Latest League of Legends news

JULY 5, 2016

Great contributions to teamfights in sweep

Name: Heo "Huni" Seung-Hoon

Team: Immortals

Update: Huni finished Immortals' series sweep of Apex Gaming on Saturday with a 5/3/11 KDA.

Analysis: Huni played Ryze in both games against Apex Gaming. Game 1 was his best, as he finished with a 4/1/6 KDA. Immortals kept the tempo of the game very fast; they were sieging a tier three turret just eight minutes into the game. Huni's only death came when he got picked off for first blood by an Enchanted Crystal Arrow and Explosive Cask combo. The early death didn't stop him from becoming a beast in teamfights later, as he finished with the second most damage dealt to champions and second highest kill participation. Game 2 didn't go as well for him since he finished with less kills and more deaths than Game 1. However, he still had good contributions to teamfights, finishing with the second most damage dealt to champions for Immortals. Huni's stats have been down from his Spring Split numbers, but he could easily turn things around in the second half of the Summer Split.

Great map coverage on Rek'Sai throughout series

Name: Kim "Reignover" Yeu-Jin

Team: Immortals

Update: Reignover finished Immortals' series sweep of Apex Gaming on Saturday with a 3/0/15 KDA.

Analysis: Reignover was great in the series, as he finished without a death and an 86 percent kill participation. He played Rek'Sai in both games, which helped Immortals keep suffocating pressure on Apex Gaming as they dominated their way to two under 30 minute victories. He didn't get Immortals first blood in either game, but they were faster at rotating across the map and got their lead by knocking down a lot more turrets than Apex Gaming. Reignover and Immortals' did great at controlling the neutral objectives as well and didn't give up any Dragon or Baron buffs to Apex Gaming in the series. Rek'Sai fits Immortals' fast tempo play style perfectly and teams may try to take the champion away from Reignover in future series.

Damage carries Immortals in series sweep

Name: Eugene "Pobelter" Park

Team: Immortals

Update: Pobelter ended Immortals' sweep of Apex Gaming with a 5/2/10 KDA.

Analysis: Pobelter was able to gain a slight gold advantage over Keane in the laning phase of Game 1. He made fairly equal trades in lane, but had a much bigger impact on teamfights, as he finished with the more damage dealt to champions on Immortals. Viktor has been one of Pobelter's best champions this split and he showed why in Game 1, which is probably why Apex Gaming took it out of his hands in Game 2 by picking Viktor for themselves. He countered by picking Zilean and it worked out well for him. He didn't have as much kill potential in teamfights, but still managed to deal the most damage to champions for Immortals. Mid laners have had a more important roles on teams so far this split and Pobelter has really stepped up to the plate for Immortals. He has the third best KDA among North American mid laners and leads them in assists.

Finished sweep of Apex Gaming without a death

Name: Jason "WildTurtle" Tran

Team: Immortals

Update: WildTurtle earned a 5/0/11 KDA in Immortals' series sweep of Apex Gaming.

Analysis: WildTurtle was one of two Immortals' to finish the series against Apex Gaming without a death. In Game 1, he had a solid performance on Sivir. He didn't have to do much laning, as the game started out with lane swaps. WildTurtle was safe in teamfights, dealing out damage and assisting, but not overextending. In Game 2, he was able to be more of a force in teamfights on Ashe. He had great Enchanted Crystal Arrows to get picks, as he finished with 100 percent kill participation. Immortals kept the pressure on Apex Gaming throughout the series, besting them in under 30 minutes both games. Often they got the better of Apex Gaming in lane swaps, taking down turrets fast and pushing for a second turret while only losing one. WildTurtle hasn't kept up with his stats from the Spring Split and currently has the third most kills and second most assists among North American AD Carries. He has plenty of time to improve on those stats in the second half of the Summer Split.

Another solid performance in series sweep

Name: Adrian "Adrian" Ma

Team: Immortals

Update: Adrian earned a 3/4/15 KDA in Immortals' series sweep of Apex Gaming.

Analysis: Adrian had a solid Game 1 on Soraka, finishing with a 1/2/8 KDA. He and Immortals were much faster in lane swaps and were able to dictate a fast pace in Game 1. Adrian had some great Equinoxes to lockdown kills for Immortals in teamfights, as well as great heals to sustain teammates. In Game 2, Apex Gaming banned Soraka and Adrian opted to play on Nami. He and WildTurtle were great at chaining crowd control with teammates and it helped Immortals get picks throughout Game 2. Immortals duo lane finished Game 2 with 100 percent kill participation. Immortals kept a fast pace in Game 2 and bested Apex Gaming in under 30 minutes. Adrian had a great Spring split and hasn't kept pace so far during the Summer, but still has the second-most assists among North American supports.

Struggles to make impact in Game 2 en route to being swept

Name: Jeon "Ray" Ji-won

Team: Apex Gaming

Update: Ray earned a 3/7/2 KDA in Apex Gaming's series loss to Immortals.

Analysis: Ray finished Game 1 with 100 percent kill participation, but Apex Gaming only managed to put up four kills. Immortals set the tempo of the games with lane swaps to start and kept Apex Gaming on the defensive. In Game 2, Ray got punished early by WildTurtle and played passively after. He had some opportunities to ambush WildTurtle later and opted not to. He finished Game 2 with a lowly 1/4/0 KDA. Ray is at or near the top of a lot of stats for North American top laners, as he is second in kills and kill participation and has the highest CS. However, he also has the most deaths.

First blood not enough to slow or stop Immortals

Name: Lee "ShrimP" Byeong-hoon

Team: Apex Gaming

Update: ShrimP finished Apex Gaming's series loss to Immortals with a 2/5/4 KDA.

Analysis: ShrimP got Apex Gaming first blood in both games of the series, but it didn't help them get an advantage over Immortals. They were slow during the lane swaps, as Immortals were able to pick up an extra turret during the trades. ShrimP made solid contributions in teamfights, as he participated in all but three of Apex Gamings kills in the series. They only managed to get nine kills, though, so that isn't saying much. ShrimP isn't having a great first half in the Summer split; he has the most deaths and highest CS of North American.

Holds his own in lane, but can't make an impact late

Name: Lae-Young "Keane" Jang

Team: Apex Gaming

Update: Keane ended Apex Gaming's series loss to Immortals with a 2/5/3 KDA.

Analysis: Keane held his ground during the laning phase of games during the series, but wasn't able to make a huge impact on teamfights. He led Apex Gaming in damage dealt to champions throughout the series, but wasn't able to pick up many kills or assists. There weren't many kills for Apex Gaming as they only put up nine the whole series. Keane participated in just over half of them, though. There were high hopes for Apex Gaming coming into the split, but they haven't been able to put together great performances against the top tier teams.

100 percent kill participation throughout series loss

Name: Apollo "Apollo" Price

Team: Apex Gaming

Update: Apollo earned a 2/2/7 KDA in Apex Gaming's series loss to Immortals.

Analysis: Apollo had 100 percent kill participation in Game 1, but finished without a kill. He had a great Enchanted Crystal Arrow to help catch Huni for first blood, but didn't have many other snipes the rest of the game. Apollo had 100 percent kill participation again in Game 2 where he finished with a 2/0/3 KDA on Jhin. Immortals were able to keep map pressure on Apex Gaming throughout the series as they finished each game in under 30 minutes. Apex Gaming was slow during lane swaps, which let Immortals take an extra turret during some of the trades. Apollo isn't having too great of a split, but currently has the third most assists among North American AD Carries.

Can't slow down Immortals fast tempo in series loss

Name: Alex "Xpecial" Chu

Team: Apex Gaming

Update: Xpecial earned a 0/2/7 KDA in Apex Gaming's series loss to Immortals.

Analysis: Xpecial had a decent series despite his low KDA. His seven assists in the series was good enough for a 77 percent kill participation. In Game 1 he had some good Tidal Waves and Aqua Prisons on Nami, but not in the late game teamfights when Immortals were pushing to win. Game 2 wasn't any better for Xpecial, he and teammates got some picks on Immortals in the mid game, but couldn't stop them late. Apex Gaming were slow at matching Immortals during lane swaps throughout the series. The slow swaps gave Immortals a chance to take an extra turret during some trades and pulling further ahead of Apex. Once Immortals had a lead, there was little Apex Gaming could do to stop them.

