Due to the 100 Thieves�� loss, the entire North American region now has nine consecutive losses, its worst World Championship start since 2015. The region faced a more challenging time during the 2015 Worlds group stage when Cloud9, TSM, and Counter Logic Gaming collectively lost 11 matches in a row.

100 Thieves started the match against RNG in the lead. The Chinese team recorded a number of impressive plays due to the efforts of their bot laner, Chen “GALA” Wei��s Kai��Sa, who executed a premeditated level one play that resulted in a kill.

Shi “Ming” Senming was able to support the bot laner using Amumu��s Bandage Toss across the wall, which landed on the NA team��s top laner, Kim “Ssumday” Chan-ho��s champion, Aatrox.

Despite this, 100 Thieves remained ahead by the 14-minute mark of the map with a 2,000 gold lead. As a result of the squad��s MVP jungler, Can “Closer” ?elik��s use of Viego, the team made some progress on the map, particularly on the top side.

RNG were able to get ahead of their opponents after obliterating 100 Thieves�� fragmented team fighting during the passive play that occurred at the start of the objective fights. The HUYA Inc. owned franchise soon moved to a 17-4 kill score from the previous 2-2 due to the efforts of a five-for-zero ace. RNG also notably acquired a Mountain Soul with no issues.

Due to the team��s recent win and 3-0 record, RNG is now the third squad to reach a possible tiebreaker for a quarterfinals spot in the competition. The other two teams include the LPL kings, JD Gaming, and the European franchise, Rogue.

Crowd favorite JDG were notably placed first in Group B��s main event of Worlds 2022 after the LPL champions faced off and won against G2 Esports.

Rogue, on their end, have kept up an impressive winning streak in the Worlds 2022 group stage after defeating DRX and GAM Esports to kick off their quarterfinals march. The European lineup recorded their third win against LPL team Top Esports and solidified their place at the top of Group C.

In 2019, the NA region recorded their worst showing at the World Championship to date, producing an overall 5-13 score. The rest of the tournament does not look promising for the teams, but an unanticipated change could occur.

The second round robin of the tournament��s group stage will officially begin in a week, giving 100 Thieves some time to regroup. The NA team��s next outing will be against the Taiwanese lineup, Flying Oyster. The franchise could finally snag their first win in the 2022 World Championship as they are favorites to win on top esports betting sites with $1.67 odds.

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Notable Chinese teams like Invictus Gaming, Xtreme Gaming, EHOME, and Vici Gaming were all placed on the sideline after RNG managed to grab the remaining spot during the Chinese Regional Qualifiers for The International 11.

During the qualifiers, RNG only lost out on one map in all four series played, but closed the competition with a 3-0 win during their rematch against Xtreme Gaming and snagged the last regional TI invite.

Prior to the grand finals rematch against RNG, Xtreme Gaming played against the team during the upper bracket finals in a three-series match. Although the series started well for Xtreme Gaming with an early win, RNG eventually bounced back and emerged as the victors in the next two games. The team received a pass to the event’s grand finals, while Xtreme Gaming were moved to the lower brackets.

Xtreme Gaming had their rematch with RNG after playing and winning against Vici Gaming in the lower bracket finals. The first game between the teams saw Lu “Somnus” Yao and the rest of the squad win in 38 minutes as a result of the efforts of their Bloodseeker and Puck combo.

Xtreme Gaming had a higher chance of winning in game two due to their Wombo Combo Ultimates. However, the attack failed when faced with RNG��s use of Bristleback and QoP.

The final game was 48 minutes long and saw Xtreme Gaming struggle to defeat RNG after losing out on the two previous games. They used one of the new meta carriers, PA, and while their pick surprised RNG, it was not enough to counter the team��s use of Necro and Bristleback.

RNG have maintained a commendable performance since the team changed their roster after the TI10, where they added Somnus, Yang “Chalice” Shenyi, and Yap “xNova” Jian Wei to their lineup. The players were previously a part of PSG.LGD��s roster before signing onto RNG.

The only time they finished outside the top five teams in an event was at the Arlington Major. At the time, they had Anathan “ana” Pham play as a team stand-in.

For the entirety of the 2022 Dota Pro Circuit season, RNG have proven to be one of the strongest teams. However, they were only able to participate in the Arlington Major as a result of COVID and travel issues.

The team finished in ninth place, and their DPC points were reduced as a result of midseason roster changes and the Chinese Regional Final replacements. As such, they were unable to get a direct invite in the regular season.

