This article is part of our LoL Recap series.
OMG vs. Snake
It wasn't pretty, but OMG secured a big 2-1 series win over Snake Esports to kick off Week 10, Day 1 of the League of Legends Pro League, securing second place in Group A in Shanghai in a bloody, chaotic Thursday brawl.
Snake Esports (6-9, 15-20 match record) came into the series as heavy underdogs, but didn't show it throughout a dominating Game 1 performance. Snake took an early lead through constant early game fighting, led by jungler Le "SofM" Quang-Duy's Lee Sin who picked up several early kills and assists. Pulling away from OMG after repeatedly diving OMG's bottom-lane duo at the 17-minute mark, Snake snowballed its early lead into the mid game, where it stalled a bit as it struggled around objectives. Entering a hectic late game, SofM's somewhat-questionable Ohmwrecker purchase showed how far ahead Snake was, as it finally secured a Baron kill at 37 minutes. With mid laner Liu "Zz1tai" Zhi-Hao's Ahri dealing a game-high 28,400 damage while SofM picked up MVP honors with a 2/3/13 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) for 75 percent kill participation, even a late Elder Dragon for OMG couldn't stop Snake from finally finishing the game after a 4-for-1 teamfight at 46 minutes.
Game 2 began almost exactly like Game 1, as Snake Esports repeatedly picked up kills in the bottom lane for an early game lead, with SofM's Rengar taking the lead. OMG (9-6, 20-15 match record) managed to gain control in the mid game, however, taking a Baron kill and unofficial 5-for-0 ace at 22 minutes. While Snake Esports stayed alive with a 33-minute Baron of its own, OMG took the ensuing fight 3-for-0 to stay in the driver's seat. SofM did what he could to keep Snake afloat, achieving a so-called "Flame horizon" at 36 minutes with a 100 cs lead over his lane opponent, but Snake couldn't stop OMG from tearing its base apart. Led by mid laner Xie "Icon" Tian-Yu's Cassiopeia, who carried OMG through late game teamfights, OMG took a third Baron kill for itself and closed out Game 2 in 44 minutes.
OMG came alive in Game 3, as jungler Chen "World6" Yu-Tian finally had a strong early game showing as Lee Sin, securing first blood before five minutes. OMG snowballed throughout the early game, gifting kills over to AD carry Han "Smlz" Jin's Jhin as OMG smothered Snake Esports with oppressive objective control. Securing three Cloud Drakes, an Infernal Drake and a 20-minute Baron kill, OMG looked poised to take a decisive win as it destroyed several Snake towers for a 6,300-gold lead around 24 minutes. Snake managed to stall the game out with an incredible Baron steal from Zz1tai's Ahri at 32 minutes, but it wasn't enough to stop a determined OMG. Led by Smlz's team-high 28,500 damage dealt, OMG took a final 5-for-0 ace in Snake's base before closing out Game 3 in 40-minutes to lock up a second-place finish in Group A.
OMG next take to the Rift on Saturday to take on Invictus Gaming at 1 a.m ET, while Snake Esports faces LGD Gaming at 7 a.m ET on Saturday.
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LGD vs. Invictus Gaming
LGD Gaming fought tooth and nail for a shocking 2-0 upset over Invictus Gaming on Thursday to close out Week 10, Day 1 of the League of Legends Pro League in Shanghai.
Things looked good for LGD Gaming (4-11, 13-22 match record) in Game 1, as AD carry Gu "Imp" Seung-bin's Kennen picked up a double kill for first blood at five minutes in a 2-vs-2 outplay. With Imp holding four kills by the eight-minute mark and first tower gold, LGD were poised to snowball the game for a quick Game 1 win. That is not the LGD way, however, as it allowed Invictus to claw its way back with a 4-for-2 teamfight at 15 minutes. With the kill score even at 13 apiece by 24 minutes, it seemed like LGD was about to throw a dream start in the trash, but Imp would not be denied. Carrying LGD to an prolonged 5-for-0 ace and Baron kill at 30 minutes, LGD finally stepped up and took control of the late game. While Invictus mid laner Song "Rookie" Eui-jin's Syndra dealt a game-high 26,700 damage, Imp's early kills en route to a 9/4/8 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) was too much to overcome in the end as LGD took a 5-for-2 ace in iG's base to secure a 41-minute Game 1 win.