Poor positioning gives away free kills

Name: Bora "YellOwStaR" Kim

Team: Fnatic

Update: YellOwStaR ended Fnatic's sweep to GIANTS with a combined 0/6/6 KDA.

Analysis: In Game 1, YellOwStaR used Nami and was unable to make plays. He was killed to give away first blood and his positioning in this game was poor, often being caught out to give away kills. With Fnatic trailing, he was unable to really set up plays, often forced to use his ultimate to disengage. In Game 2, he used Bard and was able to have a little more success. He did create a few plays using Tempered Fate to assist Fnatic in diving turrets, but it was far too little. With his team behind from the early stages yet again, he couldn't effectively make plays to turn the momentum.

Unable to carry Fnatic

Name: Martin "Rekkles" Larsson

Team: Fnatic

Update: Rekkles ended Friday's loss to GIANTS with a combined 3/4/3 KDA.

Analysis: Rekkles used Jhin in Game 1 and was unable to carry. Fnatic were dominated early and Rekkles never reached a point where he could effect this game. He was able to pick up two kills, but lacked the ability to take over the game by utilizing Jhin's range against GIANTS. In Game 2, Rekkles used Sivir and again struggled to do much. Fnatic were again crushed early and Rekkles lone kill came by catching Hustlin out of position.

Uncharacteristically awful against GIANTS

Name: Fabian "Febiven" Diepstraten

Team: Fnatic

Update: Febiven had a combined 2/7/1 KDA Friday, as Fnatic were swept by GIANTS Gaming.

Analysis: Febiven struggled in Game 1 on Cassiopeia. Fnatic were dominated in the early stages and Febiven never scaled to become a threat at any point in the game. He was dominated in lane by NighT and was only able to muster one assist to four deaths in Game 1. In Game 2, he used Ryze and found a little more success, but not much. He was killed early by a gank from Maxlore and fell behind in lane once again. Febiven was able to pick up two kills in Game 2, but it was far too little as Fnatic were dominated.

Dominated by Maxlore in the jungle

Name: Lee "Spirit" Da-yoon

Team: Fnatic

Update: Spirit finished Fnatic's Friday sweep by GIANTS with a combined 1/6/3 KDA.

Analysis: Spirit struggled in Game 1 as Elise. He was unable to do much of anything early, as Fnatic fell behind quickly and never recovered. He couldn't provide burst damage in teamfights and showed poor pathing and gank timings, ending the game with only one assist. In Game 2, he played Olaf and again struggled. He was solo killed by Maxlore to give away first blood and again had no impact in the early stages of the game. His one kill came during a four-man dive on SmittyJ, but he lacked any teamfight impact. Fnatic were dominated in this series and Spirit's lack of pressure was a big reason why.

Poor series on Gnar

Name: Yeong-Jin "Gamsu" Noh

Team: Fnatic

Update: Gamsu ended Fnatic's sweep to GIANTS with a combined 2/5/4 KDA.

Analysis: Gamsu played two games as Gnar and struggled with his team in each. He was unable to really frontline, as Fnatic fell behind from the early stages of both games. His lack of tankiness in teamfights allowed GIANTS to cut through Fnatic and he was unable to utilize his ultimate to set up kills for Fnatic to try and mount a comeback. It was a poor series overall for the Fnatic top laner, as he managed just one kill in each game and four assists for the entire series.

Nearly unkillable as playmaker for GIANTS

Name: Morgan "Hustlin" Granberg

Team: Giants Gaming

Update: Hustlin ended GIANTS sweep of Fnatic with a combined 1/1/22 KDA.

Analysis: In Game 1, Hustlin used Braum and was unkillable. He was excellent throughout the game, including early when he picked up an assist on first blood. He was able to effectively use Concussive Blows and Glacial fissure to set up kills throughout the game. In Game 2, Hustlin used Nami and was again successful. He was able to use Aqua Prison and his ultimate to set up kills and although he died once, he was able to successfully reach 10 assists. His double digit assist total in both games helped him lead the series.

Carries GIANTS to sweep of Fnatic

Name: Seung-ik "SONSTAR" Son

Team: Giants Gaming

Update: SONSTAR was unkillable as GIANTS upset Fnatic, ending the series with a 10/0/10 KDA.

Analysis: SONSTAR continued his hot run of form against Fnatic on Friday. In Game 1, he used Ashe to good effect, picking up first blood by catching YellOwStaR out of position. He was able to use Ashe's kit effectively, slowing members of Fnatic with his auto attacks and volley, while dealing big damage when activating Ranger's Focus. His double kill in the final teamfight helped GIANTS end the game. In Game 2, he used Jhin and enjoyed similar results. He was able to use Jhin's range to pick up kills, while rooting members of Fnatic with Deadly Flourish. His double kill in the mid game gave GIANTS a huge lead that Fnatic could not overcome.

Unkillable in GIANTS sweep of Fnatic

Name: Na "NighT" Gun-woo

Team: Giants Gaming

Update: NighT helped carry GIANTS to a huge sweep of Fnatic with a combined 9/0/11 KDA.

Analysis: NighT used Viktor in both games and dealt a ton of damage with the mage. In Game 1, he picked up four kills and seven assists, using his burst damage to help GIANTS dominate teamfights. He flanked well during the first teamfight, using Chaos Storm on multiple members at once to chunk down Fnatic's health bars and picking up one kill. His double kill in the final teamfight helped GIANTS end the game. In Game 2, it was much of the same. He once again dealt huge damage in the mid and late game as GIANTS took a huge lead. His double kill in the final teamfight of this game helped GIANTS pick up the sweep.

Excellent in upset over Fnatic

Name: Nubar "Maxlore" Sarafian

Team: Giants Gaming

Update: Maxlore led GIANTS from the jungle during their Friday sweep of Fnatic with a combined 7/3/14 KDA.

Analysis: In Game 1, Maxlore used Nidalee to help carry from the jungle. His pathing was excellent, picking up an assist on first blood and three kills early, one during a 3-vs-3 in the bottom lane and one on Spirit, catching the Fnatic jungler out of position. His third kill onto Yellowstar continued his snowball as he had a massive effect on the game. In Game 2, he used Rek'Sai and again helped GIANTS dominate. He solo killed Spirit in the jungle for first blood and picked up a second kill, ganking Febiven in the mid lane. From there he became an excellent front line presence for GIANTS, using his unburrow to set up kills as GIANTS crushed Fnatic.

Terrific use of Swain in upset victory

Name: Lennart "Smittyj" Warkus

Team: Giants Gaming

Update: SmittyJ helped GIANTS to an upset sweep of Fnatic with a combined 1/4/9 KDA.

Analysis: SmittyJ played two Swain games in the series and was able to sustain his way to victory. In Game 1, he picked up his only kill of the series after securing the Baron. His main focus in the series was to pump out area-of-effect damage using Swain's spell rotation and ultimate to sustain in teamfights. He was able to help whittle down Fnatic health bars for NighT and SONSTAR to pick up kills and was mostly unkillable, especially in Game 1. While watching Swain turn on his ultimate and run into the middle of teams isn't the most exciting thing in the world, it was just what GIANTS needed from their top laner Friday.

Rejoins Longzhu starting lineup

Name: Kim "Frozen" Tae-il

Team: Longzhu

Update: Longzhu announced that Frozen would be rejoining the starting roster after being benched earlier in the season, as announced by the Kespa League of Legends Facebook.

Analysis: Longzhu had a rather poor Spring Split and opted to make a change to it's lineup as a result. After carefully deciding, the team opted to bench Frozen in favor of Coco. Seemingly regretting this decision, the team has opted to bring Frozen back to the starting lineup following an extremely poor start to the Summer Split. The team hopes that Frozen will be able to bring new found life to the team and improve their record during the second half of the split.

Moves to starting position for remainder of Summer Split

Name: Lee "Flame" Ho-Jong

Team: Longzhu

Update: After being benched from Longzhu's starting lineup earlier in the split, the team has announced that Flame will return to the active lineup.

Analysis: Although Longzhu made changes to their roster, they have not seen changes in their play. Constantly riddled with mistakes, the team has opted to make yet another roster swap in their search for favorable results. After benching Flame, they have decided to move him back to a starter position in hopes to keep the team out of the bottom half of the standings. It is unclear whether he will be able to do so, but Flame now has the task of exceeding the performances set forth by Expession; something that shouldn't be too difficult to do.