Their regional qualifier win placed them beside PSG.LGD and Team Aster as the third team to represent China in the TI11, set to start in October. A fourth regional squad still have the chance to join the three teams in the Last Chance Qualifier. Xtreme Gaming and Vici Gaming will reportedly play against the two teams that were placed second and third in their regions during the event scheduled to be held in Singapore.

The Last Chance Qualifier will have two final slots available for the event, which will kick off on October 8. Dota 2 The International 11 will have the best teams from around the world competing to secure not only fame but an impressive prize pool of over $10,000,000 USD.

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Both Bilibili Gaming and Invictus Gaming will enter their week four match-up with the exact same record, with both teams sitting at 1-4 in 14th and 15th place, respectively.

Bilibili Gaming have lost their last three matches to Anyone��s Legend, Top Esports and Edward Gaming, after they started their Summer Split with a loss to LNG Esports and their only win to date over Ultra Prime coming in week two. This is an underwhelming start for the team who finished in eighth-place in the LPL Spring Split and made it to the final eight in the playoffs.

Bilibili Gaming have added Chen ��Bin�� Ze-Bin from the LPL Spring and Mid-Season Invitational champions, Royal Never Give Up, but it seems that the change has not improved this Bilibili Gaming roster, as the team has gone backwards this Split compared to their really good Spring Split.

Invictus Gaming have also lost their last three games to the exact same teams that Bilibili Gaming has in their last three. Invictus Gaming, much like Bilibili Gaming, started their Split with a loss and registered their only win in week two, giving us a good form reference to go off for this match. Invictus Gaming struggled in the Spring Split, finishing 14th of 17 with an overall record of 5-11, so with the slow start that they have begun the Summer Split with, it isn��t really surprising where they sit in the standings after three weeks of the Summer Split.

With both teams struggling to start the Split, we should see a good match up here between two teams looking for their second win. We see some value in the total maps market, with over 2.5 maps paying $2 with esports betting sites.

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The second match of the day brings us the reigning LPL champions, Royal Never Give Up, taking on OMG with both teams in the mid-table battle owning records of 2-1 and 2-3, respectively.

RNG have started off the Summer Split rather slowly with all three of their matches going the distance to three maps, with the reigning champions running out victorious over Weibo Gaming and FPX but they lost their last match against Victory Five. The reigning LPL and Mid-Season Invitational champions have made one change from their Spring Split to their Summer Split with the addition of Chen ��Breathe�� Chen in the top-lane taking over from Chen ��Bin�� Ze-Bin who departed to play for Bilibili Gaming. With RNG starting quite slow, this could be a danger game for them as OMG enter this match on a two-game win streak.

OMG started the LPL Summer Split on a three-game losing streak but have since won their last two games in a row over LNG Esports and LGD Gaming. OMG only just missed out on playoffs in the Spring Split after their team contracted COVID-19 and had to take two weeks off. This meant that they played their last three matches over three days to end the Split, where they lost all three. If OMG can get a good run of health and a bit of luck this Split, the boys from OMG could easily push for playoffs and could surprise a team like RNG in this match.

With all three of RNG��s matches going to three maps and OMG in some great form leading into the match, we believe that over 2.5 maps will be the best play for this match-up.

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In their earlier match-up in the rumble stage leading to the semifinals, RNG had gotten the better of EG on both occasions. So their decision to choose EG as their preferred semifinal opponent did not come as a surprise.

RNG defeated EG in a clean sweep, winning all three maps to close out the series. The North American esports team could not win a map despite coming close on the second and third maps. Xiaohu made a difference for the Chinese franchise, as he was critical to the team’s success.

The second semifinal fixture will hold on Saturday between T1 and G2 Esports, as they battle for a chance to compete for the MSI championship title. Whoever triumphs in the match-up will take on RNG on Sunday for the grand finale.

RNG, who are the MSI defending champions, are on track to retain their title after such a terrific campaign. In the rumble stage, they had lost a game each to T1 and G2, so there is no telling who will clinch the title. They could make history as the first team to win the prestigious title for a record three times.

Overview of the semifinals fixture between RNG Vs EG

RNG obliterated EG in the first map, their dominance was unmatched as they won the map convincing. They revealed their game plan early and maintained dominance all through the game. 12 minutes into the game, RNG has recorded 6 kills and secured a lead of over 5,000 gold.

After decimating the top lane, RNG moved on to the bot lane and caused further damage, increasing their kill. They first acquired their third dragon before knocking down three EG’s inhibitors and a baron. They also acquired 11 EG towers but lost none of theirs while only losing a dragon.