Invictus Gaming (7-8, 19-18 match record) seemed to get back on track in Game 2 as Rookie's Orianna picked up a stylish solo kill at six minutes for first blood, but LGD had other plans. Funneling resources into Imp's Ashe, LGD set up several successful ganks and dives in the bottom lane, pulling even in gold in the mid game. After a 3-for-1 bottom lane dive at 19 minutes, LGD kicked into high gear, taking a 2-for-1 fight and Baron kill a few minutes later on the back of mid laner and frequent meme target Wei "GodV" Zhen's Viktor, who dealt a game-high 16,000 damage while posting a 7/1/4 KDA for 79 percent kill participation. Using the Baron buff, LGD steamrolled through iG's defenses, taking a 5-for-1 teamfight win and closing out a surprisingly clean Game 2 win in just 26 minutes.
Invictus Gaming look to bounce back on Saturday as it faces OMG at 1 a.m ET, while LGD Gaming look to continue its winning form against Snake Esports at 7 a.m ET on Saturday.
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EDward Gaming vs. Vici Gaming
EDward Gaming opened Week 10, Day 2 of the League of Legends Pro League on Friday with a quick 2-0 sweep of Vici Gaming in Shanghai.
Vici Gaming (5-10, 13-22 match record) got off to a nice enough start with first blood about seven minutes into the game. It didn't take long, though, for EDG (11-4, 24-13) to bounce back with two kills in the next few minutes to take its first lead of the series.
That lead was quickly snatched away when Vici snagged three more kills in quick succession to wrestle it back. In true tug-of-war fashion, EDG bounced back with another three kills of its own, including a double kill at the 23-minute mark. Vici then tried to go for a sneaky Baron kill at the 29-minute mark, but it backfired. EDG pounced and picked up a surprise 4-for-0 teamfight win that gave it a big enough window to waltz right into the base for a 30-minute win.
EDG wasted no time getting on a roll in Game 2, with mid laner Lee "Scout" Ye-chan's Taliyah picking up the first blood just six minutes into the game. This also allowed his team to get the first tower before seven minutes for an early gold lead. EDG continued to play well in bunches, sending groups of team members to different lanes to pick up towers without any pushback from Vici.
At 20 minutes, EDG owned a 13-3 advantage in kills and 6-0 advantage in towers, which was good for a 10,000-gold lead. EDG then picked up a Baron at 24 minutes, which it used to balloon its already large gold lead. After forcing another teamfight late in the game, EDG pushed ahead even more with a 4-for-0 that allowed it to take a stroll into Vici's base to lock up the 35-minute win.
EDG will finish up the Spring Split with a matchup against Qiao Gu Reapers at 7 a.m. ET Sunday. Vici also has one last game and will play at 4 a.m. ET Sunday against Team WE.
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WE vs. Newbee
The closing series of Week 10, Day 2 in the League of Legends Pro League started off ugly, but Team WE (11-4, 23-12 match record) pulled itself together to pick up a 2-1 series win over Newbee (5-10, 16-23 match record) on Friday in Shanghai.
Newbee had a strong start to Game 1 when jungler Baek "Swift" Da-hoon's Lee Sin picked up two kills within nine minutes. Team WE responded shortly after that, taking control through mid laner Su "xiye" Han-Wei's Taliyah, who carried teamfights with great Weaver's Walls and massive combos. After a lull in action, Newbee took a Baron at 32 minutes, but a big 5-for-2 ace for WE swung control away from Newbee. In a painfully slow hyper-late game, Newbee took its third Elder Dragon at 58 minutes, putting itself comfortably in the driver's seat. With AD carry Lin "Lwx" Wei-Xiang's Caitlyn dealing massive late game damage en route to a game-high 40,000 damage dealt, WE had no chance as Newbee took a 64-minute Baron before a Lwx quadra kill and 5-for-2 ace sealed the longest game of the split for Newbee in a whopping 67 minutes.