Strong Game 2 not enough to force Game 3

Name: Terry "Big" Chuong

Team: Echo Fox

Update: Big ended Echo Fox's series loss to NRG eSports on Sunday with a 3/5/13 KDA.

Analysis: Big played solid on Nami early in Game 1, but wasn't much of an impact late. NRG had much better macro plays that allowed them to dominate turrets and neutral objectives. After they got their second Baron buff of the game, there wasn't much Echo Fox could do to stop them from finishing. In Game 2, Big was much more of a threat throughout the match on Zyra, as he finished with a 3/2/9 KDA. He had 100 percent kill participation and dealt more damage to champions than his AD Carry, Keith. However, Echo Fox lost the match when they entered into the base race at the end of the game. They didn't have the minion waves to match NRG and were prevented from backing by GBM and KiWiKiD, which bought enough time for the rest of NRG to finish the game.

Series lost in base race during Game 2

Name: Yuri "Keith" Jew

Team: Echo Fox

Update: Keith finished Echo Fox's series loss to NRG eSports on Sunday with a 6/5/7 KDA.

Analysis: Keith played a fairly clean Game 1, as he finished with a 2/1/3 KDA on Jhin. However, he used Captive Audience more for a fight initiator instead of using it to finish off targets. He was more productive on Ezreal in Game 2, but also had more deaths, finishing with a 4/4/4 KDA. After Echo Fox got a pick on KiWiKiD late, NRG started a base race. Echo Fox decided to go along with the race instead of backing to fight. NRG was much quicker and by the time Echo Fox realized it, it was too late to stop them.

Mediocre performance in 0-2 loss

Name: Henrik "Froggen" Hansen

Team: Echo Fox

Update: Froggen earned a 7/5/7 KDA in Echo Fox's series loss to NRG eSports on Sunday.

Analysis: Froggen made early plays in Game 1 with Twisted Fates' Destiny. The early roam from lane allowed GBM to farm his way to a gold lead that Froggen didn't come back from. Echo Fox fell behind in gold as a team because of slow rotations and lane swaps and couldn't come back after NRG got their second Baron buff of the game. In Game 2, Echo Fox ran a team composition that was attack damage heavy, as Froggen played Varus to go along with an attack damage jungler and AD carry. On paper it seems like a great composition to enter a base race with, but Echo Fox lost the race in Game 2. Froggen had some early mistakes like getting caught way out of position to give up first blood, but was solid besides that. He is always one of Echo Fox's carries, but more players on the team will need to step up for them to climb out of last place.

Improved his play in Game 2, not enough to force a Game 3

Name: Anthony "Hard" Barkhovtsev

Team: Echo Fox

Update: Hard ended Echo Fox's series loss to NRG eSports on Sunday with a 1/3/9 KDA.

Analysis: Hard had a poor performance in Game 1 of the series, as he finished with a 0/3/2 KDA on Gragas. He just couldn't find great engages and was taken down quickly in most of the skirmishes. In a smite fight over Baron late, NRG managed to build a bigger lead in turrets and gold than Echo Fox were able to recover from. Hard played much better on Rek'Sai in Game 2 as he finished with a1/0/7 KDA. While he got enough tank items to last longer in and contribute to teamfights, it wasn't enough to prevent Echo Fox from losing the base race at the end of the match. NRG eSports was able to win said race by sending GBM and KiWiKiD to delay Echo Fox. Hard isn't having a great split stat wise so far, but it's difficult to put up good stats while playing on a last place team.

Sloppy lane swaps against NRG eSports

Name: Park "kfo" Jeong-hun

Team: Echo Fox

Update: kfo earned a 1/7/3 KDA in Echo Fox's series loss to NRG eSports on Sunday.

Analysis: kfo had a pretty rough series against NRG eSports. In Game 1, he finished with a paltry 0/4/0 KDA on Ryze. He pushed out too far after lane swaps and was caught easily by Santorin and Quas. While it wasn't a huge setback, he still wasn't able to recover from. In Game 2, he was able to make better contributions to teamfights, but was caught pushing lane too far into NRG's territory. Quas again snowballed a small lead over kfo and was great at getting picks on Echo Fox the entire game. However, Echo Fox lost the game when they opted to go along with the base race initiated by NRG. kfo and Echo Fox haven't looked great during lane swaps so far this split.

Mediocre in series sweep

Name: Alan "KiWiKiD" Nguyen

Team: NRG eSports

Update: KiWiKiD earned a 0/7/17 KDA in NRG eSports sweep of Echo Fox on Sunday.

Analysis: KiWiKiD played Karma in both games of the series. Game 1 was his cleanest game as he finished with a 0/2/10 KDA. His two deaths weren't meaningless as they came with assists. He had a lot more deaths in Game 2 of the series where he was caught out more and sacrificed himself during the base race that ended the match. KiWiKiD hasn't had a great Summer Split so far; he has one of the lowest KDA's among North American supports.

Solid series to start off second half of the Summer Split

Name: Oh "Ohq" Gyu-min

Team: NRG eSports

Update: Ohq finished NRG eSports sweep of Echo Fox on Sunday with a 7/2/8 KDA.

Analysis: Ohq had a great Game 1 on Lucian, finishing with a 6/1/2 KDA. He picked up an early double kill to get a gold lead that grew for the rest of the game. His only death came as NRG eSports was in Echo Fox's base and destroying their Nexus. He didn't have the same kill production in Game 2 on Sivir, but still finished with a solid 1/1/6 KDA. His only death could've been avoided if he stuck with his team instead of roaming solo in Echo Fox's jungle. It didn't affect the outcome, as he was alive when both teams opted to base race. NRG came out on top thanks to GBM and KiWiKiD sacrificed themselves to slow down Echo Fox. Ohq hasn't had a great split since he has one of the lowest KDA's among North American AD Carries. Week 6 isn't going to get any easier for NRG eSports as they face off against Apex Gaming and Cloud9.

Solid series sweep on Viktor

Name: Lee "GBM" Chang-suk

Team: NRG eSports

Update: GBM ended NRG eSports sweep of Echo Fox on Sunday with a 7/5/9 KDA.

Analysis: GBM fell behind in the laning phase of Game 1 as Froggen roamed early on Twisted Fate to pick up first blood. However, NRG eSports picked up the pace in the middle of the game and built a team gold advantage by taking down towers and neutral objectives. GBM was great in teamfights, picking up kills and assists as he tore through Echo Fox on his way to being top damage dealer on NRG eSports. In Game 2, he was top damage dealer again, but had a lot more deaths. Both teams were fairly equal throughout Game 2 and opted to base race to end the match. GBM was sent back to delay Echo Fox's push and sacrificed himself to buy time the rest of NRG to finish off the Nexus. GBM hasn't had a great first half to the Summer split, as he has one of the lowest KDAs among North American mid laners. However, if NRG eSports gets back on the winning path, his stats could recover in the second half.

Great play on jungle tanks in sweep of Echo Fox

Name: Lucas "Santorin" Tao Kilmer Larsen

Team: NRG eSports

Update: Santorin earned a 3/2/18 KDA in NRG eSports sweep of Echo Fox on Sunday.

Analysis: Santorin had a great Game 1 against Echo Fox as he finished with a 3/0/11 KDA on Rek'Sai. He was everywhere that he needed to be, always helping out in teamfights which earned him 100 percent kill participation. In Game 2, he made some good plays early to help snowball Quas' gold lead. NRG and Echo Fox were pretty evenly matched in a game came down to a base race. Echo Fox had a numbers advantage, but Santorin and Ohq faked them out by starting their backing animations to bait them into stopping their push. It bought enough time for GBM and KiWiKiD to actually go back and sacrifice themselves when they engaged Echo Fox to prevent them from backing. Santorin has really been playing great for NRG eSports so far this split. He has the least amount of deaths among North American junglers who have played in at least 24 games and highest kill participation.

Shows versatility in series sweep of Echo Fox

Name: Diego "Quas" Ruiz

Team: NRG eSports

Update: Quas earned a 8/3/11 KDA in NRG eSports series sweep of Echo Fox on Sunday.

