Let’s do a somewhat quick 2019 Mid-Season Invitational finals recap in order to go over the first ever all-Western finals in League of Legends history (not counting the Season 1 World Championship). By all accounts, 2018 was the year that will long be remembered as the moment Western teams finally closed “the gap.” It was the year when no Korean contender reached Top 4 at Worlds, and also the year when two exceptional European titans rose to prominence — through entirely different means.

But as exhilarating though it was, many had their doubts, and with good reason. Western teams could have simply adapted better to the meta and, as a result, reaped the rewards. After all, it was hard envisioning a level playing field after so many years of Korean and Chinese dominance. They were so strong, in fact, that no one gave Western teams a chance — including Western teams themselves. When we had a fight between, say, a Korean and a Western giant, it was never a matter of “who will win,” but rather “how long will this Western team survive before ultimately succumbing.”

And such a status quo made things somewhat boring and uneventful as the years went by. No new narratives, and no new champions. We were seeing the same thing happen time and time again, and it felt like “Groundhog Day” regardless of the meta.

So coming into 2019, everyone had their doubts, and there were many questions just waiting to be answered. The 2019 Mid-Season Invitational came around, and even though Team Liquid and G2 Esports looked strong coming into the tournament, there wasn’t a soul who would say they had the edge over the likes of Invictus Gaming or SKT T1.

But once the Knockout Stage began, an unexpected thing occurred — both Western teams came out of the gates swinging, and were able to best their opponents in spectacular fashion. These sights were both shocking as well as confusing.

“Is Liquid really going to beat Invictus Gaming 3-1?”

It was an unbelievable moment, and yet it was happening right in front of our eyes. At once so real and so ethereal. The notion that the LCS champions would be able to outclass the defending World Champions to such a degree was so downright laughable that it veered into the realm of fiction.

And yet they did it.

The Upsets Begin

The LCS champions pulled off the greatest upset in League of Legends history — and they made it look easy. As if they were up against a couple of scrubs, and not against five champions of unparalleled strength.

It’s strange how competitive League works.

Just a day later, the LEC champions stepped foot on stage to fight against one of the best and most stacked Korean rosters to ever exist. It was a clash between titans, and the European super team eventually emerged victorious after a five-game brawl that left no one indifferent.

A “five-game brawl” might even be an understatement.

And seeing the greatest League player of all time in action was just icing on the cake.

But it was G2 Esports’ Rasmus “Caps” Winther that was able to clutch things out on more than one occasion and bring home the victory.

The European powerhouse was better when it mattered the most, and the Korean casters couldn’t hide their disappointment.

The LPL champions had lost, and in embarrassing fashion as well. The Korean giants had fallen just a day later, and once all of a sudden we found ourselves entering uncharted territory. We would be seeing a clash between two Western titans, and we were all caught off-guard. We didn’t think it would happen so quickly — if ever, really. No longer did we have to pray for any semblance of competitiveness — we were the ones who dictated the pace of the game, and determined what the best and most optimal way to play was.

A Refreshing Outcome

Regardless of your allegiance, this was an exciting point in time. We were finally getting new storylines, and Western teams were finally stepping into the spotlight, seeing how they were no longer overshadowed by their Eastern adversaries. To think that G2 Esports had to take down the reigning LCK champions SKT T1 in order to face Team Liquid in the finals was a big sign that we really had entered the dankest of timelines.

A Western final. A clash between two champions, and two teams brimming with mechanical prowess and talent. Such a monumental skirmish would surely bring fireworks, right? How could it not?

It didn’t, unfortunately for everyone involved. Not this one, at least.

Game one started with power picks on both sides. Liquid took Orianna, Varus, Skarner and Gankplank, whereas G2 opted for the highly coveted Jarvan IV pick, along with the Xayah and Rakan bottom lane duo.

But even though their drafts were relatively even, it was the G2 five-man line-up who were able to impose their will from the very get-go. Marcin “Jankos” Jankowski was able to completely outclass Jake Kevin “Xmithie” Puchero in the early game, and his impact was awe-inspiring.

G2 needed just six minutes in order to get three kills, and the action didn’t stop there. Not in the slightest. Liquid was breaking at the seams as G2 was able to completely outclass their adversaries at will.

A ten-thousand gold lead at the twenty-minute mark was all we needed in order to proclaim the winner even before any Nexus blew up. The lead G2 had was insurmountable, and closing the game out was just a formality.

G2 Presses Their Advantage

The final kill tally for game one was 22 for G2 Esports, and just 2 for Team Liquid. Everyone not wearing a Team Liquid jersey was probably laughing at that point. But we all knew the talent that was present within Liquid’s five-man line-up. A strong rebound for game two was perfectly attainable, at least in theory.

But much like the first one, G2 started the second game off on the right foot, as Jankos was able to dictate the pace of the game from minute one. Even though they didn’t have a solid start, Liquid was still able to make things highly competitive. In fact, they even had a respectable gold lead at the twenty-minute mark. All signs were pointing towards a much more competitive game, up until Liquid dropped the ball and got aced just a couple of minutes after Baron first spawned. In the end, G2 needed just twenty-eight minutes in order to get the job done. Caps’ Sylas pick (and his 10/1/6 KDA) proved to the world yet again why he’s considered one of the best mid laners in the world.

Game three was pretty much exactly the same. First blood for G2, Jankos focusing on the bottom lane, Caps styling on his opponents, and just immense cohesion and dominance across the board. This was G2 at their best — commanding, in sync, and mechanically insane with no evident weakness for their opponents to capitalize on. Such incredible play allowed them to completely decimate Liquid in just eighteen minutes. Let that sink in.

But once the match ended and Liquid’s Nexus blew up for the third and final time, G2 Esports didn’t look that excited. They were expecting this. For them, this was just another day at the office. The first time a European team won something significant, and yet they’re already focused on the next big thing: the World Championship. And it’s hard to blame them. This roster wasn’t assembled to be just great — they’re aiming to write a couple of pages in the history books, and such a dominant showing at this year’s Mid-Season Invitational was a fantastic way to start.

In the end, the LEC champions needed just seventy minutes in order to get the job done. In doing so, they managed to set the record for the fastest international Best of 5 in League’s history.

Ouch.

The fact that it was such a one-sided shellacking, however, shouldn’t deter any North American fans from being hopeful and optimistic for their chances once the World Championship comes around. North America, as a region, has never been this strong and capable, and they’re bound to upset once again in a couple of month’s time. These are exciting times for fans of Western League of Legends; times when anything can happen. Liquid will go back home having learned an invaluable lesson. They will have more than enough time to further grow and adapt, so that once Worlds comes around they’re better and more prepared than ever.

That’s it for our 2019 Mid-Season Invitational finals recap! Fortunately, if you’re still itching for top-tier League, you won’t have to wait for long! The 2019 Summer Split is beginning in just a couple of week’s time, so you can expect a lot more high octane action in the foreseeable future.,