This article is part of our LoL Recap series.
QG Reaper vs. Vici Gamin
It was a messy 2-0 sweep for QG Reapers on Thursday against Vici Gaming, kicking off Week 9, Day 1 of the League of Legends Pro League with a chaotic series win in Shanghai.
Vici Gaming (4-9, 11-20 match record) had a solid start to Game 1, despite QG picking up first blood before 10 minutes. Teamfighting well around mid laner Lee "Easyhoon" Ji-hoon's Taliyah in the mid game, Vici Gaming took a commanding lead, though it wasn't dictating the pace of the game. QG Reapers' mentality of constantly teamfighting until it won or died finally paid off at 28 minutes, when QG took a 4-for-1 fight around Baron to secure a Baron kill. Just like that, things were over for Vici Gaming, who struggled to punch through QG top laner Kan "Kabe" Ho Man's Nautilus, who finished Game 1 with a 3/1/8 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) for 85 percent kill participation. QG Reapers took a decisive, clean 5-for-0 ace in the bottom lane at 30 minutes, ending the game shortly afterwards to go up 1-0.
Vici Gaming had an even better start in Game 2 as jungler Bae "Bengi" Seong-woong's Graves picked up three early kills to put Vici roughly 2,300 gold ahead at 14 minutes. QG Reapers (8-6, 19-14 match record) didn't stay down for long, however, picking up a 3-for-0 teamfight win at the 18-minute mark to put itself back in the game. Throughout a scrappy mid-late game, a 25-minute QG Baron saw it lose three members after securing the buff, which it still used to obtain an objective lead. With a berth into the LPL playoffs in its sights, QG took a second Baron at 32 minutes and an ensuing 5-for-1 teamfight, powered by a quadra-kill from AD carry Wang "Alone" Zi-Jun's Ezreal, closing the game out in 34 minutes and securing a playoff spot.
QG Reapers will next take to the Rift at 1 a.m ET on Saturday to take on Game Talents, while Vici Gaming prepares to face Newbee at 4 a.m ET on Saturday.
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Game Talents vs. WE
Team WE reminded the rest of the League of Legends Pro League why it is the big dog in heading into playoffs, defending its yard in Shanghai against Game Talents on Thursday with a commanding 2-0 sweep to close out Week 9, Day 1.
In Game 1, it took a while for either team to find a kill, but when Team WE (10-3, 21-9 match record) finally did at 12 minutes, it popped off, dominating from that point on. With mid laner Su "xiye" Han-Wei picking up early kills as Talon, WE rotated around the map to make big plays, such as a clean 5-for-0 ace in a top lane dive at just 17 minutes. Securing an early Baron at the 24-minute mark, WE sieged Game Talents' base immediately afterwards, where xiye picked up a couple more kills for a team-high 20,000 damage dealt alongside an 8/1/4 KDA (kills/deaths/assists). With WE securing a 3-for-0 fight in GT's base to solidify a 18-to-1 kill lead, Team WE clobbered GT in just under 30 minutes to take Game 1.
Team WE wasted little time in Game 2, beginning the bloodbath with jungler Xiang "Condi" Ren-Jie's Elise camping the mid lane, getting xiye's Jayce ahead and mercilessly bullying GT mid laner Bong "Republic" Geun-tae's Orianna. Picking up several kills at Republic's expense throughout the early game, WE was in complete control, out-fighting Game Talents (4-10, 10-23 match record) and getting their hyper-scaling AD carry ahead. AD carry Jin "Mystic" Seong-jun was a monster on Kog'Maw, dealing 22,700 damage (just 1,000 under xiye's game-high 22,800 damage dealt) and allowing WE to secure an early 21-minute Baron buff. Firing on all cylinders, WE took a final 5-for-1 teamfight featuring a xiye triple kill, en route to a 8/2/5 KDA and second player of the game award for the series, shattering Game Talents' tenuous playoff dreams with a commanding 29-minute win.
Game Talents will take on QG Reapers at 1 a.m ET on Saturday, while Team WE prepares for a monumental battle in EDward Gaming at 7 a.m ET on Saturday.
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I May vs. OMG
OMG had its eyes on the post-season as it clobbered I May to kick off Week 9, Day 2 of the League of Legends Pro League, taking a 2-0 sweep on Friday in Shanghai.