Analysis: Quas showed versatility in the series against Echo Fox, playing well on tank and carry top laners. In Game 1, he finished with a 2/2/8 KDA on Maokai. He was great at being a frontline distraction in teamfights. In Game 2, he played a great split pushing top laner, Jax, and finished with a 6/1/3 KDA. Quas made a good teleport play to cut off Froggen's escape, earning him first blood. He got a few more kills early which helped him secure a gold lead over kfo which slowly grew as the game went on. The game came down to a base race that NRG eSports won by faking out Echo Fox with the backing animation and sacrificing GBM and KiWiKiD to slow down their push.

JULY 4, 2016

Signs with Fnatic as sub

Name: Giedrius "DoubleG" Dagys

Team: Fnatic

Update: DoubleG has been signed by Fnatic to be a substitute, reports Daniel Rosen of theScore.

Analysis: DoubleG was last seen playing in the NA Challenger Series Spring Split with Dream Team. He only started in one series for the team before packing up shop. The extent of his EU League of Legends experience is limited to playing for a couple EU Challenger hopefuls that did not end up qualifying for the Series. It is unclear how much playing time DoubleG will get moving forward.

JULY 3, 2016

Solid Game 1 performance unable to carry team to series win

Name: Jung "Impact" Eon-yeong

Team: Cloud9

Update: Impact put up a 6/4/13 KDA in Cloud9's 1-2 series loss to Team Liquid on Friday.

Analysis: Impact had an almost perfect Game 1, participating in nine out of ten kills and never dying. His Shen play was the nail in the coffin for Team Liquid, who had placed all of their hopes on Lourlo's Fiora getting ahead and accomplishing a split push. Impact rotated better through the lane swap, however, getting an experience lead that put him briefly at a three level advantage. He proceeded to push Lourlo around in lane, growing his lead, and eventually killed him 1-vs-1 when Lourlo overstepped his boundaries. This led directly into Impact having the freedom to ultimate up top and not only save Sneaky but win an entire teamfight that Lourlo couldn't participate in. He also secured his team a huge win when he snuck around to the flank of TL as they were sieging and got a four-man taunt. His performance fell apart in Game 2 when he could not create the same lane advantage over Lourlo's Trundle. His Shen's late game fell apart because he couldn't stop TL's split push, and the pressure left them losing their entire base all at once. Game 3 had a similar pattern. Impact individually defeated Lourlo in the lane. He got an early kill on the Shen off a gank and was heavily out-farming him. The issue was that Lourlo was teleporting into teamfights and finding assists and kills not just for himself, but for all of Team Liquid. C9 could no longer support themselves off of just an Irelia who ended up with three of the team's four kills. Impact, despite losing to Lourlo overall, was a large part of all of Cloud9's successes, ending with an 82.6 percent kill participation.

Unable to turn tide in losing series

Name: William "Meteos" Hartman

Team: Cloud9

Update: Cloud9's jungler Meteos ended with a 4/5/10 KDA on Friday.

Analysis: Meteos had a decent series, ending with a 2.5 KDA ratio and a 61 percent kill participation. The low kill participation percentage came mainly from Game 1, which was only seconds away from beating the record for latest first blood. Despite that, Meteos found ways to help in the later stages of the match, always present in teamfights and helping to secure the Baron. It ended as a clean, low-kill win. It was Game 2 where Meteos began to falter. He was still present in teamfights, but all he managed to contribute was damage versus the engage and CC that Dardoch continually used to lock up C9. Meteos did manage to get the miracle Baron steal that kept C9 afloat for as long as they did, and he had a stellar performance in the teamfight where TL made the mistake of trying to fight 4-vs-5, but his play wasn't enough to turn the game around. In Game 3, Meteos showed a bit of technical prowess, as his kill in the bottom lane was thanks to a timely use of his flash and body slam, but ultimately his play was sloppy. He picked Gragas for the displacement, but never managed to land the barrel on priority targets, usually getting the tanky Rek'sai which accomplished little in the teamfight. He was constantly being invaded upon by Dardoch, and although he managed to secure most of his camps, it speaks to a larger lack of pressure.

Uneven performance in series loss

Name: Nicolaj "Jensen" Jensen

Team: Cloud9

Update: Jensen earned a 4/10/12 KDA in the 1-2 series loss to Team Liquid on Friday.

Analysis: We have come to expect a high level of play from Jensen after this recent winning streak with C9, but by the end of Friday's series his play had fallen apart. He ended with a KDA ratio of only 1.6 and a kill participation of 70 percent. He ended with the most deaths of anyone on his team, going down five times in both of C9's losses. Game 1, Jensen started off strong, playing to his usual high standard. He was ganked several times but never went down due to his ability to dodge skillshots perfectly and judge exactly where he had to be. And he was very sure in his abilities, going forward to almost solo out Matt under turret, and immediately chaining his CC on the stuns when diving midlane. His damage was the main force that carried C9 to victory. Game 2 was where it started going downhill. Although he still demonstrated his ability to get out of danger, avoiding a four-man gank without even blowing a summoner, the focus that TL put on him eventually wore him down and he gave up first blood. Despite being on Twisted Fate, Jensen could not unbalance teamfights because TL was almost always there first. Jensen was continually caught and bursted out, usually before a fight began giving Liquid their early Dragon control. Even in the teamfights that Cloud9 managed to win, such as the 4-vs-5 in mid lane, it was at the expense of Jensen's life because Liquid could burst him out so easily. In Game 3 this focus was only exacerbated, as Jensen ended with a 0.4 KDA ratio and could barely contribute to any kind of teamfight C9 managed to find. His usual precise play fell apart as he found himself constantly caught out of position or away from his team.

Gives away loss in Game 3 thanks to sloppy performance

Name: Zachary "Sneaky" Scuderi

Team: Cloud9

Update: Sneaky ended Friday's loss with a 8/9/9 KDA.

Analysis: Sneaky got off to a great start in the series, winding up with his favorite Ashe pick. His opposition Fabbbyyy was unable to get involved in any fights thanks to the fact that Sneaky was a bother, routinely landing arrow after arrow, getting picks and setting up plays. As usual, C9 was always there to back him up, collapsing as soon as Sneaky hit his ultimate and chaining huge amounts of CC on to whoever happened to be caught. Sneaky also knew how to follow up on his teammates, securing a huge teamfight win with an arrow directly into Impact's four-man taunt. Sneaky had an impressive solo play, 1-vs-1 killing Fenix's Zilean in the top lane and converting it into another kill on Matt. The final play succeeded because of Impact coming in as well as the rest of C9, but it was Sneaky's quick fingers and on point mechanics that gave them the opening. Game 2, however, quickly started to fall apart for Sneaky, who, to his credit still managed to maintain a 100 kill participation percentage despite the loss. The painful loss in Game 3 was, however, arguably Sneaky's fault. He walked into Liquid's jungle alone pre-minions spawning and died to Fabbbyyy. Then he and Bunny Fufuu proceeded to die over and over to multiple ganks by Dardoch and Lourlo. He was so far behind in the end that there was almost nothing he could do or contribute, even his wave clear against the siege was blocked by Matt's Braum. With their mid lane and AD carry so far behind, there was nothing Cloud9 could do against Liquid's onslaught.

Miserable timing contributes to series loss

Name: Michael "Bunny FuFuu" Kurylo

Team: Cloud9

Update: Bunny Fufuu ended with a combined 0/3/8 KDA from Game 1 and Game 3 during Friday's series loss to Team Liquid.

Analysis: Bunny Fufuu has been very impressive recently with his ability to land skillshots and time CC layering, but in Friday's series he seemed to be struggle. His Bard play in Game 1 was decent, as his ultimate was mainly used for disengaging. He had a couple of solid ultimate uses, tower diving mid lane second tier, for instance, but then seemed to just focus on piling up ridiculous amounts of CC, rather than C9's usual careful layering. It was enough to win teamfights, however, and eventually the game. When Bunny came back in for Game 3 he pulled out Bard, and his timing on Bard seemed to be even worse than it had been on Braum. While his ultimates were well placed, often catching two or more members of Liquid the issue was in his follow up. Bunny mistimed his binding consistently, leaving him unable to continue chaining down the enemies he caught in his ultimate and rendering it almost useless. Teamfights that Cloud9 should have had the upper hand on fell apart because they simply could not coordinate their abilities like a team the way they had in Game 1. Bunny was unable to save Sneaky from the constant ganking in Game 3, usually going down himself as well. His mechanics were simply not up to the level seen in his recent victories.