Perhaps embarrassed with its Game 1 performance, Team WE came storming back in Game 2, with jungler Xiang "Condi" Ren-Jie's Rengar picking up first blood in the mid lane. Condi was a monster throughout the early game, earning kill participation in every lane before a four-man dive gave Team WE a double kill for AD carry Jin "Mystic" Seong-jun's Ashe, first tower gold, and an Infernal Drake. WE continued the snowball by annihilating Newbee towers; the scattered kills NB picked up in response were not enough to overcome a steadily growing gold deficit. Taking a Baron shortly after it spawned at the 20-minute mark, WE were in complete control, with Condi finishing with a 6/2/10 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) for 76 percent kill participation. Team WE made short work of Newbee's base, finishing the game with a near 17,200-gold lead at just under 24 minutes.
Newbee had a dream start to a crucial Game 3 as mid laner Yu "Cool" Jia-Jun's LeBlanc picked up first blood at five minutes, leading to a 6-to-0 kill lead for NB at 13 minutes. But that dream start soon paved way to a nightmarish conclusion as Condi's Lee Sin picked up a kill off a risky Infernal Drake attempt by Newbee, turning the tides for good. WE began picking up fight wins across the map, with consecutive 3-for-1 teamfight wins at 19 and 21 minutes, respectively. A 26-minute Baron for WE laid out Newbee's fate, as Condi was a monster throughout the game, securing the Baron kill alongside a 5/1/10 KDA for 83 percent kill participation. A 4-for-0 teamfight in Newbee's base was all Team WE needed to close out a series it should've dominated from the get go, taking Game 3 in just under 28 minutes of action.
Team WE ends its Spring Split with a matchup with Vici Gaming on Sunday at 4 a.m. ET, while Newbee hits the Rift one last time to face Game Talents Sunday at 1 a.m. ET.
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OMG vs. Invictus Gaming
Call Invictus Gaming (8-8, 21-18 match record) crazy for swapping key players' roles around, but iG made it work with a 2-0 sweep on Saturday over OMG (9-7, 20-17 match record) to kick off Week 10, Day 3 of the League of Legends Pro League in Shanghai.
Game 1 started off swimmingly for OMG, who punished an early jungle invade from Invictus Gaming with a pair of kills and first blood for top laner Hu "Xiyang" Bin's Renekton. OMG later secured the Rift Herald buff for Xiyang at 12 minutes, but strong farming from iG's lanes combined with first tower gold in the bottom lane kept Invictus even. While iG had previously used Ge "KidKid" Yan in the jungle, his swap to AD carry worked well enough as his Ashe ultimates helped Invictus pull ahead in the mid game en route to a flawless 4/0/6 KDA (kills/deaths/assists). Securing a Cloud Drake, an Ocean Drake, and a 22-minute Baron, things were looking great for Invictus heading into the mid game. OMG apparently agreed as, for the first time this split, OMG surrendered at just under 24 minutes.
OMG came out swinging in Game 2, picking up three kills by the nine minute mark. Unfortunately, Invictus Gaming would not be denied, taking a clean 5-for-0 ace on the back of mid laner Song "Rookie" Eui-jin's Viktor. iG picked up kills throughout the mid game to snowball its lead, taking a 26-minute Baron kill and a 4-for-2 teamfight immediately afterwards. iG cracked open OMG's base on the ensuing Baron power play, taking the bottom lane inhibitor thanks to Rookie's great teamfighting, but OMG still had plenty of fight left in it. OMG took a 4-for-1 fight and Baron kill at 34 minutes, threatening to turn the tide of the game, but Rookie's late game teamfighting was simply too much to overcome. Adding to his game-high 42,600 damage dealt in a 3-for-1 fight that gave iG an Elder Drake, Rookie soared en route to a MVP performance with a 6/2/14 KDA for 91 percent kill participation as Invictus Gaming closed out the 2-0 sweep with a Game 2 win in just under 40 minutes.
OMG has already locked in the #2 seed in Group A despite today's loss, while Invictus Gaming secures the #3 seed.
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I May vs. RNG
I May needed a win on Saturday to secure a playoff seed, and a dramatic 2-1 series win over Royal Never Give Up gave it just that during Week 10, Day 3 of the League of Legends Pro League in Shanghai.
