This article is part of our LoL Recap series.
Invictus Gaming vs. Newbee
Newbee shocked the world during the First Round matchup in the League of Legends Pro League Spring Split Playoffs, taking a 3-1 series win over Invictus Gaming on Tuesday in Shanghai.
Invictus Gaming technically "won" Game 1 thanks to the LPL's weighted bracket system, where the higher seeded team in the matchup starts each series with a win. Newbee worked hard for its first win, though, as Game 2 started with AD carry Lin "Lwx" Wei-Xiang's Varus picking up first blood in a 2-for-1 skirmish at nine minutes. Newbee snowballed this lead into first tower gold in the bottom lane, catapulting ahead in objectives as it went on to secure several Elemental Drakes. A big triple kill from mid laner Shin "Coco" Jin-yeong's Jayce gave Newbee a scrappy 5-to-3 ace and Baron kill at 28 minutes, all but ensuring NB's victory. With two Infernal Drakes, two Ocean Drakes, a Baron buff, and Coco dealing a game-high 22,100 damage, Newbee cruised to a 33-minute Game 2 win.
Incensed by Coco's strong showing, Invictus Gaming mid laner Song "Rookie" Eui-jin kicked off Game 3 with a Taliyah solo kill on Coco's Jayce at just five minutes. After that, both teams took turns finding picks, with Newbee coming out slightly ahead. A 3-for-1 teamfight for Invictus helped it add to its gold lead, but it would only amount to a roughly 2,000-gold advantage in a rapidly approaching hyper-late game. Despite iG's strong start, a 3-for-2 teamfight and Baron secure for Newbee blew the game wide open at 39 minutes. A while later, Newbee secured its second Baron buff of the game, an Elder Dragon and a triple kill for Baek "Swift" Da-hoon's Lee Sin in a 4-for-1 fight to close out Game 3 in around 50 minutes.
Newbee's blistering form wasn't exactly relentless early on in Game 4, but NB found itself ahead entering the mid game through solid objective control. Elemental Drakes were clearly Newbee's gameplan heading into today's series, as it finished Game 4 with two Ocean Drakes, a Mountain Drake, and an Infernal Drake, adding to its unparalleled vision control. It was nearly impossible for iG to find a good teamfight as NB top laner Bao "V" Bo was a indomitable front line on Nautilus, using his plethora of crowd control and sheer mass to set up Newbee for success. A 30-minute Baron gave Newbee the opening it needed to start closing out the game, cracking iG's base open a few minutes later. Showing confidence it'll need in upcoming rounds, Newbee set up a Baron bait to take a final 5-for-0 clean ace to close out the series with a decisive win in 38 minutes.
With the win today, Newbee moves on to Thursday's quarterfinal round where it will face EDward Gaming at 7 a.m ET. Invictus Gaming are eliminated from the LPL playoffs, and will be next seen at the start of the Summer Split.
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I May vs. QG Reapers
I May proved it's a force to be reckoned with in the League of Legends Pro League Spring Split Playoffs on Tuesday in Shanghai. With devastatingly acute macro play and big time carry performances, IM took a 3-2 series win over QG Reapers.
Facing a 1-0 series deficit heading into Game 1 due to the LPL's weighted brackets, I May wasted little time in setting the tone for the rest of the series in the early game. I May took a while to find first blood, but still accrued a gold lead through early Elemental Drakes and towers. Mid laner Kang "Athena" Ha-woon's Zilean finally picked up a kill at 14 minutes in a teamfight that went 3-for-2 in IM's favor, snowballing the team out of control. A 23-minute Baron kill turned into a nearly 10,000-gold lead at the 26-minute mark, which was too high a mountain for QG to climb. AD carry Xie "Jinjiao" Jin-Shan's Ashe went basically untouched throughout the game, dealing a game-high 26,500 damage while Athena picked up a 4/1/8 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) for 92 percent kill participation as I May took Game 1 in just over 28 minutes.