Lone Game 2 performance not enough to turn around series

Name: Andy "Smoothie" Ta

Team: Cloud9

Update: Smoothie finished the Game 2 loss to Team Liquid with a 1/2/8 KDA.

Analysis: Smoothie, despite the loss, had a very solid performance on Friday. He came out with not only a 4.5 KDA but also a 100 percent kill participation for the game. His Magical Journey out of the early fight near bottom lane saved every one of his teammates who were on the verge of death. His binding on Lourlo after he was hit by Sneaky's arrow gave them the time to secure the kill, and his second binding gave them the time to disengage before the second half of the fight. His ultimates were almost always used to try and interrupt Fabbbyyy's damage, and considering the accuracy on his Curtain Call's, it was likely that Smoothie saved his team from a disadvantageous start to a fight. Smoothie couldn't always protect his team, however, as his Magical Journey gave Fabbbyyy an easy shot at fleeing targets and Smoothie himself was picked off trying to escape a Baron fight. Despite Smoothie's strong play, he wasn't able to help Cloud9 take the game back, it just allowed them to hold on longer to a losing matchup.

Terrific performance in Game 3 secures series win

Name: Samson "Lourlo" Jackson

Team: Team Liquid

Update: Lourlo ended Team Liquid's 2-1 series win with a 3/7/16 KDA.

Analysis: Lourlo had a bumpy start to the series, but his team continued to prioritize him and eventually he helped lead them to victory. Game 1 Lourlo picked Fiora confidently, despite the fact that Impact was on Shen, and the results were disastrous. Lourlo fell behind heavily in both farm and experience, and was pushed around early in lane. He tried to push up and be aggressive, counter-jungling despite being behind in levels, and Impact solo-killed him. This mistake set the pace of the game. Lourlo was unable to split push because of Impact, and he could barely teleport into fights because he was either chunked out by Shen or had wasted his ultimate just trying to stay alive. Team Liquid had put almost all of their win condition on Lourlo, and with their poor teamfight they were easily rolled over and destroyed by C9. The series turned around in Game 2 Lourlo however. Team Liquid still gave him priority, first picking the Trundle to give him a favorable lane matchup. This time Lourlo did not fall behind, as he was able to push Impact around a bit in the 1-vs-1, but he still made some early mistakes. He overestimated his abilities, trying to tank for a teamfight before he had the stats to succeed and dying quickly, and later trying to solo kill Sneaky and being picked off when Smoothie came in from behind. He was also caught out by an Ashe arrow and killed, giving Cloud9 a teamfight that was almost enough for them to come back. It was Game 3 where Lourlo really shined, playing Shen as the last pick counter to Impact's Irelia. Lourlo fell behind early, going down in farm and dying to Meteos' ganking, but it was his global pressure that set his performance apart from the first two games. He was everywhere, picking up kills and assists in the top lane and finding teamfights in mid. It furthered Impact's farm lead, but Lourlo quickly caught up and surpassed him in gold until he was so tanky that he could ignore Impact completely and split push successfully for his team, destroying Cloud9's base all in one fell swoop.

Destructive performance gives team series win

Name: Joshua "Dardoch" Hartnett

Team: Team Liquid

Update: Dardoch posted a 9/3/20 KDA in Team Liquid's series win against Cloud9 on Friday.

Analysis: Dardoch was a monster on Friday, finishing the series with a 9.7 KDA and an 88 percent kill participation. His Game 1 was a bit of a flop, the extended lane swap meant very little room for ganking, and he was unable to steal the Baron away from Cloud9. Usually he wasn't involved in fights until the very end, and during the one he was involved in, he tried to unburrow two Cloud9 members that were still in his own Bard's Tempered Fate. That breakdown in communication kept them from achieving anything more than the initial pick off kill. Dardoch picked up after that, with an exceptional mechanical performance on Gragas in a game that ended up being remade due to a bug, but it was the beginning of his rise. He continued showing those skills in the real Game 2, helping his mid laner get first blood, interrupting Bard just before he could take the Magical Journey, knocking up two enemies and keeping them in place for Fabbbyyy and the rest of TL to secure multiple kills. He no longer suffered from being on the outside of teamfights, in fact he was faster at collapsing than C9's team, which was designed to collapse. He was Liquid's tank and often their engage and, despite having a Baron stolen out from under him, brought TL to a decisive victory. Game 3 this trend continued. Dardoch ended with the best scoreline on his team, posting a deathless game and a KDA ratio of 17. He saw his opportunity to help snowball Fabbbyyy after Sneaky gave up a free early kill and he took it, getting early kills on both Sneaky and Bunny Fufuu, as well as a clean near-ace from a well set up tower dive. Dardoch coordinated well with Lourlo, bringing him into the middle of fights before knocking every one up and giving Fabbbyyy and Fenix time and space to take everyone down. With Dardoch keeping Sneaky down early, it was an easy win for Team Liquid.

Positive performance in series win

Name: Kim "Fenix" Jae-hoon

Team: Team Liquid

Update: Fenix ended Team Liquid's winning series on Friday with a 16/6/10 KDA.

Analysis: Fenix helped bring his team to one of the first series upset in NA this Summer. He finished with a 4.3 KDA ratio and a kill participation of 79 percent. His Game 1 on Zilean was unimpressive, despite earning the only kill for his team early on, he couldn't turn it into anything further. He later over-confidently tried to duel Sneaky and ended up not only dying, but luring in Matt to die too. He failed to execute the Bard and Zilean combo properly, either missing the bombs while Cloud9 was frozen or simply not being in range to capitalize upon Matt finding an enemy. Game 2, however, he came out swinging, picking up first blood on Jensen through repeated ganks on the mid lane. He kept the lane pushing in his favor, keeping Jensen from having the map pressure Twisted Fate is supposed to provide. In fact, Fenix's teleports several times gave him a better entrance into a team fight than Jensen had. He had some missteps, such as leaving his team mid lane while he went to clear top, giving Cloud9 a chance for a pick. It was also Fenix's hubris that made him think he could handle Meteos on the outside of the Baron pit alone, a move that gave a Baron steal to C9. Game 3, however, Fenix stepped up again, making even fewer mistakes and finishing with a 13 KDA ratio. He bullied Jensen around in lane, and later on caught him out again and again to delete him before teamfights. Even just walking up from mid lane Fenix had a huge impact, roaming top to help his team secure four kills on the back half of what looked like a losing teamfight. These early advantages were already the nail in C9's coffin, as TL didn't give them any space to get back into the game.

Deadly accurate with ultimate in series win

Name: Jovani "fabbbyyy" Guillen

Team: Team Liquid

Update: Fabbbyyy finished with a 4/3/18 KDA in Team Liquid's win over Cloud9 on Friday.

Analysis: Fabbbyyy had a fantastic series, finishing with a 7.3 KDA and a 67 percent kill participation. His Game 1 with Sivir was dismal, but not entirely his fault. He was completely unable to get into fights, and so his damage was lost, which certainly did not help TL with their already weaker teamfight composition. It was Game 2 and Game 3 where Fabbbyyy switched on to the long range Jhin that everything clicked together. Fabbbyyy played an excellent Jhin in multiple ways, but the ability that has to be brought up first is his ultimate accuracy. Equally good at starting teamfights as finishing them off, Fabbbyyy picked people off in Magical Journey's, he found and slowed Sneaky for the rest of his team, he stopped Baron attempts and secured towers. Fabbbyyy's positioning was also top tier. As soon as he wasn't on Sivir who relies on getting up close and personal, he found his niche, always over a jungle wall or so far back that he wasn't drawing any of the fire. He only died once in Game 3 when his team abandoned him to start a fight and Impact's Irelia managed to find him around the side. Most of Smoothie's Bard ultimates in Game 2 were spent just to try and keep Fabbbyyy from dealing damage for a little bit, either cancelling his ultimate or just attempting to push him off. Fabbbyyy demolished Sneaky in Game 3 after killing him before minions spawned and he coordinated with Dardoch to press that advantage as far as it could go. Locking down opponents with his snares and his slows, Fabbbyyy's Jhin play was a crucial component of Team Liquid's victory over Cloud9.

