League of Legends 2019 World Championship Quarterfinal Draw Recap
The Group Stage is finally over, so let’s do a somewhat quick recap of the LoL Worlds 2019 Quarterfinal Draw and what it means for the remaining eight teams going forward! First, this year’s Worlds is living up to the hype.
We’ve witnessed insane clashes between some of the best and most stacked teams in the game’s history, and it’s fair to say that the best is yet to come. In the end, eight challengers stood out the most because of their mechanical prowess, team cohesion, mental fortitude and sheer talent — three teams from the LCK, three from the LEC, and two from the LPL.
In hindsight, this is pretty much an expected outcome for the LoL Worlds 2019 Quarterfinal draw. While the fact that all three European teams got out of groups is somewhat surprising, it’s still perfectly reasonable, given just how competitive and strong the region looked over the last year. Korea stepped up in every conceivable fashion and brought three of its most potent challengers. Each one of them presents a unique challenge, and it’s fair to say that all three have what it takes to hoist the World Championship trophy ultimately.
Finally, we have two teams from China — FunPlus Phoenix and the defending champions Invictus Gaming. In true LPL fashion, these teams are brimming with potential and are staggeringly aggressive but also inherently flawed. Their unique nature is a complicated and delicate beast.
Perhaps the fascinating thing about this year’s Worlds is the fact that there’s no one favorite. Everyone here (well, excluding Splyce) has the right to challenge for the throne, and we can easily see a plethora of different outcomes. While some teams are favored more than others, there are no absolutes, and nothing is set in stone. On the contrary, the result will be decided by the slimmest of margins. This fact alone makes every match going forward a must-watch, and seeing how every team carries a specific narrative. It’s fair to say that fireworks are guaranteed.
With that out of the way, let’s take a closer look at all four upcoming match-ups.
Saturday – October 26
The first day of the Knockout Stage presents us with two exceptional clashes. We have three teams known for their unrelenting aggression, along with the deceptively capable former “kings of Europe.” Both match-ups have a ton of potential and should entertain us beyond measure.
Griffin vs. Invictus Gaming
The stuff dreams are made off. If we had to describe this clash in a single phrase, it would have to be “absolute chaos.” And we do mean this in the best possible sense. This is a clash of two mechanically gifted behemoths; between two giants who love to skirmish from the moment they spawn on the Rift.
On the one hand, we have Griffin, a team that had a metric ton of momentum coming into the tournament and with good reason. We’ve seen their incredible highs during the last two years, but they were never able to translate such a stellar level of play and win anything worthy of mentioning. As a result, their success was always tied to home soil.
Until now.
While their week one performance wasn’t that impressive (to say the least), they found a way to turn things around and won all four of their games in week two. It was an absolute masterclass in every regard. The fact that they outclassed the 2019 Mid-Season Invitational champions G2 Esports with such staggering ease goes to show that they’re every bit as powerful and dangerous as SKT T1. We’ll forget their one-sided loss to the LCK champions in the Summer Split finals for the time being.
Opposite them, we have Invictus Gaming. Not a lot of people believed in them coming into the tournament seeing how they didn’t exactly impress throughout the 2019 Summer Split. Despite their inconsistent play, they were always going to leave a mark on the international stage, given their inherent talent and experience.
Heck, when you have Kang “TheShy” Seung-lok and Song “Rookie” Eui-jin within your starting line-up, being competitive is a given. Fortunately for Invictus, both of their solo lane prodigies stepped up in the nick of time and have been destroying their opposition with relative ease. Watching these two mechanical deities dominate was an absolute treat.
We have two teams that are on the rise, but it was Griffin that showed a lot more promise. The fashion in which they disposed of G2 Esports was staggering. Whenever such a shellacking took place, it was G2 Esports who were able to get out on top. This time, however, the tables turned. And it was a shocking sight.
Griffin were in sync, and they were as aggressive as ever; it was marvelous. Watching Lee “Tarzan” Seung-yong was like watching poetry in motion. His decision-making and impact on the map are second-to-none, and when he’s at the top of his game he’s a force of nature.
So, it is only natural that we’re giving them the edge in this one. It’s not going to be easy, but the second seed from Korea should be more than capable of getting the job done.