OMG didn't have the cleanest early game in Game 1 as jungler Chen "World6" Yu-Tian's Rengar got caught in a risky invade for first blood at four minutes, but mid laner Xie "Icon" Tian-Yu made up for it by dominating the mid lane as LeBlanc. Picking up a solo kill at six minutes and creating immense pressure across the map, OMG (7-6, 16-14 match record) snowballed hard in the mid game as AD carry Han "Smlz" Jin's Kog'Maw got massively fed, securing three kills by 17 minutes and a staggering 12,400 gold at the 28-minute mark. OMG dominated the objective game through Smlz's lead, securing two Mountain Drakes, a Cloud Drake and a 39-minute Elder Dragon before closing the game out a minute later. Smlz was massive for OMG, dealing a game-high 41,700 damage, good for 48.7 percent of his team's total damage, alongside a flawless 9/0/2 KDA for 79 percent kill participation.
I May (6-8, 14-19 match record) looked to have a good start to Game 2 as AD Carry Xie "Jinjiao" Jin-Shan's Varus secured first blood at nine minutes, but OMG immediately collapsed to secure a 3-for-1 skirmish win. I May simply couldn't do anything in the face of OMG's smothering map control, attempting a desperation Baron at 23 minutes before OMG arrived and took a 2-for-1 fight and the Baron kill for itself. While I May was able to stall OMG's push into its base, OMG's neutral objective control again shined as it collected a Cloud Drake, Ocean Drake, two Mountain Drakes, a second Baron buff at 34 minutes and a 37-minute Elder Dragon kill. The Elder Dragon buff was the straw that broke I May's back as OMG took a 5-for-1 ace to close out the game in a little over 37 minutes.
OMG prepare for a clash of the titans as it faces Royal Never Give Up on Sunday at 1 a.m ET, while I May look to pick up a crucial win against a struggling LGD Gaming at 7 a.m ET on Sunday.
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Royal Never Give Up vs. SS
Royal Never Give Up showed why it is the king of Group A in the League of Legends Pro League on Friday, demolishing Snake Esports to finish up Week 9, Day 2 in Shanghai.
Royal Never Give Up (12-2, 25-9 match record) were dominant from the early stages of Game 1 as AD carry Jian "Uzi" Zi-Hao's Caitlyn picked up a kill and an assist in a 2-for-1 skirmish between the duo lanes. RNG controlled the game from that point on, dissecting Snake Esports through indomitable objective control and good movement as a team. After a pick onto Snake support Yang "Kryst4l" Fan's Lulu led to a 3-for-0 overall fight win and Baron at 30 minutes for RNG, there was nothing Snake Esports (5-8, 12-18 match record) could do, especially considering how strong RNG was in the late game. Between Uzi dealing a game-high 21,100 damage, top laner Yan "Letme" Jun-Ze's Jayce dealing 20,800 damage, and support Shi "Ming" Sen-Ming's Karma picking up game MVP honors with a 4/1/9 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) for 93 percent kill participation, Snake Esports seemed to simply be waiting for RNG to strike the finishing blow, which finally came after a 4-for-0 fight at the 35-minute mark.
Another game, another early lead for RNG as mid laner Li "Xiaohu" Yuan-Hao's Talon picked up first blood and double buffs just over three minutes into the game. Xiaohu powered RNG's push through the early game, diving into Snake Esports' dejected backline in a 4-for-0 fight win for RNG to solidify its lead for the remainder of the game. Snake Esports managed to avoid letting RNG pick up a perfect game when it took down Letme's Gragas near 18 minutes, but it ended up being the only kill Snake could claim, without even a tower destruction to its name. With Uzi's Kog'Maw sufficiently snowballed, a 3-for-0 skirmish and Baron kill for RNG at 22 minutes just about wrapped up the series, as, between Uzi's game-high 16,500 damage and Xiaohu's 15,500 damage dealt to enemy champions, RNG cut through Snake like a hot knife through butter to close out the series in just over 25 minutes.
Royal Never Give Up now turn its attention to OMG, which it meets on Sunday at 1 a.m ET, while Snake Esports will try its luck against the 2nd place team in Group A, Invictus Gaming, on Sunday at 4 a.m ET.
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QG Reapers vs. Game Talents
QG Reapers picked up a 2-0 sweep of Game Talents on Saturday, starting Week 9, Day 3 of the League of Legends Pro League with a confidence-inspiring win in Shanghai.