Excellent in support capacity in win

Name: Matthew "Matt" Elento

Team: Team Liquid

Update: Matt secured a 1/4/24 KDA as Team Liquid defeated Cloud9 2-1 on Friday.

Analysis: Matt finished strong on Friday with a 6.25 KDA ratio and a 76 percent kill participation. He had trouble on Bard in Game 1, failing to combo his ultimate with Zilean's double bombs even once. He also had poor communication with his team, catching two in his ultimate just as Dardoch was going in to knock them up and thereby wasting the CC that could have netted them kills. Matt also died the most on his team, and was not even involved in their one kill. Coming out of Game 1, however, Matt followed suit with the rest of Team Liquid and stepped up. In Game 2 his Karma pick gave Team Liquid the move speed to counter Cloud9's collapse, and they were often in a fight even faster than the team with both Twisted Fate and Shen. Matt's bindings were also crucial, locking enemies down for Fabbbyyy's damage or flashing forward to catch Sneaky and keep him from disengaging. In Game 3, Matt helped Fabbbyyy get the early first blood on Sneaky, and then doubled up the lane dominance from there. He confidently dove the turret, taking four hits before leaving in order to get Fenix two kills on the other side. His shield was more practical utility, helping the siege by keeping Sneaky from wave clearing. In the end it was the unrelenting pressure of all of Team Liquid that brought down Cloud9 and ended their win streak.

Unable to disrupt TSM in loss

Name: Derek "zig" Shao

Team: Phoenix1

Update: zig finished Phoenix1's series loss on Saturday with a 1/8/7 KDA.

Analysis: There were very low expectations for zig and Phoenix1 coming into their series on Saturday. Considering that TSM has an 8-0 record while P1 is 0-8, Zig's KDA ratio of 1 is not surprising. Game 1 saw a little bit of hope, however, for the beaten down P1. In the initial lane swap, Phoenix was not nearly as far behind TSM as most teams usually are. They kept up with the tempo enough that they forced TSM into more commitment for the early Dragon. They used their speed to collapse on an over-aggressive Hauntzer and kill him for first blood. This gave zig the lane he needed as he started to push it in aggressively towards Hauntzer, picking up several more kills on his lane opponent. He outdueled TSM's top laner, and he coordinated well enough with the rest of his team that TSM wasn't able to get big objectives off the map. The issue was that zig and Inori also weren't gaining any map advantage from the kills, and so when zig joined his team in a teleport fight bottom side, they simply weren't strong enough to beat TSM's superior teamfighting skills. In Game 2, P1 no longer came out even from the lane swaps, as some careful greed from Hauntzer gave him extra experience and the ability to safely farm under turret against the duo lane while zig was both zoned off and occasionally killed by a gank. This lack of farm trapped him in the top lane, unable to teleport in for most of the early fights, and the lack of gold made him unable to tank the brunt of TSM's damage. He did come out of the series with an 80 percent kill participation, and hopefully an idea of what to improve upon going into the second half of the split.

Struggled mightily in loss

Name: Rami "Inori" Charagh

Team: Phoenix1

Update: Inori finished with a measly 3/6/3 KDA in the team's 0-2 loss to Team SoloMid on Saturday.

Analysis: Inori, who had been unable to start for weeks thanks to ongoing visa issues, was able to get off to a strong start on Elise. Coming out of the lane swaps, he saw that Hauntzer was over confident and desperate to pick up the CS that he normally gets when TSM wins the tempo game. Together with Mash and Gate, Inori picked up an easy first blood, zoning Svenskeren out of his blue side jungle at the same time and slashing the momentum his Nidalee had built. He made good calls, revisiting Hauntzer for another kill, this time helping zig, and after a disastrous fight in bottom lane he went back to the well again, further punishing Hauntzer's poor play. However, Inori failed to capitalize on anything from these kills. He never pushed down the top tier two tower even though they had plenty of time after the kills, and when he rotated for the Rift Herald his communication with zig was off and he was forced to take the buff himself. P1 suffered from their inability to out teamfight TSM, as even when Inori found Svenskeren and surrounded him in the jungle TSM's collapse turned it into an unfavorable trade. In Game 2, Inori had a very poor showing on Rek'sai. He tried to invade Svenskeren's jungle when his team was pushing down top turret and ended up not only being pushed off by TSM's bot lane, but also leaving Gate behind to give up first blood. Again in the mid game teamfights he failed to land his knock up because of his predictable engage that was easily flashed away from. Besides his mechanical failings, Inori's team communication broke down, leading him to go in when Pirean had just blown his cooldowns, getting both of them killed in the process.

Major factor in ninth straight series loss

Name: Choi "Pirean" Jun-Sik

Team: Phoenix1

Update: Phoenix1 lost their ninth straight series on Saturday with Pirean ending with a 2/8/3 KDA.

Analysis: Pirean had one of the worst KDA ratios on his entire team at .625, and only a 50 percent kill participation. Mid lane was very quiet at the beginning of Game 1 as opposed to the action in the side lanes, but Pirean was able to keep up with Bjergsen in farm and trades. It was in the major fight down bottom lane where things really started to go wrong. Pirean and zig both teleported in guaranteeing P1 the numbers advantage, but they were all locked down by one of Bjergsen's double bombs, in addition to him saving Doublelift's life with his ultimate. The lack of respect coming out of Pirean for the matched teleport ruined the play for them, giving over a 4-for-0 kill advantage when they should have been able to take the fight. After that Pirean seemed to grow a little bit desperate, wanting to make a big play that would get them back into the game. Almost all of P1's aggression was countered by TSM converging and their ability to win teamfights, however. Despite using Karma, he was often not grouped together with his team and was caught out too far up in bottom lane and killed by Doublelift. Game 2 his mechanics seemed to slip a little bit. He had good setup for ganks on Bjergsen, but simply could not land his chains to convert the damage. Even when he did have fancy feet, it was too late, and his team was not in position to gain anything off of the time Pirean bought them.

Barely able to factor into series loss

Name: Brandon "Mash" Phan

Team: Phoenix1

Update: Mash finished with a 3/3/3 KDA in Phoenix1's series loss to Team SoloMid on Saturday.

Analysis: Mash finished with a relatively good KDA ratio of two, but only a 60 percent kill participation. In Game 1, Phoenix1 managed a rare positive start versus TSM as they were able to match their opposition's lane swap tempo. This gave P1 the ability to keep the map pressure even, cut off Svenskeren's Nidalee domination of both sides of the jungle, and even get Mash first blood onto an over-aggressive Hauntzer who was pushed up for farm. Early gold right after he had bought a Cull was a solid beginning, and P1 looked to continue that with an aggressive double teleport to the bot lane. An aggressive double teleport to the bottom lane appeared to put Phoenix1 in good position to secure a major teamfight victory, but they had not anticipated Bjergsen also teleporting in and saving his AD Carry as well as completely zeroing out Mash with a well placed double bomb. This fight, which ended in a kill and some assists for Doublelift, completely negated whatever lead Mash had found in the early game. He quickly lost his turret, lost Dragon control, and lost the superior damage in teamfights. Tie that in with his questionable mechanical play and he ended up not even being able to take Bjergsen out cleanly in a 1-vs-1. Game 2 all came down to a lack of initiative. Mash was already losing out due to a very clever delayed lane swap from TSM that denied a great deal of farm. Mash's first Ashe arrow ended badly, leaving Gate all alone in what was supposed to be an aggressive position but instead left him out for TSM to descend upon. After that, there were a few more arrows, most of which hit Biofrost but secured a couple of kills. The issue was that Mash was never firing them. He wasn't looking for initiations or picks, probably because he was too afraid of TSM's power, and so his Ashe went to waste and P1 had no hope of getting back in the game after only eleven minutes.

Dreadful performance in series loss

Name: Austin "Gate" Yu

Team: Phoenix1

Update: In Phoenix1's last series of the first half of the Summer Split, in which they lost 0-2 to TSM, Gate finished with a 1/7/4 KDA.

