals. In the lower bracket finals, Heretics avenged their earlier defeat to Movistar with a 2-0 sweep.
Neither side is in great form, yet CR4ZY should be the alpha dogs in this bout. While this will be a best-of-one (Bo1) fixture, where upsets are common, CR4ZY are far stronger than Movistar and should prove that here.
Prediction: CR4ZY to win – $1.44 at GG Bet
North vs BIG
Friday, December 13 – 14:00 CET
The second fixture of Group A will see North ($1.70) clash with BIG ($2.05) in their sixth meeting of 2019.
North head to Andalusia following a short stint at the ESL Pro League S10 Finals. While the Danes were far from embarrassed in their 12-16 loss to Team Liquid in round one of the upper bracket, their 0-2 defeat to ATK in the lower bracket was humiliating. Not only did ATK sweep North in two maps, but they did so in a very convincing fashion with a 16-9 win on Overpass and a 16-8 result on Vertigo.
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BIG will travel to Sevilla with a 6-4 record in their last 10 fixtures. Their most recent match came on November 24 in United Masters League Season 2, where the Germans defeated Copenhagen Flames (2-0). Prior to that, BIG defeated the ex-Windigo roster (2-0) in the European Champions Cup and lost to Hard Legion Esports (0-2) in the finals of the same tournament.
North and BIG have met five times throughout 2019. North have won four of those five meetings, including a 2-1 victory in the ESL Pro League S10 European qualifiers in their most recent bout. In total, the aggregate score shows 7-3 in favour of North.
There is a level of uncertainty around Bo1 fixtures, which provides BIG with a chance to cause an upset. But while we believe an upset is possible, the odds offered on the favourites are way too good to pass on.
Prediction: North to win – $1.70 at GG Bet
]]>For The Win Esports vs Team Questo
Wednesday, November 20
For The Win Esports ($2.10) and Team Questo ($1.66) will open the quarter-finals with a highly anticipated fixture between two sides who have not met before.
FTW finished the group stage with a 2-1 record, which they earned by defeating Movistar Riders and S2V Esports. Unfortunately for them, the Portuguese side missed the mark against Vodafone Giants Academy.
Team Questo fell flat against the Vodafone Giants first team on the last day of the opening round, but wins over Electronik Generation and x6tence were enough to see them progress from Group C.
All we have to rank these teams by is their performance in the group stage, in which case we have to side with Team Questo. George “SpeeDy” Daniel Savu and Michael “Rayito” Curtet performed well throughout the group stage, so Questo’s should have this one in the bag if those maintain that tempo.
Prediction: Team Questo to win – $1.66 at GG Bet
MAD Lions vs G2 Heretics
Wednesday, November 20
The bout between MAD Lions ($1.22) and G2 Heretics ($4.00) is expected to be a one-side affair.
MAD Lions enter the knockout stage red hot after a dominant run in Group D, where they did not drop a single match. A lot of their success is due to the incredible form of Lucjan “Shlatan” Ahmad, who has died only once throughout the tournament. His skill is impeccable and his KDA (38.00) is miles above any other player.
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While we praise Shlatan, the whole Lions team is playing exceptionally well. From the looks of it, they are serious contenders for the title.
Heretic would have a chance of making something happen if this was a best-of-one (Bo1) clash, but in a Bo3, we can’t expect any surprises.
Prediction: MAD Lions -1.5 – $1.83 at GG Bet
eMonkeyz vs S2V Esports
Thursday, November 21
Day two of the Iberian Cup quarter-finals will begin with a clash between two LVP SLO squads in S2V Esports ($1.83) and eMonkeyz ($1.83), who have met four times throughout 2019 season for two wins apiece.
S2V mid-laner Sergio “FeeNiixZ” Garc��a had a great run in the group stage, proving once more why his team made the right decision bringing him back into the starting lineup. He averaged 2.33 kills per game, 9.18 CSPM, and holds the fourth-best KDA in the tournament (11.00).
EMonkeyz will count on ��scar “RNATION” Calvo to deliver. He is an extremely aggressive ADC who will enter the knockout stage with the highest kill per game average (8.33) out of all players. He is also the sixth-most efficient farmer with 9.23 CSPM.
This one is bound to be close, but we believe eMonkeyz’s advantage in the bottom lane will tip the scales in their favour. RNATION has proved he is one of the best ADCs of the tournament and if he can get his hands on Xayah, eMonkeyz should have a fairly easy time of it.