Where most teams would be reeling heading into Game 2, QG Reapers matched I May's strong objective focus, staying even in gold through towers and forcing close teamfights that failed to net any kills in the early game. When the kills started coming, though, they came pouring in for QG, who picked up first blood in a clean 5-for-0 ace at 16 minutes. QG ran rampant through I May's defenses, as jungler Kim "Clid" Tae-min's Nidalee picked up a triple kill in a 4-for-0 fight, solidifying QG's gold lead. While I May fought valiantly to defend its base, a 28-minute Baron and 4-for-1 teamfight swept away the last of I May's resistances as QG responded to its Game 1 thrashing with a 28-minute win of its own.
It wouldn't be an LPL playoff series without at least one chaotic teamfight over basically nothing, which is exactly how Game 3 started as IM top laner Shek "AmazingJ" Wai Ho's Kled picked up first blood in a full-on level one 5-vs-5 fight at just over a minute into the game. IM then proceeded to pick up an incredibly fast first tower at seven minutes, displaying awe-inspiring macro play the likes of which hasn't been seen from I May in the regular season. A 22-minute Baron attempt for I May ended in disaster when Clid's Lee Sin stole the Baron kill, but QG's attempts at regaining some ground were stifled with a 3-for-0 fight from I May. Continuing a common thread throughout the series, Athena and Jinjiao played out of their respective minds on Taliyah and Ashe, with Taliyah dealing a game-high 23,300 damage while Jinjiao took MVP honors with a flawless 3/0/10 KDA for 87 percent kill participation, including a final 5-for-0 ace to give I May the Game 3 win.
I May was simply on another level from its previous wins, posting its strongest performance in a series-deciding Game 4. Once again, Jinjiao took first tower gold at six minutes as Caitlyn, putting QG AD carry Wang "Alone" Zi-Jun's Varus desperately far behind. By the 16-minute mark, I May had taken every one of QG's outer turrets, picking up easy kills with its potent pick/siege composition along the way. A big 4-for-0 teamfight at 23 minutes spelled the end for QG as I May took a Baron kill to go alongside two Cloud Drakes. The victory was complete following a massive shockwave from Athena's Orianna in QG's base, securing a double kill that led to a crumbled Nexus. Jinjiao's 20,400 damage dealt to enemy champions was made all the more impressive compared to AD carry counterpart Alone's paltry 3,000, while Athena posted a flawless 5/0/9 KDA for 88 percent kill participation in the mid lane.
I May will take on OMG next in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 2 a.m ET, while QG Reapers' Spring Split ends here as it awaits the Summer Split to return to action.
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OMG vs. I May
Hour-long delays, dominating early games, chaotic late games, and even a reverse sweep? Thursday's first quarterfinal match between OMG and I May in the League of Legends Pro League Spring Split playoffs had everything, with OMG leading with a 3-2 series win over I May.
After a game-breaking bug caused Game 1 to get remade after nearly three hours of downtime, I May jumped ahead early on the back of jungler Tu "Ben4" Xin-Cheng's Elise, who picked up several early kills to put I May ahead. OMG responded with team-wide roams across the map, but I May still held a lead heading into the mid game. Pulling ahead with a 3-for-0 fight in the mid lane, I May dominated the mid game with unparalleled objective control. OMG started a risky Baron at 23 minutes, which I May punished with a 5-for-1 ace and Baron kill to put the game out of reach for OMG. With AD carry Xie "Jinjiao" Jin-Shan dealing a game-high 22,000 damage as Varus, and support Yun "Road" Han-gil's Thresh picking up a 1/1/10 KDA (kills/deaths/assists), I May cruised to a 31-minute win.
I May then took Game 2 in eerily similar fashion to Game 1. With Road's Thresh securing an early first blood for Ben4's Elise at just four minutes into the game. I May played the pick game beautifully, catching OMG out of position and converting on those kills for unrelenting map control. A 2-for-0 fight at the 26-minute mark gave I May a Baron kill, which it used to great effect, immediately pushing into OMG's base. I May mid laner Kang "Athena" Ha-woon had a brilliant performance as Taliyah throughout Game 2, dealing a game-high 16,500 damage while using his Weaver's Wall to separate OMG in fights, including a wall that kicked off the final 4-for-0 teamfight for I May that featured a triple kill from Jinjiao's Varus as I May took Game 2 in just under 30 minutes.