Analysis: Gate had a very sloppy series, finishing with a .71 KDA ratio and a 50 percent kill participation. He had a few good plays, helping Mash secure first blood on an over-extended Hauntzer, and killing Hauntzer top with zig, but his performance in teamfights was just abysmal. His Bard ultimate was not just ineffective; on multiple occasions it saved the enemy it was meant to lock down. When Bjergsen was caught in mid it gave him the time to wait for his team to arrive and the Trundle pillar to disappear. Gate also showed poor communication with his team, laying down Tempered Fate when another member of his team was about to land a skillshot on the enemy. His play on Braum in Game 2 was mechanically better, though Braum has less chance to actively hurt his own team with his abilities than Bard does. Gate was finding himself consistently caught out, sometimes through his own fault and sometimes because he was ready to back up a teammate that then bailed because it was no longer a good play. Some of Gate's trouble in the match against TSM was the inconsistency and poor cohesion of the entirety of Phoenix1, but a good deal of it was his own poor mechanics and teamwork.

Aggressiveness exploited despite series win

Name: Kevin "Hauntzer" Yarnell

Team: Team SoloMid

Update: Hauntzer finished Saturday's win over Phoenix1 with a 6/6/8 KDA.

Analysis: Hauntzer is better than the performance he had against Phoenix1 on Saturday. The only explanation is the overconfidence that comes with being the best team in the league facing the worst team, and overconfidence is something that has plagued TSM and especially Hauntzer in the past. TSM is used to playing an intensely aggressive game, where Hauntzer gets ahead in the lane swap because of tempo and all three lanes win and snowball the game. P1 surprised everyone by managing to keep up with TSM's tempo in the swap, and keep Hauntzer from getting the farm he's accustomed to. Because of that, instead of adjusting his play and reverting to a safer, more defensive style where he waits at the turret, Hauntzer pushed up way too far to reach the minion wave and was punished for his hubris. He gave over first blood to Mash and map pressure to P1 and didn't even learn from his lesson, pushing too far out in his lane again and again giving four free kills over to P1. Even though Hauntzer brought his scoreline back up through his usual excellent play in teamfights, it didn't dismiss the fact that Game 1 was not the stomp it should have been. Game 2, Hauntzer again made risky decisions, sticking around for more CS than the traditional lane swap, but he played it much more carefully and ended up with a lead. He extended that lead when the rest of his team zoned off zig and killed him a couple of times. Although Hauntzer didn't end up being involved with the rest of the map for the majority of the game, he kept up the pressure on zig, keeping him from becoming a meaningful tank. Hauntzer is a brilliant top laner, but his confidence can at times get the best of him, as seen in Game 1.

Helps poke down Vitality on way to victory

Name: Mihael "Mikyx" Mehle

Team: Splyce

Update: Mikyx ended Splyce's sweep of Vitality with a combined 3/6/10 KDA.

Analysis: In Game 1, Mikyx used Karma. Things started off rough, as Mikyx was killed during two separate ganks in the bottom lane. Those were his only two deaths of the game though, as he was able to help Splyce take a close Game 1. He poked down Vitality with Inner Flame and was able to effectively speed up his teammates for engages while using his shields to keep them safe when they sieged. In Game 2, Mikyx used Bard and was able to effectively set up kills. After another close early and mid game, his Tempered Fate and Cosmic Binding combination in the late game allowed Splyce to win teamfights. This was a well played series from Mikyx and Splyce as they upset Vitality in excellent fashion.

Kobbe pops off once again on Caitlyn

Name: Kasper "Kobbe" Kobberup

Team: Splyce

Update: Kobbe used Caitlyn to end Friday's sweep of Vitality with a combined 7/1/9 KDA.

Analysis: Kobbe was given his best performing marksman in both games against Vitality and he made it count. He picked up his first kill in Game 1 catching kaSing out of position and then took it slow until the final teamfight. In said fight he picked up a quadra kill to help Splyce close out the victory without dying. In Game 2, he lacked the kill upside, ending with only two, but still dealt massive damage for Splyce. He picked up a double kill after Vitality secured Baron, preventing his opponents from utilizing the buff to it's full potential. While he had a low kill total, his eight assists in Game 2 were more than his support's assist total.

Uses the power of Shurima to lead Splyce to sweep

Name: Chres "Sencux" Laursen

Team: Splyce

Update: Sencux finished Friday with a combined 5/3/12 KDA as Splyce swept Vitality.

Analysis: Sencux showed off some good Azir mechanics on Friday. His use of the Shurima Shuffle usage was on full display. In Game 1 he picked up two kills, but scaled nicely into the mid game. His poke damage when Splyce sieged with Baron buff in the late game heavily chunked down Vitality to either get them away from objectives or set up kills for his teammates. In Game 2, he was able to kill Nukeduck early and pick up a kill in the first teamfight of the game. This allowed Sencux to scale quickly once again and his kill in the final teamfight helped Splyce take the series.

Overconfidence likely reason for middling KDA

Name: Dennis "Svenskeren" Johnsen

Team: Team SoloMid

Update: Svenskeren finished TSM's series win over Phoenix1 on Saturday with a 4/2/12 KDA.

Analysis: Svenskeren had a strong series, finishing with a KDA ratio of eight, but not as strong as we usually see from him. He ended with a kill participation of only 48 percent, and despite playing on Nidalee in Game 1 he did not have the complete control over the enemy jungle that we are accustomed to seeing from him. It took a while for TSM to get enough map pressure to leave deep wards in P1's jungle, and the majority of the ganking was against TSM rather than from Sven. The game started off poorly when he was unable to get past Inori to save Hauntzer, and that move sacrificed his blue side jungle, negating the leash TSM had given him. He found his way back into the game after a big teamfight bottom lane, coming in at the end to cut off P1's escape route into the jungle and give Hauntzer and Doublelift two more easy kills. After this, Svenskeren was able to get a bit back into his old swing of things, playing around Bjergsen's winning lane and trying to snowball everywhere that wasn't Hauntzer's mess. Still, Sven's play was sloppy and overconfident; he got caught out several times trying to ward past the river and the play was only salvaged because TSM committed to collapsing and outfought P1 even with a numbers disadvantage. Game 2 was a complete turnaround as Svenskeren was back on pointe, helping his duo lane pick up a couple of kills on zig and playing forward aggressively. He had an incredible fight in the jungle where he caught multiple fleeing members of P1 in the jungle with one body slam and helped his team pick up several more kills. Svenskeren's mechanics were as precise as ever, but if it hadn't been for the teamfighting ability of TSM, Game 1 might have gone a lot worse for him.

Maintains high performance on Rek'Sai

Name: Jonas "Trashy" Andersen

Team: Splyce

Update: Trashy ended Splyce's upset sweep of Vitality with a combined 1/3/10 KDA.

Analysis: Trashy maintained his recent success on Rek'Sai in Game 1. Vitality took control of the early game, but a clutch Baron steal gave Splyce the pushing power they needed to turn the tide. He was able to use his Unburrow to set up kills in the late game and finished with six assists while not dying. In Game 2, Trashy used Elise and had decent success. He missed some cocoons throughout the game, but also landed them when he needed to. He was killed to give away first blood, but was able to provide good crowd control late while his burst damage helped Splyce win teamfights.

Strong series continues good run of form

Name: Martin "Wunder" Hansen

Team: Splyce

Update: Wunder ended Splyce's sweep of Vitality with a combined 4/2/10 KDA.

Analysis: Wunder used Trundle in Game 1 and played well despite a rough start. He was solo killed in a close 1-vs-1 against Cabochard to give away first blood. He didn't let it affect him too much, however, and transitioned into teamfights excellently. He used Subjugate throughout the game to steal resistances from Vitality members and used his pillar to stop his enemies from disengaging as Splyce took the upper hand in the mid game, finishing with a team high 7 assists. Wunder used Irelia in Game 2 and was unkillable. He got off to a slow start, but picked up his first kill after Vitality secured the Baron as Splyce won the ensuing teamfight. He was a monster late, diving onto the back line to chunk down Vitality carries and ended the game by picking up a double kill in the final teamfight.

Plays well despite series sweep

Name: Raymond "KaSing" Tsang

Team: Vitality

Update: kaSing ended Vitality's Friday sweep to Splyce with a 2/5/9 combined KDA.

