Greetings, Summoners, from the Fields of Valoran! This week on the Rift, some of the top teams in the LCK, EU LCS, and NA LCS went head-to-head to secure their position in the upcoming 2016 World Championship. Read on to see which teams took Regions for their place at Worlds.
LCK
In the three-round Best of Five, the LCK’s Regionals started Monday, August 29th with Afreeca Freecs going up against Jin Air Green Wings. JAG took Games 1 and 2 in a bid to end the set quickly, but AFS came pushed back to claim Game 3 and then forced the tie-breaker by winning Game 4. Spurred on by their momentum, AFS continued their streak by winning Game 5 and moving on to challenge Samsung Galaxy.
On Thursday, September 1st, Afreeca Freecs continued their streak by winning Game 1 against Samsung Galaxy. That was the only victory SSG allowed, however, taking Games 2, 3, and 4 to claim their right to challenge KT Rolster.
September 3rd brought the climactic set between KT Rolster and Samsung Galaxy. Like AFS, SSG’s previous victories seemed to spur them on towards claiming Game 1. Also like AFS, SSG had Games 2 and 3 taken away from them by KT. KT’s momentum did not last, however, as SSG claimed Game 4 to force the tie-breaker. Ultimately, the LCK 2016 Regional Qualifier went to Samsung Galaxy.
This week’s highlight comes from Game 3 in the Best of Five between KT Rolster and Samsung Galaxy. Unlike most highlights I have presented this season, the play here was more chosen for the entertainment factor. While KT’s Ssumday enjoyed a Double Kill as Gnar, the casters were distracted by the plight of SSG Crown’s Lissandra. The saga begins with KT Fly’s Zilian near the KT Blue Nexus, but spans a large area of the map before its dramatic conclusion. Follow this link or skip to 2:31:52 in the video below to watch the play.
EU LCS
The EU LCS Regionals were also in a Best of Five format, with Round 1 between Unicorns of Love and Giants taking place September 3rd. UOL firmly swept GIA, taking three victories in a row and advancing to face Fnatic. On September 4th, UOL carried on their momentum to sweep FNC before moving on to face Splyce in the final round. SPY put UOL’s streak to an end by winning Game 1. The two team’s s engaged in a back-and-forth victory pattern that forced a Game 5 tie-breaker. Only one team could be crowned the 2016 Regional Qualifier Champion—Splyce.
This week’s highlight comes from the epic Game 5 conclusion between Splyce and Unicorns of Love. It’s a bit longer than most highlights, but the plays are worth the watch. It all starts when UOL Vizicsacsi’s Shen goes too deep under a tower and falls to Splyce. SPY proceeds to chase UOL across the map, cleaning up the remaining team members, earning a Double Kill for SPY Mikyx’s Bard, and claiming the final victory. Follow this link or skip to 46:51 in the video below to watch the conclusion unfold.
NA LCS
Aligning with the EU LCS schedule, the NA LCS Regional Qualifier started off when Team Envy swept Liquid and earned the right to take on Cloud9. The second round of Regionals saw another sweep, but this time it was C9 who took the victory and advanced to face Immortals.
This week’s highlight comes from Round 2, Game 2. Team Envy attempts to stop Cloud9 from defeating their third Ocean Drake, but C9 dominates the fight and scores an Ace before moving on to defeat both Drake and Baron Nashor. Follow this link or skip to 34:16 in the video below to watch the play.
On Monday, C9 snapped up Games 1 and 2, but IMT put up a fight and ended the streaks by claiming Game 3. C9 would not be denied, however, and earned their place in the World Championship by winning Game 4 and the NA LCS 2016 Regional Qualifier.
What’s to Come
Now that Regional Qualifiers are through, it’s time to get ready for the 2016 League of Legends World Championship! Each of the above regions will send three teams to Worlds, where they will be joined by the top three teams from the Chinese league and the top two teams from the Master League and the two International Wild Cards.
See you on the Rift!
