League Of Legends Worlds Semi-Finals Day 1: Results, Recaps, And Recommendations
The League of Legends World Championship kicked off with the Play-in stage of the tournament on Friday, September 25, and after a thrilling play-ins stage, the Groups began on October 3, and seeded the teams going through to the Playoffs (Quarterfinals and Semi-Finals).
The best League teams from all around the world will be facing off against each other for the prestigious World Championship, immortalising themselves in League of Legends history.
With a scaling prize pool depending on the number of championship skins being bought (of which 25% go directly towards the teams), the overall amount will likely surpass $5,000,000 (~£4,000,000). In total 22 teams from eleven regions will be competing at the World Championship.
Catch up with everything you missed, including features and analysis, on our Worlds Coverage Hub.
Check out the everything you need from the Worlds 2020 Semi-Finals below, including all the info on schedules, teams, game recaps, and more! The Semis are a Best-Of-Five format.
Click the links to jump to the recaps and results for that game!
SEMI-FINALS DAY 1 (SATURDAY OCTOBER 24) - SCHEDULE
11am BST / 6am EST - DAMWON GAMING vs G2 Esports (Best of 5)
DAMWON GAMING vs G2 Esports (Best of 5) (REWATCH RECOMMENDATION - 3/5 - Sweet Sweet revenge for DWG)
GAME 1
DWG reminded G2 that not all LCK teams are created equal as they absolutely demolished them in game one. The game started off well for G2 as Marcin "Jankos" Jankowski had three ganks before six minutes — he got First Blood for his team with a gank onto Heo “ShowMaker” Su. Jankos in those five to six minutes visited top twice and visited mid once, but it wasn’t all G2 as Jang “Ghost “Yong-jun and Cho “BeryL” Geon-hee were able to get a two versus two kills onto Mihael “Mikyx” Mehle.
G2 gave their early lead to DWG after Ramus “Caps” Borregaard and Jankos initiated a skirmish Kim “Canyon” Geon-bu and ShowMaker by the mid lane. DWG’s bot lane were able to roam, helping ShowMaker and Canyon and making it a three for 1 overall — putting them ahead in the game. After this, it was just DWG outclassing G2 across the map in the early game. The European representatives, once again with Caps, tried to push their weight onto DWG but DWG were having none of it. At 13 minutes, In hopes of having the rest of his team follow up, Caps stole ShowMaker’s Twisted Fate ultimate and used it onto DWG’s bot lane. This didn’t work as DWG were quick to pull the trigger and turn it around, once again punishing G2.
DWG were so ahead that around the 18-minute mark they were able to get Herald, top tower tier one, dragon and a pick onto Jankos as he was on the wrong side of the map. Later, in G2 get wiped out in what was their final stand at the first and only dragon fight at 20 minutes. Mikyx on the Rakan went for a flash engage onto ShowMaker but ShowMaker was quickly able to reactionary flash away from it. Once this happened, all bets were off as DWG were able to turn it all around, killing Caps and later facing the rest of G2 members, only losing Canyon — DWG get the dragon.
Past this, DWG were just too head. Quickly after that dragon fight, DWG catch G2 by Baron at 22 minutes and take it for themselves. After this, it was business as usual for DWG, taking a bit longer to finish off the game due to their composition’s lack of siege — they had to use ultimates from Jhin and Gangplank to end the game.
GAME 2
Game two had G2 keeping it scrappy, once again with a good start to the game but this time continuing it in the early game. All started with a two for one in the bot lane as Mikyx and Luka “Perkz” Perković kill DWG’s bottom lane. This was later followed by a gank from Jankos onto Jang “Nuguri” Ha-gwon for a kill. Fast-forward a few minutes later and DWG tried to bite back as Mikyx engaged onto DWG’s bottom lane but Canyon was there to respond. DWG were barely not able to finish off Mikyx but placed down Herald. It ended in an overall win due to DWG not being able to finish off the tower.
The action started to ramp up around the 18-minute mark as DWG use Herald in the mid lane for a charge and BeryL flashes onto G2 looking for the big brain play. His big brain play was stopped as G2 had the perfect amount of CC, stopping him in his tracks and killing him. Move forward a minute and DWG get the gold lead after they find three G2 members in the bottom lane while they had Nuguri push the top lane. This happened for around seven to eight more minutes as a real five versus five team fight never really happened until the 25-minute mark.