I May looked like it would make short work of Game 3 as it secured an early kill lead, but OMG, fighting for its playoff life, managed to keep things relatively even with I May's objective pressure. I May secured a 30-minute Baron kill, but was immediately punished as OMG took a 5-for-1 ace to blow the game wide open. OMG mid laner Xie "Icon" Tian-Yu was a monster on Ahri, dealing a game-high 42,200 damage while assassinating key targets in a tumultuous late game. I May went from holding a comfortable gold lead to falling desperately far behind as OMG cracked open its base. With solid shotcalling, two Baron buffs, three Ocean Drakes and an Elder Dragon buff, OMG finally got on the board with a nerve-wracking 51-minute win.
OMG got an early lead in Game 4 as jungler Chen "World6" Yu-Tian's Elise gave first blood to Icon's Zed at just four minutes into the game, beginning a period of scrappy fights throughout the early game. I May appeared to control the game, but a massive push from OMG saw it take down the bottom lane inhibitor at just 20 minutes, throwing I May into panic mode. I May managed to take a 4-for-2 teamfight after OMG took a 25-minute Baron, but OMG immediately responded with a 4-for-1 fight of its own. With the gold even at 65,000 apiece at 35 minutes, OMG managed to finally take a gold lead after Icon picked up a triple kill to punish a greedy I May Baron secure, en route to his 11/5/6 KDA for MVP honors. I May did its best to stay alive in the late game, but a costly Cocoon from World6 cost Jinjiao's Varus his life, turning into a 4-for-0 and near 44-minute win for OMG to force Game 5.
I May had been so on point, so dominant in the early stages of the series, but it simply didn't have enough left in the tank in Game 5. World6's Lee Sin picked up early kills to begin the OMG snowball, staying ahead of I May with relative ease. While Ben4 picked up a couple of kills on Graves to give I May some hope, OMG had built a massive 5,000-gold lead around 21 minutes, completely in control heading into the late game. A big 4-for-2 teamfight at 25 minutes didn't give OMG a Baron kill, but it gave AD carry Han "Smlz" Jin's Kog'Maw the gold he needed to become a late game monster. I May, who played progressively worse as the series went on, crumbled as OMG surged on the back of Smlz's 31,300 damage dealt to enemy champions, completing a miraculous reverse sweep with a Game 5 win in 37 minutes.
I May's Spring Split ends in heartbreak as it is now eliminated from the playoffs, while OMG moves on to the semifinals to face Team WE on Saturday at 2 a.m ET
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EDG vs. Newbee
EDward Gaming showed why it should be feared in the League of Legends Pro League Spring Split playoffs, taking a 3-0 sweep over Newbee in the quarterfinals on Thursday in Shanghai.
EDward Gaming made it abundantly clear from the outset of Game 1 that Newbee would have to play its style of League of Legends, beginning with AD carry Hae "Zet" Sung-min's Ezreal picking up first blood in a duo lane outplay at 10 minutes. While Newbee found scattered kills in the mid game, EDG methodically rotated around the map and sieged towers to earn a formidable gold lead. EDG then used a 22-minute Baron to run through the top lane, picking up towers and kills to solidify its lead. After a bit of a lull in the action, EDward Gaming secured a second Baron buff, and immediately pushed into Newbee's base on the back of Zet's game-high 22,900 damage dealt to give EDG a 36-minute win.
Newbee came firing back early in Game 2 as jungler Baek "Swift" Da-hoon's Rumble picked up first blood at six minutes on EDG top laner Chen "Mouse" Yu-Hao's Kennen. EDG quickly responded with a 3-for-1 teamfight win, snowballing in the mid game to a gold lead. Falling further and further behind as the game progressed, Newbee went for a hail mary teamfight at 25 minutes which ended 4-for-4 and gave NB a 26-minute Baron. Newbee threatened to keep inching back into the game with a 4-for-1 teamfight win that led to a second Baron, but Zet's Caitlyn shut things down with his game-high 42,500 damage alongside a 9/3/8 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) to keep EDG ahead. Despite falling behind early, Mouse found a way to dominate late game teamfights, dealing huge damage while setting the rest of EDG up to take a 4-for-0 fight and ensuing Game 2 win in 44 minutes.