RNG ended the game with 22 kills as opposed to EG’s one kill, as GALA completed the most kills (9) with Kai’Sa. While the least player on RNG’s roster recorded 2 kills, EG’s lone kill was achieved by Jojopyun. RNG recorded a difference of approximately 18,000 gold, having recorded 58,500 gold as opposed to EG’s 40,600.

EG had a better outing in Game 2, they were able to muster some resistance against RNG’s early pressure. They took the early advantage with an amazing team fight and good play from Jojopyun.

But the game slept away from their grip after Xiaohu of RNG effected a perfect ambush against Inspired. RNG sacrificed their lives in exchange for a play that saw them secure the Cloud Soul, after which they wiped off EG players and claimed their Nexus. The game ended with RNG completing 19 kills, while EG finished with 15 kills.

Game 3 commenced with RNG taking an early lead after controlling the lanes and making some kills. EG fought hard, but RNG eventually ravaged their base and won the third map. RNG recorded 27 kills in comparison to EG’s 16 kills to close out the series.
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The fixtures for the qualifying teams are finalized and the games will commence this weekend. As per the MSI policy, the top seed team in the rumble stage chooses the team they would like to go against in the semifinals and the date of the match-up.

RNG, who were the first-place team, were offered the opportunity to select between the third and fourth place teams – G2 Esports and Evil Geniuses. With the option of also selecting their preferred date for the commencement of the semifinals, RNG chose May 27.

RNG defeated Evil Geniuses in both encounters in the rumble stage with a very good margin. Being the first-place team, choosing Evil Geniuses as their semifinal match-up felt like the right option. Automatically leaving T1 and G2 Esports to go against each other for the finals spot.

RNG finished the rumble stage with an 8-2 record, with the two losses coming against T1 and G2. But against EG, RNG did a double over them, winning both games.

In both games, RNG outscored EG 48-15 in the total number of kills. The LPL champions recorded a total number of 112,400 gold in both their matchups, while EG had 95,600, creating an average difference of 13,400 gold per game.

To commence the rumble stage on Day 1 was a T1 and G2 Esports fixture. G2 came out victorious with 20 kills as opposed to T1’s 8 kills. While G2 claimed 73,600 golds, T1 were closely behind with 69,700 golds.

Their second encounter which was on Day 4, took a different turn as T1 claimed the win, with Zeus leading the way with 7 of 18 kills. The loss to T1 became G2’s third consecutive loss, following losses to RNG and PSG Talon, which came after maintaining a 24-game winning streak. G2 mustered 9 kills alongside accumulating 38,600 golds, while T1 finished the game with 44,700 golds, almost twice the difference of their first encounter.

While RNG and EG will commence the knockout stage on Friday, May 27, T1 and G2 Esports will go head-to-head on Saturday, May 28. Winners of both fixtures will match up on Sunday, May 29, for a chance to be crowned the new MSI champion. The semifinals and finals will be a best of five series, contrary to the best of one format earlier used for the rumble stage.

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Riot put out a statement that the tournament will operate with a 35-millisecond ping between China and Korea to maintain competitive integrity, but those at the live location have complained about the connectivity.

Complaints came from several participants at the event, with the most consistent complaint centered around the stability of the ping. The same latency tool was used in the LPL vs LCK Showdown during the 2020 Mid-Season Cup, but no issues were reported.

After data evaluations by Riot’s technical team, they discovered discrepancies in the ping. Apparently, the data on the logs were different from what was observed in the live arena.

“Following extensive technical evaluation of the competitive and training environments during the first three days of the 2022 Mid-Season Invitational, we discovered the following Day 3 that there was a discrepancy in the latency being reported in game logs for all matches versus what was being experienced in the Busan venue.”

Due to recent developments, Riot opted to cancel RNG’s first three games. All three have been rescheduled and will be played within the stipulated date for group stage matches.

With the issue reportedly fixed, RNG will have to replicate their previous performances to finish first in the group. The group stage, which started on May 10, will run until May 15.

Their first three games were against Group B counterparts Istanbul Wildcats, PSG Talon, and RED Canids. They won the best-0f-1 series against all teams comfortably, but those victories have been dismissed by the organizers.

Riot Never Give Up has asserted its dominance in the 2022 MSI

With their initial three wins canceled, RNG’s slate was wiped clean with the team having to replay all three initial group stage matches. However, the LPL representatives were not fazed as they won all three games originally scheduled for today, becoming the third team yet to lose a game in the tournament.

The team’s first match was against the Wildcats, and they got back on the board. Even with a two-hour gap between all three matches, RNG was able to secure victories in all three games.