QG Reapers (9-6, 21-14 match record) had a strong start to Game 1 as jungler Kim "Clid" Tae-min's Elise picked up first blood in the bottom lane around five minutes into the game. Clid popped off early on, securing two more kills for a 3-0 lead at the 10-minute mark. QG decimated GT throughout the mid-late game, taking a 26-minute Baron kill on the back of a 4-for-1 teamfight win, picking up a couple more teamfight wins before closing out Game 1 in 35 minutes with a final 4-for-0 fight in GT's base. With AD carry Wang "Alone" Zi-Jun's Ezreal dealing a game-high 28,400 damage while mid laner Kim "Doinb" Tae-sang's Talon picked up a 7/4/7 KDA (kills/deaths/assists), QG looked destined to take the series.
Clid repeated his early game performance from Game 1 as Elise, again picking up first blood in the bottom lane around the five-minute mark. QG Reapers secured an 11-to-0 kill advantage and first tower gold by 10 minutes, snowballing out of control. While Game Talents (4-11, 10-25 match record) were able to pick up a 4-for-2 teamfight win in the top lane at 12 minutes, things quickly went back in QG's favor as it took a 3-for-0 teamfight to secure an early 21-minute Baron kill. The QG snowball was in full effect in the late game, as QG Reapers found kills in everything from pick attempts to teamfights to skirmishes around objectives. Securing the Game 2 win in just 26 minutes, QG put the finishing touches on a dominant 2-0 series sweep.
Game Talents will finish the regular season next week with a match against Newbee on Sunday at 1 a.m ET, while QG Reapers take on EDward Gaming in a marquee matchup in the final game of the Spring Split regular season at 7 a.m ET on Sunday.
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Vici Gaming vs. Newbee
Vici Gaming picked up a crucial win on Saturday, taking down Newbee with a 2-0 sweep during Week 9, Day 3 of the League of Legends Pro League in Shanghai.
A chaotic Game 1 saw Newbee (5-9, 15-21 match record) pick up a 3-for-1 skirmish win as both teams collapsed into the bottom lane after an early gank at five minutes. Vici Gaming kept within striking distance, however, with scattered picks and tower kills until top laner Zhu "Loong" Xiao-Long's Kled took over the mid game. Initiating and winning a 4-for-1 teamfight for Vici at 20 minutes, Loong gave Vici the edge it needed to secure a 30-minute Baron. Using the buff to push into Newbee's base and take a 4-for-0 teamfight, where Loong added to his game-high 20,500 damage dealt and 3/0/7 KDA (kills/deaths/assists), Vici Gaming secured the Game 1 win in just over 33 minutes.
Vici Gaming (5-9, 13-20 match record) took control of Game 2 early on as Loong's Rumble linked up with jungler Bae "Bengi" Seong-woong's Graves to secure first blood at five minutes in the mid lane, setting up mid laner Lee "Easyhoon" Ji-hoon's Orianna for later success. Although the mid game was scrappy, with Newbee picking up scattered kills, a massive 4-for-0 teamfight in the top river gave Vici Gaming a 22-minute Baron kill. Vici was in complete control after that, taking out towers and securing a second Baron around the 30-minute mark. Loong performed well again on a carry top laner, dealing a game-high 22,100 damage while Easyhoon led the VG charge with a 1/2/14 KDA for 88 percent kill participation. Taking a final 5-for-2 teamfight in Newbee's base, Vici Gaming took Game 2 in 34 minutes to close out a series sweep.
Vici Gaming will take on EDward Gaming on Friday at 5 a.m ET, followed by Newbee squaring off against Team WE on Friday at 8 a.m ET.
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WE vs. EDward Gaming
EDward Gaming made a big statement in the closing game of Week 9, Day 3 of the League of Legends Pro League, taking Group B leaders Team WE out in a clean 2-0 sweep on Saturday in Shanghai.