In a do-or-die Game 3, NB mid laner Shin "Coco" Jin-yeong's Twisted Fate helped pick up a double kill at seven minutes in the bottom lane, but EDG quickly reasserted itself in the driver's seat. Taking first tower gold just a minute later, EDG put the discrepancy of macro play between itself and Newbee on full display, securing a 2,000-gold lead, a couple of towers and an Infernal Drake by the 20-minute mark. A 3-for-1 teamfight led to a 22-minute Baron for EDG, who then swatted a desperation teamfight attempt aside, turning a Newbee initiation into a 3-for-2 win. It was merely a matter of time before EDG claimed the series sweep, as mid laner Lee "Scout" ye-chan's Taliyah controlled the battlefield to great effectiveness, earning MVP honors with a 3/2/10 KDA. With clever uses of Weaver's Wall and rotations, EDward Gaming took a final extended 5-for-0 ace and closed out a convincing 3-0 sweep with a 33-minute Game 3 win.
EDward Gaming next takes to the Rift in the semifinals to face Royal Never Give Up on Saturday at 7 a.m ET. Newbee will watch the remainder of the playoffs from home after getting eliminated today.
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WE vs. OMG
Team WE fans can finally rejoice as the legendary franchise booked its ticket to the League of Legends Pro League spring split finals with a 3-1 series win over OMG in Saturday's semifinal matchup.
OMG had a strong start to Game 1 as a tower dive in the bottom lane gave AD carry Han "Smlz" Jin's surprise Jinx pick first blood at just six minutes, but WE wouldn't stay behind for long. Rotating around the map and securing objectives across the map, Team WE held a 2,200-gold lead at 15 minutes. WE quickly snowballed its lead, taking a 3-for-0 teamfight shortly after the 15-minute mark to set itself up for a commanding win. Taking a 4-for-0 fight at 21 minutes to secure a Baron on the back of AD carry Jin "Mystic" Seong-jun, who dealt a game-high 20,000 damage to go with his 8/1/7 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) as Kog'Maw, Team WE made short work of OMG in a crushing 28-minute win.
The early action quieted down in Game 2 as both teams played around objectives rather than champion kills. OMG grouped up at 12 minutes to brute-force first tower gold in the bottom lane and an Ocean Drake, but WE again responded with a massive 4-for-3 teamfight win at 21 minutes. Another chaotic 4-for-3 teamfight at 26 minutes gave WE full control of the map, taking an uncontested Baron at 30 minutes. OMG couldn't handle WE mid laner Su "Xiye" Han-Wei's LeBlanc, who fueled Team WE's 32-minute Game 2 win with a stellar 4/1/12 KDA.
OMG, fighting for its life in Game 3, got on the board early with jungler Chen "World6" Yu-Tian's Elise ganking the bottom lane at four minutes to secure two early kills. OMG snowballed these early kills, taking towers and building a sizable gold lead. With a 3-for-1 teamfight at 22 minutes allowing OMG to take down the bottom lane inhibitor, it looked like smooth sailing for OMG, but WE wouldn't go down without a fight. At the 28-minute mark, a 2-for-0 fight for OMG gave it confidence to try to finish the game, but a god-like Dragon's Rage from jungler Xiang "Condi" Ren-Jie's Lee Sin gave WE four kills and a Baron to save the game for the time being. WE continued to win teamfights, taking a 4-for-0 and Elder Dragon at 41 minutes before it tried its hand at ending the game. OMG then responded with late-game heroics of its own, taking a 4-for-1 fight to take Game 3 in 41 minutes.
WE recovered quickly from its crushing loss with a cheeky jungle invade just a minutes in, executing on a Death Sentence from support Nam "Ben" Dong-hyun's Thresh on Smlz's Lucian. WE put constant pressure in the bottom lane early on, eventually securing the bottom outer turret for first tower gold at 10 minutes. WE came together in the mid game, roaming across the map like a pack of wolves as it ran down OMG to amass a massive gold lead, led by Xiye's Karma, who ended with a 5/3/19 KDA. WE got too cocky and confident in its ability to teamfight, however, giving OMG new life in the game as it took a 3-for-0 teamfight at the 21-minute mark that led to a Baron. OMG couldn't do anything with the buff, however, as WE took a 4-for-2 fight once the buff ended to destroy OMG's Nexus turrets at just 27 minutes. A minute later, a pick for WE following an Enchanted Crystal Arrow from Mystic's Ashe led to a 4-for-1 teamfight and series-clinching Game 4 win in just under 30 minutes.