FunPlus Phoenix vs. Fnatic
A fascinating match-up, regardless of your allegiance. This one is particularly engaging because it could go either way. A lot of people touted FPX as a bona fide contender coming into the tournament seeing how they dominated back on home soil, but their level of play so far has been somewhat disappointing. They eventually got first place but struggled mightily against Splyce. To be at a deficit in all three of their games (and lose one) against the third-best team from Europe is simply unacceptable for a team of their (supposed) caliber.
As a result, no one should be overly surprised if they drop out in the quarterfinals. Opposite them stands Fnatic. In true Fnatic fashion, they lost more than they should in week one, only to improve by leaps and bounds and clutch things out in week two. It’s getting a bit too close for comfort whenever Fnatic plays in the Group Stage, but the fact that they always get the job done is a true testament to their work ethic and ability to adapt when it matters the most.
Will it be enough against the Chinese champions? It very well might be, although it’s impossible to know for sure now. What is certain, however, is that they have all the right tools to advance further into the tournament, especially if they play as well as they did last week when they were able to best both SK Telecom T1 as well as Royal Never Give Up.
Sunday – October 27
The second day of competition, while still action-packed, isn’t as exciting as the first one, although it all comes down to personal preference. We have one Best of 5 that many people are expecting to end in quick 3-0 fashion, and another that’s looking like a clash for the ages. All in all, not a bad day by any means, but it could end up being one-sided.
SK Telecom T1 vs. Splyce
Something is exciting about this match-up. Splyce has turned a couple of heads after their performance in group B, and they’re also not the kind of team that’ll pull punches. They’re going to go all-out and fight until someone’s Nexus explodes regardless of whom they’re up against.
On the other hand, they’re up against SK Telecom T1. That’s about as tough of an opponent as they could get. So, there’s a fascinating dichotomy at play here.
It’s hard to side with Splyce even for a moment. They might be competitive, but maybe that’s an optimistic stretch as well.
SKT is looking to continue building on their hype and momentum, and a quick, one-sided beatdown would undoubtedly be an expected outcome, given the overall skill disparity.
DAMWON Gaming vs. G2 Esports
Finally, we have a spectacular clash to close out the quarterfinals — G2 Esports vs. Damwon Gaming. Now, on paper, this was supposed to be yet another negligible challenge in G2’s road to the finals. Damwon, for all their talent and potential, shouldn’t have been able to compete with a team that’s as flexible and capable as G2 Esports.
But then the Group Stage happened, and now no one is sure what to think. G2 Esports looked pretty darn bad when it mattered the most. An aggressive, in-sync Griffin obliterated them. Conversely, Damwon dominated both Invictus Gaming as well as Team Liquid. They had a fair bit of hype coming into the tournament, but no one expected them to play at such a high level. While they’re not perfect, they’re fighting tooth and nail for every inch of the Summoner’s Rift and have found spectacular success so far.
G2 Esports, on the other hand, were beaten to the ground by Griffin twice in a row. If they were at least somewhat competitive, we would’ve given them the benefit of the doubt, but as things stand, they’re far less consistent and dangerous than what people previously believed. When they’re at the top of their game, they’re a force of nature, but when that’s not the case they’re struggling across the board. Marcin “Jankos” Jankowski and Mihael “Mikyx” Mehle massively underperformed, and their drafts didn’t impress either. Perhaps that’s even an understatement.
Following the LoL Worlds 2019 Quarterfinal Draw, the margin for error is non-existent. They need to improve, and they need to do it fast if they want to stand a chance against a game Damwon. Fortunately, if there was ever a team that could pull off such a turnaround, it has to be G2 Esports.
Talk about a must-watch.
It’s important to highlight that every match going forward will be played in the Best of 5 format, so we’re bound to get some insane, action-packed League of Legends. Things have never been this competitive, and it’s fair to say that seven out of eight teams that are competing have a puncher’s chance of lifting the trophy. Now it’s all about nuances, about the smallest of details and how each challenger adapts in a matter of days.
The LoL Worlds 2019 quarterfinal draw gave us four of the best possible match-ups. While some of them might not live up to the hype, it’s hard not to be excited for what’s to come. Make sure to tune in this weekend on Twitch, YouTube, or the LoL Esports website because we should be in for one heck of a fight!
Comments