League Of Legends Worlds Groups Day 2: 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.
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.
The main event began on October 3, putting the remaining 16 teams in four separate groups. The first three competitors in each group have already been determined, with the play-in tournament victors slotting in as the fourth seed in each respective group.
Check out the everything you need from Groups Day 2 below, including all the info on schedules, teams, game recaps, and more!
Groups Day 2 (Sunday October 4) - Schedule
Click the links to jump to the recaps and results for that game!
9am BST/ 4am EST - Machi Esports VS Team Liquid
10am BST / 5am EST - G2 Esports VS Suning
11am BST / 6am EST - Rogue VS DAMWON Gaming
12pm BST / 7am EST - PSG Talon VS JD Gaming
1pm BST / 8am EST - Gen.G VS Team SoloMid
2pm BST / 9am EST - LGD Gaming VS Fnatic
Machi Esports VS Team Liquid (Rewatch Recommendation: 2.5 / 5 - Team Liquid can't win on lane fundamentals)
In the early game, Huang "Gemini" Chu-Xuan put his mark on the action, finding two successful ganks and also controlled both Neutrals for the first 15 minutes. Jung "Impact" Eon-yeong who had to concede his Mordekaiser’s life once got himself back by solo killing Hsieh "PK" Yu-Ting in the top lane.
The mid-game was infused by close calls in engagements as teams dragged out fights around tier 1 turrets all over the map and splitting up. TL managed to get both Rift Herald and a Dragon out of it while also destroying top tier 1, keeping the gold score close with Machi’s carries excelling at keeping up solid CS advantages.
One of the first close games of the Worlds Group stage was almost even at 23 minutes, with a slight advantage going to Machi Esports which pronounces itself after putting themselves on Cloud Soul point.
Through loss of neutral control, TL saw their game built on quicksand. Losing continuous Neutral fights with no recourse to contest due to by any sort of late-game scaling advantage, Machi routinely walk their advantage to a victory.
Mads "Broxah" Brock-Pedersen face says it all here.
G2 Esports VS Suning (Rewatch Recommendation: 5 / 5 - one of the best matches in recent memory)
Picking Renekton for Chen "Bin" Ze-Bin and Lee Sin for Lê "SofM" Quang Duy Suning were looking for a hard early game potential. For a while, it looked to work out for them until a fight around Herald puts Suning slightly on their backfoot.
Mid-game, the pressure was on G2 to keep up in Neutrals as Luka "Perkz" Perković gets locked out in a crucial Baron fight, bringing Suning back. In the fight for Ocean Soul point, the Chinese team played it excellently, winning a crucial fight.
In late game, the gold is close but Ocean Soul for Suning weighs heavy on G2 while their scaling gave them repeated fighting chances. Five on fives throughout the game remained beautiful dances at the very edge of HP bars.
The late-game turned into some of the most exciting League of Legends you’ll ever get to see. A constant back and forth between the teams led to a close fight at G2’s nexus but they were able to miraculously keep themselves alive with Perkz in position to backdoor Suning’s crystal.
Rogue VS DAMWON Gaming (Rewatch Recommendation: 2 / 5 - DAMWON asserts their dominance)
As expected by the experts, Finn "Finn" Wiestål faced issues against Jang "Nuguri" Ha-gwon who were playing the unusual top lane matchup of Lulu vs Gangplank, getting killed and his tier 1 turret killed before 12 minutes. While DAMWON took large advantages all over the map, things at least repeatedly went right for Rogue in the mid lane.
During the mid-game, Rogue held on despite a sizable gold disadvantage but at least keeping DAMWON from taking Baron or getting to Soul point. No all-out fights happen before 30 minutes as Rogue didn’t feel in a position to win one. DAMWON took Baron against a desperate Rogue who used the advantage to take Dragon Soul and pushed towards the base, winning in a nigh stomp.
Rogue had some good plays around the mid-lane that inspired some hope but gave up incredible amounts of resources all around the map, looking outclassed for most of the game.
PSG Talon VS JD Gaming (Rewatch Recommendation: 2.5 / 5 - Dominant bounce-back game from JDG)
It was all go go go from the start for JD Gaming as Zuo “LvMao” Ming-Hao began the game with 100% kill participation. A dive with his lane partner and his jungler, Hao “Kanavi” Jin-hyeok, a roam into another dive in the top lane and then a Flash engage onto the mid lane. This all jump-started JD Gaming’s lead that they grew exponentially until the end of the game.
PSG Talon did have one clever play though in the bot lane to jump-start themselves back up into the early game. A clever gank from Kim “River” Dong-woo and teleport from Su “Hanabi” Chia-Hsiang netted them a kill and were poised to take the first dragon of the game. JD Gaming went in with a disadvantage in numbers and managed to pushed them off, taking it for themselves.
JD Gaming were terrorized the map from top to bottom, PSG Talon tried their best but they were too behind. A final fight at Baron where JD Gaming started it began really well for PSG Talon; they gave themselves a fighting chance with a pick onto Zhang “Zoom” Xing-Ran. But with an Ashe arrow and an engage, JD Gaming aced PSG Talon and won themselves their first game at Worlds — it was a stomp.
Gen.G VS Team SoloMid (Rewatch Recommendation: 2 / 5 - Bjergsen got Zilean, but GEN didn't care)
Gen.G had a commanding performance due, utilizing their early lane pressure. Team SoloMid had good picks but Gen.G took their pressure and mobilized it all across the map — taking control of Team SoloMid’s jungle with the Lilia. The LCS’ #1 seed had a kill lead for a good portion of the early game but that didn’t matter as Gen.G had a steady 1k-2k gold lead instead.
They were always a step ahead of Team SoloMid’s plays, countering and bettering anything they threw out.
Mingyi “Spica” Lu on the Nidalee had both of his solo lanes lose hard due to their matchups as well as a Lilia on another side that was matching him — anything he tried wasn’t enough. Ultimately Team SoloMid’s draft was a bit concerning as they had no real damage even though they had the world-reknown Søren “Bjergsen” Bjerg Zilean.
LGD Gaming VS Fnatic (Rewatch Recommendation: 2.5 / 5 - FNC can have their gold, LGD will take their dragons)
Although down in gold early, LGD Gaming were never concerned. While Fnatic was funnelling Bwipo in the top side, LGD Gaming were getting dragons in the bot side. Even though there wasn’t an exuberant amount of kills in the team fights, LGD Gaming kept coming out on top. It all came on its head on one key team fight in the mid lane. Fnatic start the engage, LGD Gaming reply and it ends in a three for two in favour of LGD Gaming — LGD Gaming get dragon soul.
Once ahead, LGD Gaming didn’t waver completely wiping the floor with Fnatic in the final fight. Su “xiye” Han-Wei had a key flank which helped solidify the fight coupled with Ha “Kramer” John-hun’s Miss Fortune ultimate. Once having won the fight, LGD Gaming quickly made their way to the mid lane and ended the game.