Prediction: eMonkeyz to win – $1.83 at GG Bet
Vodafone Giants vs Orgien BCN
Thursday, November 21
The last fixture of the day will see Vodafone Giants ($1.40) take on Origen BCN ($2.75) in a must-see matchup between two of the main candidates to claim the Iberian Cup.
Giants will enter this fixture as heavy favourites, having defeated Origen five times in their eight meetings this season. Their most recent meeting came in the LVP SLO Summer finals, where Giants won 3-2 to claim the title.
That said, Origen have looked very strong this tournament. Their only loss in Group D came against the in-form MAD Lions, so we feel like the quarter-final odds provided by esports bookmakers don’t do them justice.
The win condition for Origen will be their bottom lane, which puts a lot of pressure on Adri��n “Homi” Moldes L��pez and Alexander “Venzer” Kostadinov to deliver. The Origen duo are a force to be reckoned with and if they can keep up the tempo, we would not be surprised to see an upset here.
Prediction: Origen BCN +1.5 – $1.57 at GG Bet
]]>eMonkeyz vs Arctic Gaming
Tuesday, November 12 – 18:00 CET
The clash between eMonkeyz ($1.15) and Arctic Gaming ($4.48) is expected to be a one-sided affair.
In week one, eMonkeyz defeated K1CK eSports Club with their aggressive playstyle as they grabbed an early lead and established a dominant position by the time the mid-game rolled around. ��scar “RNATION” Calvo was phenomenal on Xayah, while Ibrahin “Freshx” L��pez Sanchez made his opponents uneasy with constant pressure from the jungle.
Arctic Gaming struggled in week one, as they had to admit defeat to LVP SLO third seed G2 Heretics. Much of the blame for that loss falls at the feet of V��ctor “Vixzy” Solanas and Dimitris “Von” Bakiris, who both severely underperformed.
This will be a best-of-one (Bo1) fixture, which leaves a possibility for an upset wide open. However, Arctic Gaming are a new team and have played only one official match together, so their quality is unknown and their synergy is lacking.
With that in mind, we will side with eMonkeyz to claim their second win.
Prediction: eMonkeyz to win – $1.15 at GG Bet
x6tence vs Team Queso
Tuesday, November 12 – 19:00 CET
If the majority of esports betting sites are to be believed, the clash between x6tence ($1.98) and Team Queso ($1.71) should be a close one.
X6tence lost their opening match of the group stage against a well-known opponent in Vodafone Giants, the first seed from LVP SLO. While the outcome was expected, x6tence produced a solid fight and showed a lot of heart despite falling behind early.
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Team Queso defeated Electronik Generation in dominant fashion thanks to a solid all-round display from all five members. ��ngel “DuaLL” Fern��ndez and George Daniel “SpeeDy” Savu played a crucial role in their team’s success with their standout performances.
These teams met twice in the recent LVP SLO Summer campaign, where x6tence came out ahead on both occasions. While x6tence’s form has dropped a little since then, they showed enough quality in week one to suggest they can defeat TQ once again.
Prediction: x6tence to win – $1.98 at GG Bet
UCAM Penguins vs Hexagone Esports
Tuesday, November 12 – 20:00 CET
The clash between UCAM Penguins ($1.19) and Hexagone Esports ($3.98) pits the two bottom teams from Group D against one another.
While both sides will feel the pressure in this make-or-break affair, it is hard to see Hexagone getting the win they need.
As seen from their performance in week one, UCAM are a far superior team in all aspects. While they did fall apart in the later stages of the game against Origen, they should be more than capable of defeating Hexagone.
Prediction: UCAM Penguins to win – $1.19 at GG Bet
Movistar Riders vs S2V Esports
Tuesday, November 12 – 21:00 CET
Out of all fixtures played on Tuesday, the bout between Movistar Riders ($1.82) and S2V Esports ($1.85) promises to be the closest and the most exciting of all.
MSR finished as the fifth seed in LVP SLO, while S2V ended up tied for last with Team Queso. That said, the teams won a game each in two meetings throughout the summer split, which was also the case in the spring split.
While the two teams appear evenly matched, we have to side with S2V. They produced much more in week one compared to poor display from MSR in their loss to For The Win Esports.
This is a Bo1, so anything can happen, but S2V should have the edge.