At the 25-minute mark G2 immediately pull the trigger onto Canyon — calling out DWG’s bluff of pushing and holding the mid lane. They Flash onto Canyon, kill him and then get another, getting Baron. After this, G2 were finally able to freely terrorize the map but that wasn’t all. Right after this play, G2 find more DWG members by dragon and get themselves Infernal Soul. With Baron and Infernal Soul in hand, it was just crossing the ts and dotting the is for G2 as they pushed DWG’s base with their buffs, slowly finishing the game with some minimal push back from DWG.
DWG's plan of having Nuguri carry on the Fiora failed terribly, as G2 played well around it and Nuguri was left to be a non-existent factor in fights.
GAME 3
DWG dominated this game but it started with G2 having constant aggression. It was a bloody start as G2’s bottom lane set themselves for kills on their opposition. With the help of Jankos Flashing over the wall, G2’s bottom lane kill BeryL. It was really well set up, having the lane slow push but they dropped the ball looking for a dive onto Ghost. They dove Ghost and killed him but Ghost managed to get two kills for himself with the help of the tower. After this, a scuffle breaks out by top river that lands DWG ahead.
The hectic start of the game slowed down having Mikyx get picked off multiple times. First by DWG’s blue as he was looking to get vision for his team, second as G2 were setting up a dive onto DWG and later two more times by the bottom side of the map. At near 18 minutes, DWG get an overwhelming team fight win with good team fighting — setting themselves up for Mountain Soul. At 20 minutes ShowMaker and Canyon find Caps trying to be cheeky by their krugs. This leads to them using Herald and getting two top towers and a charge onto tier three. This prompted them to start the Baron. G2 punish DWG’s aggression and get kill onto BeryL and a team fight ensued. G2 ended up winning out and tying up the gold.
After both teams reset, DWG punish a Caps greedy recall in the mid lane but BeryL ended up being traded. DWG transitions to dragon as it’s their Soul and G2 do their best to delay — getting Caps’ respawn. Both teams soft reset but in the reset, DWG find a pick onto Mikyx which forces G2 to back off and gets DWG Soul. At the 27-minute mark, Mikyx looked for a pick onto ShowMaker but DWG were there to respond, turning it around — DWG get two kills and Baron.
DWG patiently pushed with their buffs and got bottom inhibitor. After this, they ran up to G2’s jungle and kill three members of G2 after they engaged on them — ending the game and putting themselves at match point. Jankos had zero marks on the Kindred thanks to Canyon's Graves play.
GAME 4
In the freest game of the series, DWG absolutely rocked G2, leaving them shellshocked. It all started with an incredible start for DWG before five minutes even passed. Started with Canyon pushing away Jankos off of bottom scuttle, meanwhile ShowMaker solo killed Caps for First Blood. Right after this, ShowMaker reset and teleported top and dove Martin “Wunder” Hansen with Nuguri. DWG had a 1k gold lead at five minutes.
DWG get their first drake at six minutes, and G2 looked to punish by having a pincer from both sides. This pincer wouldn’t work as DWG turned it around and killed Mikyx in return. Sidenote, Canyon got a lucky Kindred mark spawn, putting him at four before ten minutes even passed. While DWG was terrorizing G2 across the map, Ghost was solo in the bottom lane on the Caitlyn, getting CS and plates for himself — later becoming an absolute monster.
Anything that G2 tried, didn’t work. Fast-forward a bit into the game and Jankos and Wunder engaged onto Nuguri. BeryL came to save Nuguri’s day, turning it around for a kill for themselves. After this, it was just nonstop winning for DWG, until finally after capturing Soul point and getting Herald, DWG go for the end. They barrel dow the mid lane with the Herald, taking mid tier two tower and killing Wunder. They later have Herald charge onto mid lane tier three and they killed Jankos plus get the inhibitor. With blood in the water, the DWG sharks transitioned it into a win before 20 minutes even passed — making it the fastest game in Worlds history.
Images via Riot Games