With the win, Team WE punches its ticket to the team's first LPL Finals in Nanjing, China at 4 a.m ET next Saturday, while OMG will compete in the third-place match Sunday, April 23 against the loser of RNG vs. EDG at 3 a.m ET.
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RNG vs. EDG
Royal Never Give Up showed its trademark consistency in a 3-1 semifinal series win in Shanghai vs. EDward Gaming on Saturday, earning a spot in the League of Legends Pro League spring split finals next week.
Game 1 began as a disaster for RNG as jungler Liu "Mlxg" Shi-Yu's Elise got caught trying to invade EDG's top-side jungle twice for two easy kills by the five-minute mark. RNG recovered nicely, however, picking up kills of its own to bring EDG's gold lead in check as the teams were even around 11 minutes. Royal Never Give Up found an opportunity to jump ahead when top laner Yan "Letme" Jun-Ze found a great teleport flank as Fizz, picking up a triple kill in a clean 5-for-0 ace for RNG at just 16 minutes. Securing five more kills alongside a Baron at 28 minutes, RNG was dominant in the later stages of Game 1, preventing EDG from taking a single tower. Letme led RNG into EDG's base, where he initiated a 5-for-0 teamfight win for RNG to add to his game-high 18,300 damage dealt and 5/2/9 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) as RNG took Game 1 in just over 31 minutes.
While most teams would've been sent reeling, EDG regained its composure in Game 2 early on, picking up early kills alongside first tower gold by the 13-minute mark. Dominating the objective game, EDG gave top laner Chen "Mouse" Yu-Hao's Gragas the Rift Herald buff at 18 minutes, maintaining control over both the Dragon and Baron pits. With a 25-minute Baron, two Ocean Drakes, an Infernal Drake and a Mountain Drake, RNG couldn't do more than watch as EDG took a 5-for-0 ace in RNG's base to fire back with a 31-minute win of its own to tie the series at one apiece.
Once again, EDG took an early kill lead in Game 3, and once again, RNG kept finding kills of its own. In the mid game, mid laner Li "Xiaohu" Yuan-Hao's Taliyah was crucial to RNG's success, using his Weaver's Wall to trap EDG in numbers disadvantages, giving RNG a 4,400-gold lead at 25 minutes. Shortly after, a 3-for-1 teamfight and Baron gave RNG the fuel it needed to break open EDG's base, led by Xiaohu's game-high 21,800 damage dealt and 7/1/6 KDA. With a final 3-for-0 fight going comfortably in RNG's favor, RNG had its eyes set on a spot in the finals as it smashed EDG in just under 30 minutes of action.
In what shouldn't come as a surprise at this point, EDG picked up first blood before 10 minutes as jungler Zhao "Fireloli" Zhi-Ming's Rengar secured the kill in a three-man dive at eight minutes. The series showed its repetitive nature as, yet again, Royal Never Give Up found kills in the mid game to stay within striking distance of EDG. Despite Fireloli securing a Rift Herald buff for himself at 19 minutes, he was unable to carry EDG in late-game teamfights as RNG star AD carry Jian "Uzi" Zi-Hao reminded everyone why he is always in the conversation for best AD carry in the world. Playing Caitlyn on a world-class level, Uzi dealt a whopping game-high 30,700 damage dealt to go alongside a 7/0/4 KDA for nearly 80 percent kill participation as RNG took a 28-minute Baron buff and never looked back. With a final 5-for-1 ace in EDG's base at 35 minutes, Royal Never Give Up closed out a convincing 3-1 series win over EDward Gaming and put itself in the spring split finals.