I May (8-8, 18-21 match record) fought to keep its playoff hopes alive with aplomb in Game 1, despite giving up first blood around nine minutes. With the pace reduced to a slow crawl in the mid game, I May held a 2-1 kill lead at 22 minutes, which did little to build a substantial gold lead as RNG AD carry Jian "Uzi" Zi-Hao held as much as an 80 CS (creep score) lead as Ashe over his IM counterpart at 27 minutes. Undeterred, I May finally took control with an incredible 37-minute Baron steal by top laner Shek "AmazingJ" Wai Ho's Gangplank, who dealt a game-high 27,500 damage in addition to picking up this game-swinging Baron steal. Securing an Elder Dragon shortly afterwards, I May took Game 1 on the back of mid laner Kang "Athena" Ha-woon's Orianna, who finished with a 5/0/1 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) for 86 percent kill participation in the 41-minute win.
Seemingly unshaken by its previous loss, Royal Never Give Up (12-4, 26-13 match record) came roaring back in Game 2 as Jungler Liu "Mlxg" Shi-Yu picked up first blood at just over a minute into the game as Rengar in the top lane. RNG returned to the top lane often, picking up three kills and first tower gold by 11 minutes. A 3-for-0 fight in the bottom lane gave Uzi's Kog'Maw all the resources he needed to become a hyper-carry nightmare, as his double kill in a 3-for-0 fight at 27 minutes gave RNG a free Baron kill. Using the buff to push into I May's base and take a 5-for-0 ace. It wasn't a perfect game, as IM picked up an early Infernal Drake, but that was all IM could achieve as top laner Yan "Letme" Jun-Ze's Kled picked up a 6/0/8 KDA for 88 percent kill participation in a dominating Game 2 win.
Playoff hopes on the line, I May came back with a vengeance in Game 3, with IM picking on RNG's bot lane in the early game. Athena's Twisted Fate pick was crucial to I May's success, as he used his Destiny/Gate to keep Uzi's Lucian down through repeated ganks. After a lull in the mid game, I May seized its fate and the game with a 2-for-0 fight and Baron kill. I May's potent pick composition was led by support Yun "Road" Han-gil's Thresh, who landed Death Sentence after Death Sentence en route to a 1/0/10 KDA for 79 percent kill participation. With a few picks around RNG's base, I May forced a final teamfight, winning it 4-for-0 and punching its ticket to playoffs with a 2-1 series win.
With the series win, I May earns its spot in the League of Legends Pro League playoffs at the #4 seed from Group A, while RNG holds onto its #1 seed despite the loss.
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LGD Gaming vs. Snake
Week 10, Day 3 of the League of Legends Pro League didn't so much end with a bang as a collection of groans and defeated chuckles from fans and analysts alike as Snake Esports took a 2-1 win over LGD Gaming on Saturday in Shanghai.
Game 1 showed a small glimpse of the madness that was to come as LGD Gaming (4-12, 14-24 match record) pulled ahead early. Mid laner Wei "GodV" Zhen had a great showing on Viktor with three kills by the 13-minute mark.
With playoff spots already decided going into this game, neither team showed any sense of urgency. Snake, who had just been eliminated from playoff contention, gave up its bottom lane inhibitor tower without much of a challenge. Meanwhile, LGD gave the Rift Herald buff over to its AD carry, Gu "Imp" Seung-bin, and his Kennen at 13 minutes. With no opposition to speak of, a final 4-for-1 teamfight, led by support Chen "Pyl" Bo's Lulu, who posted a 3/0/11 KDA (kills/deaths/assists), was all LGD needed to take Game 1 in just under 27 minutes.
LGD Gaming decided to have fun in Game 2, locking in Nunu for jungler Xie "Eimy" Dan. Snake Esports, revitalized by the insult that is Nunu in 2017, came alive, particularly support Yang "Kryst4l" Fan's Thresh, who went out of his way to find picks throughout the game.
Once Snake Esports (7-9, 17-21) got ahead, it stayed ahead, including a 4-for-1 teamfight win at 14 minutes that put Snake jungler Le "SofM" Quang Duy's Rengar a full three levels ahead of Eimy around the 16-minute mark. Snake seemed to be the only team taking Game 2 seriously as it methodically found picks to lead into objectives while LGD looked hapless with no way to stop Snake's snowball. Kryst4l mercifully started a 5-for-0 teamfight win for Snake at 26 minutes, part of his 2/0/16 KDA, as Snake took Game 2 in just over 26 minutes.
