Worlds 2017: Top 5 Games from the Play-In Elimination Stage

The 2017 League of Legends World Championships Play-In Stage concluded last week with few surprises. Three of the four major region teams advanced to the main event, with Hong Kong Attitude from the LMS a lone outlier.

Fnatic, Team WE, and Cloud9 all swept their way into the next stage with convincing performances that seemed to belie an undercurrent of impatience. “Let’s get this over with and move on to a real challenge,” they seemed to say, and rightly so. Though Lyon Gaming, Young Generation and HKA were competent sides, the gap in quality was evident (mostly evidenced by naïve macro play). None proved more than a speed bump in the end.

The lone wildcard to advance was TCL representative 1907 Fenerbahçe Espor via their 3-1 victory over Brazil’s Team oNe. Sporting two South Korean imports in mid and jungle—a synergy all but required to be a strength to succeed in this meta—Fenerbahçe enter the next phase already having put their fledging soccer-backed organization on the map. Explosive performances from streaky AD carry Padden plus a solid frontliner in top laner Thaldrin were enough to separate FB from the pack and gave their fans license to dream.

If we're being fair, luck played a part in Fenerbahçe’s success. They were drawn into both the easiest group (with HKA and a shockingly weak Rampage) and best-of-five matchup (with oNe, a team that looked overmatched after three games). Had Lyon Gaming been given the same set of opponents, perhaps the LLN powerhouse would be the ones lingering in Wuhan instead. We’ll never know, but I would have enjoyed watching Seiya and WhiteLotus take their shot at the world's best. If performances against Team WE and Cloud9 were any indications, Lyon would have fought as fiercely as their mascot implied.

To recap the best moments of the play-in elimination stage, here are my top five games to watch in preparation for the main event.

5. 1907 Fenerbahçe Espor vs. Team oNe (Game 4)

I’ll be honest: There were less than five good games in the play-in elimination stage. Maybe three if we’re being generous? Three out of four series were sweeps, and most games were one-sided stomps by the favorite. So was this one, but at least we got to Game 4! 1907 Fenerbahçe’s closeout game against Team oNe featured an exciting performance by mid laner Frozen’s Aurelion Sol, taking what was Marf’s pocket pick and making it his own. Come for Frozen’s roams bot, stay for the most valuable Rift Herald usage you’ll ever see.

4. Fnatic vs. Hong Kong Attitude (Game 3)

Fnatic’s final butchering of Hong Kong Attitude came at the hands of Caps, already one of Europe’s most explosive mid laners when he doesn’t get any lane assistance. This time, no one could take their eyes off Caps’ Taliayh, who’s involvement in three kills before four minutes had elapsed sealed the HKA’s fate. Not even the substitution of Gemini for the limp GodKwai could delay the inevitable. When Fnatic play this well in the early game, there aren’t many teams in the world that can stay with them. 

3. Team WE vs. Young Generation (Game 2)

Young Generation surpassed everyone’s expectations in this game, playing so well for long periods of time. They won a few team fights, pressured bot for First Turret, resisted the early ganks from Condi, controlled the map to punish the aggressive Ezreal pathing, farmed well, and secured an early infernal plus Rift Herald. Naul styled with Syndra, Nhocty feasted Xiye once, and BigKoro stood tall in team fights. They even got a delayed ace in the mid game! But you don’t attempt Baron when the Son of Baron is alive, and you certainly don’t try it when he’s on a champion designed to steal it. Condi’s brilliance around Baron broke the kids from Vietnam and squashed any thought of an upset.

2. 1907 Fenerbahçe Espor vs. Team oNe (Game 2)

Plenty of underdogs had strong showings in the elimination stage of play-ins, but only one managed to win a game. After a Game 1 battering by 1907 Fenerbahçe, the teenagers of Team oNe regrouped with resilience beyond their years and evened the series by doubling down on the aggression that got them there. A preset dive composition that called for a first pick Lulu (surrendering Xayah/J4/Rakan in the process) and three tanks to surround Absolut’s Varus should not have worked. Yet there was 4LaN killing carries under turrets, and Varus finishing 12-1-9 to out-carry Padden’s Xayah (who did 11k damage in one fight alone). Team oNe pulled one out for the little guy, proving that their appearance at this stage was more than just luck of the draw.

1. Cloud9 vs. Lyon Gaming (Game 2)

Cloud9 survive a 5.8k deficit and losing all three inhibitors in this incredible, hour-long comeback win. Lyon Gaming did virtually everything right, but impatience around objectives when their minions were flooding C9’s base cost them the game. C9 had no business winning after a subpar first 30 minutes, but picked their way back into contention as the late game lengthened. Jensen got out-dueled by Seiya in the mid lane, but it was his burst of Unleashed Power that brought down a fed WhiteLotus late, a handhold C9 used to escape their own grave. Lyon deserved better.