EDward Gaming will take on OMG Sunday at 3 a.m ET in the third-place match. Royal Never Give Up has only one match left this season: a finals date with Team WE next Saturday at 4 a.m ET in Nanjing, China.
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EDG vs. OMG
In a bloody matchup of League of Legends Pro League titans, EDward Gaming secured third place for the Spring Split against OMG on Sunday in Shanghai with a 3-2 series win.
OMG picked up an early first blood at three minutes to start Game 1, but EDG still earned a gold lead through objective control, securing first tower gold in the mid lane. EDward Gaming snowballed its lead with a 2-for-0 teamfight in OMG's jungle, leading to a Rift Herald buff and 3-for-1 follow-up fight at 19 minutes. Taking a Baron shortly afterwards, EDG soared as mid laner Lee "Scout" Ye-chan's Orianna had a brilliant performance in Game 1, dealing a game-high 21,400 damage while posting a 7/2/4 KDA (kills/deaths/assists). Methodically picking OMG apart, EDG took a second Baron at 29 minutes before closing out Game 1 in 33 minutes.
EDG got an early gold lead thanks to the returning jungler
Ming "Clearlove" Kai's Kha'Zix, who picked up early kills as the team entered a stalemate in the mid game. At the 20-minute mark, OMG held a gold lead of 2,100 gold, pulling ahead through leads in towers, Elemental Drakes, and kills. A 22-minute Baron empowered it to take a 4-for-0 teamfight to crack open EDG's base, seemingly setting up a game-winning push, but disaster struck when OMG attempted a second Baron at 30 minutes. Clearlove successfully stole the Baron for EDG, turning the ensuing fight 3-for-0 in EDG's favor and threatening to make an improbable comeback happen. OMG tried to take the Elder Dragon at 36 minutes when Clearlove stole a second epic monster kill of the game, but OMG followed up with a 4-for-0 fight to close out the game in 37 minutes.
Kicking off Game 3 with a bang, EDward Gaming held a 3-to-1 kill lead at just four minutes into the game, which it used to snowball out of control. Picking up several kills in the mid game, EDG held a 5,200-gold lead at 15 minutes, which grew even more after a 3-for-0 fight and Baron at the 24-minute mark. With top laner Tong "Koro1" Yang's Kennen splitpushing up a storm and the rest of EDG teamfighting well, thanks to Scout's Syndra who posted a 6/1/3 KDA, EDG took a final 4-for-0 fight in OMG's base to dominate Game 3 to the tune of a 28-minute win.
A chaotic early game saw both teams tied with six kills apiece in Game 4, but EDG eventually broke the stalemate with a 4-for-2 fight at 19 minutes. In what was the story of the series for OMG, the team simply looked nervous against EDG, constantly trying to force fights or objectives and playing a reckless style of League of Legends that EDG seemed to handle well. EDG did secure a 27-minute Baron, but OMG took the 3-for-2 fight immediately afterwards, which was apparently all it needed to come alive in the late game. AD carry Han "Smlz" Jin's Caitlyn was huge for OMG down the stretch, picking up a triple kill in a 5-for-2 ace and Baron secure at 35 minutes, which OMG used to push into EDG's base. Smlz led OMG to an extended 5-for-1 ace, dealing big damage en route to his game-high 31,300 damage dealt, and mid laner Xie "Icon" Tian-Yu's Taliyah used his Weaver's Wall to set up picks for OMG throughout the game, finishing the 37-minute Game 4 win with a 9/1/12 KDA.
In a crucial Game 5, EDward Gaming dominated the early game, securing a 2,500-gold lead through two kills and an early first tower by the 10-minute mark. Maintaining a firm grip over the map in the mid game, EDG methodically won teamfights in the mid lane before forcing its way into OMG's base, cracking OMG's defenses open with a 4-for-1 fight at 24 minutes to take down the mid lane inhibitor. A 27-minute Baron led to a 4-for-1 teamfight in OMG's base, featuring a triple kill from AD carry Hae "Zet" Sung-min's Varus, and just like that, EDG secured third place with a commanding Game 5 win in just over 30 minutes.
EDward Gaming finishes the Spring Split in third place, while OMG finishes in fourth. Both teams now await the Summer Split to return to action.