Prediction: S2V Esports to win – $1.85 at GG Bet
]]>A rematch of the 2019 Mid-Season Invitational semi-finals is upon us, as SK Telecom T1 and G2 Esports lock horns on Sunday, November 3 in the last four of the 2019 League of Legends World Championship. The winner of this clash will emerge as the second squad to advance into the finals, where they will be joined by the winner of the all-Chinese bout between Invictus Gaming and FunPlus Phoenix.
SK Telecom T1
$1.63 at GG Bet
SKT T1 entered the LoL World Championship as the outright favourites to lift the Summoner’s Cup and they remain as such as they venture off into the semi-finals.
If we take a look back and examine how SKT T1’s road to the semi-finals looked like, there are not a lot of negative things to say about them, if any for that matter.
SKT T1 dominated everyone in Group C, which was objectively the toughest group of the tournament, and they did so with near-perfect performances, where they always looked like they’re one step ahead of the opponents.
In the quarter-finals, SKT T1 got lucky with their draw, as they got seeded with Splyce, who were seen as the weakest team out of the remaining eight. While the Europeans produced some resistance, they were not up to par with SKT T1, who won with relative ease (3-1) and secured a spot in the semis.
While SKT T1 did not have an easy road to the semi-finals, their biggest and toughest challenge awaits them this Sunday when they face an old enemy and home crowd’s favourite G2 Esports.
G2 Esports
$2.32 at GG Bet
G2 Esports enter the 2019 LoL World Championship semi-finals as the only remaining European team, meaning there is a lot of pressure on Rasmus “Caps” Borregaard Winther and his squad to deliver and bring home the Summoner’s Cup.
Just like SKT T1, G2’s road to the semi-finals was anything but easy, yet they made it seem as such. G2 started their Worlds venture in Group A alongside C9, Griffin and Hong Kong Attitude, where they showed their worth by displaying immense quality and talent to finish as the second seed, after losing the tie-breaker against Griffin.
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Despite failing to claim the first spot in groups, G2’s confidence remained unscathed as they ventured off into the quarter-finals, where they dismantled DAMWON Gaming 3-1, to claim the ticket in the next stage.
Looking at G2 and how they play, they are the complete contrast to what SKT T1 is in terms of how they approach their fixtures. While SKT T1 tends to be a very traditional team, G2 are anything but, with their off-meta picks and overall unique approach to their bouts, which is also their biggest advantage.
And it’s not only their off-meta champion picks that G2 use to throw off their opponents, but also their exceptional movement on the map, which they utilize to turn 1-3-1 into 1-4 with ease, thus putting a lot of pressure on the enemy team and their side lanes.
SKT T1 vs G2 betting predictions
G2 to win – Best odds at GG Bet
In terms of how prepared the two teams are, it would be safe to say both SKT T1 and G2 are entering the semi-finals in form, as we could not sense any of their players playing particularly bad throughout the tournament.
For this bout, all the spotlight will be on the mid lane, where we will get to witness the clash between Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok and Caps, who are both regarded as two of the best mid laners that ever entered the Rift.
Due to the quality of the two mid laners this match could be decided in the mid lane, however, there is nothing that would make us give one of the players an advantage over the other, leading us to believe this clash is a toss-up. And the same can be a said for all other lanes, meaning it will all come down to strategy and overall macro play of the two squads.
In terms of how the two sides approach the game, we like G2 better solely due to their ability to play at a very fast pace. SKT T1 on the other side tend to play their games very slow, methodical and calculated, which in this clash will work against them. In other words, SKT T1 in our eyes are too cautious for G2, who will take full advantage of their faster pace and faster resets to derail the Koreans for the second time this year.
The 2019 League of Legends World Championship semi-finals will kick off on Saturday, November 2 with an all-Chinese clash between Invictus Gaming and FunPlus Phoenix. The two sides know each other well from their meetings in the LPL, but this bout carries heightened significance with a spot in the grand finals at stake.
Invictus Gaming
$1.62 at GG Bet
There has been a huge question mark above Invictus Gaming and their chances to repeat their title-winning run from 2018 due to their mediocre performance in summer split of LPL. That being said, the Chinese roster entered Worlds with all guns blazing and made sure to let everyone know they are not to be underestimated.
Invictus Gaming started their 2019 Worlds venture in Group D. There they got paired with DAMWON Gaming, Team Liquid and ahq eSports Club, where they got to show us the first glimpse of their true strength.