Game 1 began with a disaster for Team WE (10-4, 21-11 match record) as jungler Xiang "Condi" Chang-Yu's Lee Sin got caught in the river before minions had spawned to give EDG mid laner Lee "Scout" Ye-chan's Taliyah first blood. Empowered by the early kill, EDG jungler Zhao "Fireloli" Zhi-Ming's Graves took over the early game, picking up kills across the map including a 3-for-0 in the mid lane at 11 minutes to secure first tower gold and a 4,400-gold lead. The game went from bad to worse for WE as EDG secured two Infernal Drakes, a Cloud Drake and a 26-minute Baron kill as the game progressed. Following a 5-for-0 ace in WE's base, where Scout added to his game-high 22,100 damage dealt while Fireloli padded his 4/0/6 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) for 77 percent kill participation, EDG kept all of its towers and players alive in a perfect 32-minute win over WE.
EDward Gaming (10-4, 22-13 match record) began Game 2 with a fresh slice of cheese as a three-man bottom lane bush camp secured first blood for EDG's bottom lane. Team WE finally got a kill in the series a few minutes later, however, as the teams began skirmishing throughout the early game. A five-man dive by EDG was successful as it led to a 3-for-0 advantage, giving it an Ocean Drake and eventual first tower in the bottom lane. Scout's Taliyah took over the mid-late game, securing a solo-kill at 19 minutes before using his Weaver's Wall to roam around the map and set up advantageous fights for EDG, finishing with a 7/1/9 KDA for 80 percent kill participation. A 5-for-0 ace at 26 minutes featuring a Fireloli Kha'Zix triple kill allowed EDG to secure a Baron kill, which it used to immediately push into WE's base. One 5-for-2 ace later at 29 minutes, and EDG finished off Team WE in a commanding 2-0 sweep.
EDward Gaming will next take to the Rift against Vici Gaming on Friday at 5 a.m ET, while Team WE looks to recover from the loss with a matchup against a struggling Newbee side at 8 a.m ET on Friday.
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OMG vs. RNG
OMG picked up the 2-0 upset win over Royal Never Give Up on Sunday during Week 9, Day 4 of the League of Legends Pro League in Shanghai.
OMG (7-6, 16-14 match record) wasted little time getting things going in the opening game, with AD carry Han "Smlz" Jin's Lucian picking up two kills in the bottom lane before five minutes had passed. Despite RNG (12-2, 25-9 match record) getting the first tower about 12 minutes in, OMG battled right back with a tower destruction of its own while also picking up two more kills across the map. OMG continued snagging kills with impunity before things stagnated a bit with a messy 3-for-4 teamfight loss 24 minutes in. OMG then secured the Baron at the 27-minute mark after picking up a 2-for-0 teamfight win. While RNG tried to throw OMG off its game with a 4-for-0 teamfight win after the Baron, OMG never lost faith and wrapped up the 43-minute win with a clean ace.
OMG once again got off to a nice start with an early first blood, this time from jungler Chen "World6" Yu-Tian's Elise. OMG AD carry Smlz, playing on Lucian again, picked up a couple more kills over the next few minutes before RNG evened things up with a couple kills of its own. Over the next major portion of the game, RNG secured kills all over the map on its way to a 9-to-3 kill advantage that gave way to a 4-to-2 advantage in towers, giving it a 5,000-gold lead. Despite getting taken to task in terms of kills, OMG secured the first two Barons of the game to neutralize the gold lead RNG had amassed. OMG used that second Baron at the 38-minute mark to finally take a gold lead of its own while starting to break into RNG's base. OMG initiated a teamfight about 45 minutes in that saw it pick up three kills, allowing it to fully push into RNG's base and take the win after 46 minutes.
OMG will look to build on this big win when it takes on Snake Esports on Thursday at 5 a.m. ET, while RNG next hits the Rift on Saturday at 4 a.m. ET to face I May.
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Snake Esports vs. Invictus Gaming
Snake Esports put together the second upset series of Week 9, Day 4 by sweeping Invictus Gaming in a quick 2-0 series on Saturday in the League of Legends Pro League in Shanghai.
Snake (5-8, 12-18 match record) showed that it meant business from the very start of this opening game against IG (7-6, 19-14 match record), taking a 3-to-1 kill advantage in the first six minutes of the game, including two kills from jungler Le "SofM" Quang Duy's Elise. Rather than get too aggressive, Snake played a methodical game to start securing objectives all across the map. While IG managed to tie up things in the kill column, Snake came back alive with with a 4-for-1 teamfight win in the bottom lane to keep pushing its lead in the game. Nothing much else happened until Snake went for the Baron at the 30-minute mark, which ended up being a sign of the end of the road for IG. After picking up two kills in the moments following the Baron secure, Snake simply walked into IG's base a few minutes later and took down the Nexus with little opposition for a 36-minute win.