It is great to see that the team did not drop their heads after receiving the news that their first three games were canceled. They came out and took care of business, looking to reassert their dominance in the tournament.

As the group stage follows a double round-robin format, RNG will play against all three teams in their group once again on May 14. A top-two finish will see them advance to the next round, and they currently top the Group B standings with a 3-0 record. as they look to retain their title.

The MSI is currently being held at the Busan Exhibition & Convention Center in South Korea. Eleven teams from the individual Riot Leagues are competing for a piece of the $250,000 prize fund.
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Two Dota 2 fixtures set to take place this Thursday at China Dota 2 Pro League Season 1 featuring ViCi Gaming who will lock horns with EHOME and Royal Never Give up. Here are the www.fridaynightmadness.com predictions with betting odds courtesy of the best esports betting sites.

ViCi Gaming vs EHOME

• Thursday, January 2 – 14:00 CST

After a dominant run at ONE Esports Dota 2 World Pro Invitational Singapore, ViCi Gaming ($1.19) are set to return to China Dota 2 Pro League Season 1, where they will look to keep their flame alive and bounce back from their poor start of the season.

Entering their fifth game of the season, ViCi are holding onto a 2-2 record, which sits them at the eighth spot in the group.
Despite being below the playoffs line, there is no reason for concern, as they still have four more fixtures to play before the playoffs, thus plenty of opportunities to secure a spot in the final six. That being said, ViCi will have to get off to a strong start in January, which should inspire them to not hold back this Thursday.

So far ViCi defeated Invictus Gaming (2-0) and Newbee (2-0), but lost to Keen Gaming (1-2) and suffered a shock defeat against IG Vitality (1-2) in November. Despite their underwhelming record, we have to consider a lot has changed since their last fixture, most notably their title-winning run at ONE Esports Dota 2 World Pro Invitational, where they completely decimated some of the strongest teams in the Dota 2 pro scene.

While ViCi were putting up a show in Singapore, EHOME ($3.99) were struggling to keep up the pace in the Pro League, where they lost to Aster (0-2), PSG.LGD (0-2) and RNG (0-2). That means they will enter this bout on a streak of six consecutive defeats, which includes defeats against TNT, KG and IG during WESG China Finals in early December.

There are not a lot of comparisons to make between the two sides, considering it’s rather obvious which squad should come out ahead. ViCi were simply phenomenal in recent weeks, while EHOME were the complete opposite. As we see it, if Xiong “Pyw” Jiahan and co. can produce anything similar to what they did in Singapore, this one should be a clean sweep for them and we don’t expect to see anything less this Thursday.

• Prediction: ViCi Gaming to win
• Odds: $1.19 @ GG Bet

ViCi Gaming vs RNG

• Thursday, January 2 – 17:00 CST

The second fixture of the day will see ViCi Gaming ($1.45) flex their muscles against Royal Never Give Up ($2.50) in what promises to be an exciting bout and a true test of strength for RNG who are on a phenomenal 6-2 run so far this season.
So far this season, RNG lost to only IG (0-2) in week one and Typhoon E-Sports Club (0-2) in week three, which were both obviously upset losses. On a more positive note, RNG defeated Aster (2-1), EHOME (2-0), PSG.LGD (2-1), KG (2-0), Newbee (2-0) and IG Vitality (2-0) to cement themselves as the league leaders.

As it stands now, RNG are on a six-game winning streak in the league and considering this is their last fixture of the season, we can expect Su “Flyby” Lei and his squad to put up a show. That being said, we must mention RNG are already guaranteed a spot in the final six, no matter the final result here, which leads us to believe RNG wouldn��t mind too much if they lose.

Other than their impressive run in Pro League, RNG also made a solid run at Yabo Supreme Cup earlier in December, where they lost to Adroit in the finals. ViCi and RNG met six times throughout 2019. Out of five meetings, we saw RNG take four wins and ViCi only two. While the head-to-head record favours RNG, we have to consider RNG have not defeated ViCi since EPICENTER Major Chinese qualifiers in May 2019. Furthermore, the last two meetings which took place at TI9 and MDL Chengdu Major Chinese Closed Qualifiers both belonged to ViCi, 2-0 and 2-1 respectively.

The recent form of two teams and the last two h2h results suggest ViCI are the superior side here and we have no reason to believe otherwise. Furthermore, RNG have nothing to lose, while ViCi have a lot to gain, and for that reason we expect ViCi to deliver and win their second fixture of the day against RNG.

• Prediction: ViCi to win
• Odds: $1.40 @ GG Bet