While Invictus failed to impress with their 0-2 record against DAMWON, they still managed to finish above TL, which earned them a spot in the quarter-finals.
After some iffy displays in the group stage, Invictus Gaming redeemed themselves with an impressive 3-1 win against LCK second seed Griffin, which suddenly turned Invictus Gaming from underdogs into one of the two favourites to claim the throne by numerous esports bookmakers.
The driving force behind this team’s success was and remains Kang “TheShy” Seung-lok, who seems to get better and better as time passes. While it has become a reoccurring theme, it’s worth noting TheShy will once more play the role of IG’s win condition, as he faces Kim “GimGoon” Han-saem, who with his performances leaves a lot to be desired.
FunPlus Phoenix
$2.33 at GG Bet
There were a lot of doubts about FPX’s true strength after their iffy displays in the group stage, where they were paired with Splyce, J Team and GAM Esports.
Unlike what many expected to see, FPX finished their group stage venture with a 4-2 record, which was enough for them to claim the first seed.
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FPX looked very strong as they dismantled Fnatic (3-1) in the quarter-finals and while it’s easy to praise the LPL champions for their dominant result, we have to consider they played against a team that failed to show up.
On a more positive note, FPX were the most dominant team in the summer split of LPL, where they not only finished the regular season with a 14-1 record but also crushed everyone in the playoffs, which suggests FPX know how to defeat any Chinese team, including Invictus Gaming.
But are FPX ready to show their worth on the big stage and are they ready to face the in-form Invictus Gaming?
Invictus vs FPX betting predictions
Invictus Gaming to win – Best odds at GG Bet
If this fixture was played two months ago in the LPL, the winner would be obvious, however, a lot has changed since then, which tipped the scale into Invictus Gaming’s favour.
On the paper FunPlus Phoenix look very strong heading into this fixture, considering they completely dominated Fnatic in the quarter-finals, however, as stated above, we can’t put too much weight on that fixture, because Fnatic failed to put up a solid fight.
Despite being in the final stage of the tournament, we still haven’t got a chance to see FPX in their full might, partially because they had the easiest road to the semi-finals out of all teams, meaning the LPL champions still have a lot more to prove.
IG on the other side have been on the rise and went from a team that might do some damage in this tournament to a team that is in a great spot to win it again.
In regards of this match, the teams match up nicely, with all lanes looking like they could go either way, with the sole exception being the top lane, where we can expect TheShy to dominate GinGoon, who struggled against Gabri?l “Bwipo” Rau.
As far as the mid lane is concerned, both Song “Rookie” Eui-jin and Kim “Doinb” Tae-sang look equally matched and while Doinb can be seen as the better mid laner, Rookie showed enough quality to make us believe he can perform up to par and produce enough resistance to keep Doinb from getting out of control.
FunPlus Phoenix might be the dominant team in China, but Worlds is Invictus Gaming’s playground. IG will come into this match filled with confidence, which is the fuel that drives this team. They are a team that tends to be a bit too confident at times, but on this occasion, they have the right to fancy their chances.
The first two meetings of the series were fairly one-sided, with SKT showing off their true potential and claiming both. Splyce had their own moments of greatness, but their mid-game struggles prevented them from causing an upset at the Spanish capital.
In game three, Splyce produced what can easily be seen as their best performance of the tournament. The European third seed fearlessly fought back against the Korean giants, who were taken aback by Splyce’s determination and an incredible display of skill.
All the spotlight was on Andrei ��Xerxe�� Dragomir, who managed to strike fear into SKT T1’s roster with his Rek��sai pick. The Romanian jungler did not need long to get himself a substantial lead in the early game, which helped Splyce stabilize their notoriously shaky mid-game.
Splyce’s team fighting prowess shone brightly in game three and the early game lead on top of two Infernal drakes the Europeans snatched early helped them overcome SKT T1 more than a handful of times.
The turning point of the match came in 24th minute of the match when the crowd looked in shock as Splyce decimated SKT T1 to secure the Baron buff and got themselves in a winning position.
This time Splyce took full advantage of the situation, made one last push towards the enemy Nexus and secured the first win of the series to make it 1-2.
With game four on the way, there was a silent hope at the Spanish capital Splyce might be able to turn this series into one for the books and their strong early game suggested we just might witness history.
While Splyce’s top lane suffered, they were slowly but surely gaining a lead at the bottom lane, and while Europeans were still behind in gold for most of the match, they did not give up and kept on pushing.