The second game opened up with IG top laner Lee "Duke" Ho-Seong's Kled picking up two kills in the first six minutes of the game. That was about all the fun that Snake allowed IG to have, though, as it then took down IG in a 3-for-2 teamfight at the 14-minute mark to start inching ahead. Just a few minutes later, Snake took another teamfight, this time coming out as a 3-for-1 in its favor. Snake, to the surprise of no one watching the game, came up with yet another teamfight win, a 4-for-1, that gave way to a 23-minute Baron. Despite losing a couple members after the Baron secure, Snake kept pushing on and found itself picking up a second Baron at the 31-minute mark after dominating another teamfight that ended in a clean ace. This was all that Snake needed to lock up the 34-minute win to finish up the surprising sweep. Snake top laner Li "Flandre" Xuan-Jun picked up the MVP honors with his Rumble, finishing with a 6/4/9 KDA (kills/deaths/assists).
Snake will be back on the Rift this Thursday to take on OMG at 5 a.m. ET, while Invictus will look to bounce back from this poor loss with a matchup against LGD Gaming also on Thursday at 8 a.m. ET.
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LGD vs. I May
LGD Gaming needed a clean 2-0 sweep on Sunday to stay alive in the League of Legends Pro League playoff hunt, but I May played the spoiler, closing out Week 9, Day 4 with a 2-1 win in Shanghai.
Game 1 set the tone for this bloodbath of a series as both teams were tied in kills at two apiece by the 10-minute mark. Throughout the constant skirmishing, LGD Gaming (3-11, 11-22 match record) managed to pull ahead in gold by taking the first tower, which led to a 9-to-6 kill advantage near 20 minutes. LGD took a 24-minute Baron kill, but I May punished them with a 3-for-2 follow-up fight. LGD was unfazed, however, as AD carry Gu "Imp" Seung-bin's Kog'Maw went off in the late game, dealing big damage for a 5-for-2 ace and second Baron at 35 minutes. LGD kept the pressure on as it sieged I May's base, empowered by support Chen "Pyl" Bo's Nami who racked up a 1/3/21 KDA (kills/deaths/assists), finishing Game 1 to keep its playoff hopes alive.
The action continued in Game 2, where both teams again picked up early kills to stay even throughout the early game. A 3-for-0 skirmish for LGD at 18 minutes helped it pull ahead, where it took towers until a big 4-for-1 in the mid lane broke the game open. After a messy 4-for-3 teamfight for LGD around the Dragon Pit, LGD jungler Xie "Eimy" Dan made a hero play as Lee Sin when he stole a Baron kill from under I May's fingers while Imp's Twitch picked up a quadra kill in a 5-for-0 ace. LGD pushed to end the game with the playoffs in its eyes, and then crashed back to reality as I May (7-8, 16-20 match record) stopped its Nexus from falling with a 3-for-1 teamfight featuring a triple kill for AD carry Xie "Jinjiao" Jin-Shan's Kog'Maw. With both teams feeling the hyper-late game pressure, I May held firm, with Jinjiao dealing a team-high 45,900 damage while posting a 12/7/11 KDA for 88 percent kill participation as I May put the final nail in LGD's playoff dream coffin with a near 50-minute win.
I May pulled ahead from the get go in Game 3, with support Yun "Road" Han-gil's Thresh setting up an easy 2-for-0 in a bot-lane gank. LGD pulled even with scattered kills throughout the mid game, but I May's objective control kept it ahead, dominating the turret and Elemental Drake games. A 3-for-3 fight at 29 minutes led to a 3-for-2 fight, Baron kill and middle inhibitor for I May, who looked to close out the game. LGD, playing for pride at this point since it was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, took a 5-for-1 ace in the top lane, but I May would not be denied, led by mid laner Kang "Athena" Ha-woon's Syndra, who dealt a game-high 30,600 damage while Road racked up a 0/4/16 KDA for 94 percent kill participation and MVP honors. Crushing a 2-for-0 fight after LGD secured an Elder Dragon, I May closed the series out with a massive final push at 40 minutes.
LGD Gaming will take on Invictus Gaming on Thursday at 8 a.m ET, while I May prepare to face Royal Never Give Up on Saturday at 4 a.m ET.