LGD pretended to get serious in Game 3, and Eimy's Elise picked up first blood just five minutes in. Eimy picked up several kills across the map, threatening to snowball his lead into LGD's lanes, but Snake fired back with a 3-for-1 skirmish in the bottom lane for first tower gold at 10 minutes.
The teams picked up kills throughout the mid game, with the gold dead-even at the 22-minute mark, but it was clear that Snake was destined to come out on top; LGD looked as if it was enjoying itself a little bit too much. Snake finally put an end to the silliness with a 5-for-1 teamfight and Baron secure at 27 minutes. Kryst4l's Thresh led the way with a 3/3/15 KDA, and his team pushed into LGD's base and eventually picked up the 32-minute win.
Both teams missed out on playoff berths, with Snake Esports finishing in fifth and LGD Gaming in sixth, respectively. They now await the results from the final day of Group B's regular season to determine how the promotion tournament brackets will play out.
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WE vs. Vici Gaming
During Week 10, Day 4 of the League of Legends Pro League, Team WE showed why it finished the regular season as the top team in Group B, taking a 2-0 sweep of Vici Gaming on Sunday in Shanghai.
In Game 1, Team WE (12-4, 25-12 match record) wasted little time in displaying its ability to make team plays, grouping early to kill Vici Gaming's bottom lane as a five-man unit. Vici top laner Zhu "Loong" Xiao-long looked strong on Kennen in the early game, but his usefulness fell off as WE had too many ways of disrupting his survivability during prolonged engagements. The game was close throughout the mid game and was tipping to VG's favor after a well-orchestrated 1-for-0 teamfight. However, Vici Gaming showed why it will be playing in the promotion tournament as it threw its advantage at Baron, getting clean aced 5-for-0. WE's pick-based team composition worked wonderfully, as WE ultimately picked up 20 kills to VG's 9 by the time it broke the Nexus for the Game 1 win.
When the teams loaded onto the Rift for Game 2, it seemed as though Vici Gaming (5-11, 13-24 match record) had found the answers to countering WE's aggressive style. Jungler Bae "Bengi" Seong-woong's Ivern arrived in the bottom lane at the perfect time to punish WE's early aggression and get first blood, but that lead didn't last for long. Team WE did not give up on the lane and returned to pressuring the turret, eventually taking the tower. After falling behind in gold for most of the early game, the Group B leaders accelerated throughout mid game and outclassed its opponents in tempo and objective selection. WE Mid laner Su "Xiye" Han-wei earned MVP honors on Taliyah by making plays around the map with his Weaver's Wall and immaculate teamfighting, finishing with a 6/0/5 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) for 79 percent kill participation. WE showed that it is ready for playoffs by cruising to a Game 2 win in under 30 minutes.
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NewBee vs. Game Talents
Newbee secured a playoff spot during Week 10, Day 4 of the League of Legends Pro League Spring Split, displaying excellent shot-calling as it took a 2-1 series win over Game Talents on Sunday in Shanghai.
Game Talents (4-12, 11-27 match record), who was already locked into the promotion tournament, was dominated in the bottom lane as Newbee AD carry Rui "Happy" Yu's Ashe and support Zhang "Mor" Hong-Wei's Zyra pushed them in, leading to an early tower kill. NB took a 4-to-0 kill advantage and two early turrets, but, instead of simply playing slowly and taking its time to cultivate its advantages, Newbee tried to force plays, allowing GT to make picks and hang around. GT's mid laner Tae "Republic" Bong-guen was strong on Viktor, but the game was lost for Game Talents when mid laner Shin "Coco" Jin-yeong's Taliyah deleted Republic in a messy teamfight. From there, NB easily transitioned into breaking the Nexus for the Game 1 win.
In Game 2, GT took Rengar away from Newbee jungler Daehoon"Swift" Baek, giving its jungler Jian "Xiaoyu" Liang the jungle cat. Newbee (6-10, 18-24 match record) looked to gain another early advantage in the bot lane, but took too long to make a play before Xiaoyu was in position to counterattack, leading to a 3-for-2 for GT and a triple kill for Xiaoyu. Additionally, Game Talents top laner Kim "GimGoon" Han-saem's Fizz sliced and dashed through Newbee, maintaining a massive gold advantage throughout the game. GT was confident in playing fast with its assassin-heavy composition, securing a victory in 30 minutes as NB never recovered from the early deficit.