The loud cheering of European fans went silent for a moment as the two teams met next to the dragon pit for the first big team fight of the match at around the 19-minute mark. It was now or never for Splyce, who once more showed they are not to be underestimated, as they picked up four SKT T1 members while losing only two of their own.
At this point, Splyce were in a very solid position to make something happen and possibly even push the series into five games. That said, their mid-game flaws started to surface.
Lee ��Faker�� Sang-hyeok picked up a few kills on his signature Ryze pick, which started the snowball effect for SKT T1.
The Koreans kept on the pressure, won a crucial 3v2 team fight in the top lane in the in the 32nd minute, made one final push through the mid lane and sealed the series at 3-1.
It was a crushing defeat for Splyce, but one that will go down in history with very positive scores. The European third seed made SKT T1 fight for their lives, proved even the gods can bleed and most of all, made Europe proud.
SKT T1 will now face against G2 in the semi-finals, which has the potential to be the biggest and most exciting series of the tournament thus far.
With that, the European champions earned an MSI 2019 rematch with SK Telecom T1, which is seen by many as the “finals before finals”.
While the score line suggests the quarter-finals fixture between G2 and DAMWON was a one-sided affair, it was anything but.
In game one it was Rasmus ��Caps�� Winther who was under the spotlight with his near-perfect performance on Syndra, which left Heo ��Showmaker�� Su��s LeBlanc without a response.
G2’s lead slowly grew and by the time 34th minute rolled around, the Europeans were already swinging towards DAMWON’s Nexus, which blew up at precisely 34 minutes and 16 seconds, giving G2 a well-deserved 1-0 lead in the series.
But DAMWON decided they won’t go down without a fight and drafted an extremely dangerous AoE “wombo-combo” composition, which helped them win every single 5v5 team of game two.
The turning point of game two came at the 44-minute mark when DAMWON decimated G2 in the dragon pit, secured the Elder Drake and made one last push to end the game and tie the series at 1-1.
In game three, it was time for G2 to switch out their strategy, and they did so in their own fashion. The LEC champions revived an off-meta Yorick pick, which was handed to Martin ��Wunder�� Hanssen, whose job was to cause as much damage as possible in the top lane, while his teammates focused on making DAMWON’s bottom lane a warzone.
Surprisingly enough, the strategy worked perfectly, as G2 made sure Sin ��Nuclear�� Jeong-hyeon struggled on Yasuo, who had no answer for the tower dives, which left him at 0/2.
The pressure on DAMWON’s bottom lane resulted in their ADC and support remaining kill-less for the entirety of the match, whereas Luka ��PerkZ�� Perkovic’s Kai’sa accumulated more and more gold as the game progressed.
G2 decided they had enough at around the 30-minute mark, when they entered the DAMWON’s base with the Baron buff, took down the enemy Nexus and got ready for game four.
Game four was not much different in terms of which team dominated. Once more, we saw Marcin ��Jankos�� Jankowski put up an incredible performance with his Gragas pick, which played a pivotal role in G2’s success.
Just over six minutes into the match, G2 were already 4-0 up, with Jankos holding onto three kills, two of which he got on Kim ��Canyon�� Geon-bu, who was struggling to keep up the tempo set by the Polish jungler.
The highlight of the match was undoubtedly the 3v1 top lane tower dive at the six-minute mark, which secured Jankos’ third kill of the game and got Wunder in an unassailable position, seeing how Jang “Nuguri” Ha-gwon took the fast way back to the Summoner’s platform for the second time in less than five minutes.
While top lane blossomed, G2’s bottom lane struggled slightly. The incredible synergy between Mihael “Mikyx” Mehle and Perkz was not enough to crush their lane opponents but proved to be enough to keep them relevant throughout the game as they made sure to not let Nuclear’s Kai’sa get out of the control.
The deciding fight of the game happened just before the 30-minute mark when G2 secured an ace next to the Baron pit and made one last push to claim a spot in the semi-finals.
G2’s win over the South Korean outfit marked the end of the LoL World Championship quarter-finals, meaning we are left with only four more teams, who will enter the semi-finals at the start of November.
The semi-finals will take place at the same venue on November 2-3, featuring an all-Chinese semi-final between FunPlus Phoenix and Invictus Gaming, followed by a heavily anticipated 2019 MSI rematch between G2 Esports and SKT T1.