Game 3 featured Newbee once again struggling to capitalize on winning the early game. Newbee were uncertain heading into the later stages of the game, half-heartedly sieging turrets and baiting Baron attempts before ultimately backing off without accomplishing anything. In the end, Newbee's strategy of waiting for Game Talents to make mistakes proved fruitful as NB was finally able to take a lead after an awkward teamfight win. After falling behind, GT lost all confidence and proceeded to get steamrolled in late game. Newbee set up a beautiful flank around the Baron pit to secure an ace in a prolonged team fight en route to a series-clinching Baron buff push.
Newbee will next be in the playoffs as the fourth seed from Group B. GT will next appear in the promotion tournament where they will have to fight to stay in the LPL.
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EDward Gaming vs. Qiao Gu Reapers
In the final match of the regular season in the League of Legends Pro League, EDward Gaming needed a 2-0 sweep of QG Reapers to take first place in Group B. EDward Gaming walked away from Week 10, Day 4 with a 2-1 win, but couldn't take first place on Sunday in Shanghai.
EDward Gaming (12-4, 26-14 match record) had a dream start to Game 1 as it picked up a 4-for-1 teamfight win in the bottom lane at nine minutes (as is tradition in the LPL), with AD carry Hae "Zet" Sung-min's Ashe leading the way with phenomenal positioning. Snowballing out of control, EDG went on a rampage in the mid game, taking a 5-for-1 teamfight off of a perfect Explosive Cask from top laner Chen "Mouse" Yu-Hao's Gragas. Holding a 4-to-1 tower lead and 10-to-4 kill lead by the 16 minute mark, EDG held a massive 5,600-gold lead which wouldn't diminish heading into the late game. Taking a 26-minute Baron, EDG had its eyes set on first place in Group B as it secured a 3-for-0 teamfight, which added to Zet's 3/2/11 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) and MVP honors, to take Game 1 in 30 minutes.
EDward Gaming could see it clearly: a first-round bye in the playoffs while overtaking rivals Team WE in the standings. Even the draft phase of Game 2 seemed to set EDG up perfectly as both teams took virtually identical team comps as in Game 1. Then, QG jungler Kim "Clid" Tae-min picked up a triple kill in a three-minute teamfight in the bottom lane, and the dream quickly turned into a nightmare. QG Reapers (9-7, 22-16 match record) pushed ahead in the mid game, taking a 3-for-1 teamfight and setting its sights on a Baron kill around 26 minutes. Then, EDG jungler Zhao "Fireloli" Zhi-Ming's Lee Sin made a hero play, stealing the Baron kill as the rest of EDG followed up with a 4-for-1 teamfight win. Clawing its way within striking distance of QG's lead, EDG pushed with the Baron buff, but a 4-for-1 fight for QG quickly quelled that fiery hope. Clid's 8/1/10 KDA proved to be too much to overcome as QG Reapers spoiled EDG's dreams by taking a 37-minute win and giving Team WE sole possession of first place in Group B.
Looking to make a statement heading into playoffs, QG picked up first blood at six minutes in a duo lane dive, but EDG's fury quickly tore QG's tenuous lead to shreds a few minutes later. A huge 3-for-2 teamfight put EDG back in the game, as it pulled ahead of QG in gold at 18 minutes. Fireloli's Ivern was too much of a nuisance for QG to deal with, allowing Mouse's Gragas to pick up a triple kill in a 4-for-0 teamfight at 21 minutes that led to a Baron kill. QG fought well, bringing EDG to extremely low health levels, but a 3-for-0 teamfight in QG's base dealt the final blow for EDG as it got its revenge with a 24-minute win. Mouse's perfect 8/0/3 KDA for 100 percent kill participation couldn't salvage EDG's playoff hopes, though, as it finished the season in second place in Group B.
QG Reapers locked up the third seed in Group B, while EDward Gaming enters the postseason with the number two seed.