Analysis: kaSing used Braum in Game 1 and had limited impact. He was able to pick up two assists early, during two separate gank plays by Vitality, using his ultimate to knock up members of Splyce for kills. He was unable to really set up plays in the late game as Vitality fell off. In Game 2, kaSing used Morgana and showed excellent Dark Binding accuracy. He aggressively used his flash to land pinpoint bindings, but also sniped members of Splyce from range setting up kills. Vitality again got off to a good start, but struggled in the mid and late game to close out the win, ending the day by being swept.

Another stellar performance in series win

Name: Soren "Bjergsen" Bjerg

Team: Team SoloMid

Update: Bjergsen ended his ninth consecutive series victory on Saturday with an 11/1/17 KDA.

Analysis: Bjergsen continues to impress with his stellar play on a wide variety of mid lane champions. Despite five bans on mid lane champions in Game 2, Bjergsen still excelled, earning a KDA ratio of 28 and a kill participation of 85 percent. In Game 1 the rest of TSM looked a little shaky, suffering from the overconfidence of facing the lowest ranked team in NA, but Bjergsen was as consistent as ever. He turned the game around single-handedly, teleporting into the bottom lane to counter a double teleport play from P1, and arrived not only just in time to save Doublelift's life, but also landed a double bomb on all four members of P1. Mash died immediately and everyone else was chunked out and scattered, the deadly play by the opposition falling apart. Bjergsen picked up a triple kill on the backside, with the last kill going over to Doublelift. Bjergsen held his team together on multiple occasions, teleporting in later that game just in time to save Doublelift again, helping his AD Carry finish with a deathless record. In the Baron pit, Bjergsen's Zilean ulted Svenskeren, giving TSM the time to take down zig before Sven came back up to smite Baron. On the back end of the play Bjergsen converted more kills, knowing when he had to back away from the damage, but still coordinating perfectly with his team to send bombs forward on other members and find enemies to kill. Game 2, Bjergsen was similarly everywhere, getting early ganks on zig with his Twisted Fate ultimate. He never let Pirean get the lane dominance P1 was relying on him to get, staying alive through ganks and avoiding Leblanc's skillshots. In the end it was just another very clean, mechanically impressive game for Bjergsen.

Limited impact as Vitality are swept

Name: Park "Police" Hyeong-gi

Team: Vitality

Update: Police ended Vitality's sweep to Splyce with a combined 5/4/7 KDA.

Analysis: In Game 1, Police used Sivir, but lacked major impact. He was able to pick up an assist during a 4-vs-3 fight early in the bottom lane and grabbed his first kill with help from Shook in a 3-vs-2 fight. He picked up his only other kill during the second teamfight, but lacked the late game impact Vitality needed to close the game. In Game 2, he used Jhin and effectively used the champion's range. He was able to set up kills with his Deadly Flourish and used Curtain Call to both slow and snipe down members of Splyce. Police lacked a major carry impact in either game as Vitality were beaten 2-0.

Mostly anonymous against Splyce

Name: Erlend "Nukeduck" Holm

Team: Vitality

Update: Nukeduck finished Friday's sweep at the hands of Splyce with a combined 3/5/6 KDA.

Analysis: Nukeduck played Viktor in Game 1 and struggled. He managed no kills and only two assists as Vitality lost Game 1. Overall, he was un-impactful, lacking the burst damage Vitality needed to turn teamfights. In Game 2, he played a little better on Karma. He showed excellent use of his flash and shields early in the game to avoid what looked like a certain death, turning with the help of Shook to pick up an assist on first blood. He was able to pick up a kill onto Sencux during a five man turret dive in the mid lane and a second kill in the second teamfight of the game. He used Inner Flame to poke down members of Splyce, but fell victim to a late game teamfight loss as Vitality were swept.

Good overall skill shot accuracy in series

Name: Ilyas "Shook" Hartsema

Team: Vitality

Update: Shook ended Friday with a combined 2/3/10 KDA as Vitality were swept by Splyce.

Analysis: Shook used Elise in Game 1 and played well despite losing. He picked up two early assists and use good cocoon accuracy to set up the kills. He picked up his lone kill in the game's first teamfight and fell off as Vitality lost the game. In Game 2, he played well as Rek'sai. He had an excellent counter gank early in the mid lane, helping Nukeduck escape what looked to be certain death and turn it around to pick up first blood. He was able to use his Unburrow well throughout the game to set up kills, but once again Vitality fell victim to a late game teamfight loss and were swept by Splyce.

Unable to carry from the top lane

Name: Lucas "Cabochard" Simon-Meslet

Team: Vitality

Update: Cabochard finished Vitality's sweep to Splyce with a combined 3/3/6 KDA.

Analysis: Cabochard attempted to carry Vitality in Game 1 on Olaf. He got off to a good start, solo killing Wunder to pick up first blood and using his teleport to flank in the bottom lane to secure another kill. Vitality got out to a lead in Game 1, but lost control in the mid game. Cabo fell off as well, rushing into the back line of Splyce, but unable to pick up another kill after the early stages. In Game 2, Cabochard played Gragas. This was another close game, and Cabochard was able to set up four kills using his Bodyslam and Explosive Cask. He picked up his lone kill using his ultimate to snipe a low health Mikyx. Cabochard had low overall impact in this series and will need to be better if Vitality are to progress.

Posts unreal KDA in series win

Name: Yiliang "Doublelift" Peng

Team: Team SoloMid

Update: Doublelift ended Saturday with a 12/0/15 KDA versus Phoenix1.

Analysis: Doublelift finished with a KDA of 27 and a kill participation of 82 percent against Phoenix1. While it was not the strongest performance from Doublelift this split, it was still two more impressive Lucian games to add to his record. His deathless performance was in large part thanks to Bjergsen's Zilean in Game 1. In the big teamfight down bottom, Doublelift had been blown up before it even began, but Bjergsen arrived from mid lane just in the nick of time to save his life and turn the entire fight around. Doublelift used the advantage from that fight to push hard in the bottom lane, which almost got him into trouble, but Biofrost was there to bail him out, as well as Svenskeren on occasion. Doublelift has a very good eye for when to go all in, and he cracks down on an opportunity the second he spots it. This led him to diving on Inori when he peeked into their Baron bait and the rest of TSM backed him up so quickly that Inori's Elise was not even able to Rappel before she died. This led TSM to the Baron buff that eventual gave them the Game 1 victory. In Game 2, Doublelift was even more on point. He started off strong with a very tricky delayed lane swap, cutting P1 off in the middle of trying to take down bottom tower and setting both Mash and zig behind in CS. It opened zig up for several ganks by both Bjergsen and Sven, furthering Doublelift's lead over Mash. After that, it was just more of Doublelift's solid mechanics, giving him the confidence to flash forward into P1's fleeing team and pick up more and more kills, finishing Game 2 in a resounding manner and in under 30 minutes.

Plays support role beautifully in series win

Name: Vincent "Biofrost" Wang

Team: Team SoloMid

Update: Biofrost ended TSM's 2-0 series win against Phoenix1 with a 0/1/24 KDA.

Analysis: Biofrost continued his strong play coming into Week 5 of the Summer Split, finishing TSM's series against P1 wtih a 24 KDA ratio and 73 percent kill participation. In Game 1 his Braum was mainly there to protect Doublelift, and he was always around when Doublelift was pushing far up the bottom lane, warding up the jungle and making sure that he couldn't be flanked. He also worked as protection for the rest of the team, putting up his shield as they sieged turrets and using his ultimate to disengage the entirety of P1 when they were trying to chase them up the lane. Game 2 Biofrost again put together a solid performance, helping Doublelift score multiple kills with his speed up. He made some questionable moves, such as maneuvering into the Ashe arrow barreling down the lane, despite having plenty of time to avoid. He also walked with Svenskeren into a death brush and gave over two free kills to Phoenix. Despite those couple of misplays, Biofrost overall was a very valuable player, and hopefully will continue his performance going into the second half of the split.

JULY 2, 2016

Vizicsacsi: Up-and-down series in 1-1 split with Schalke on Friday

Name: Kiss "Vizicsacsi" Tamas

Team: Unicorns of Love

Update: Vizicsacsi finished 4/6/8 in Unicorns of Love's win over Schalke, with almost all of his positive stats coming in the first game.

Analysis: Vizicsacsi experienced some serious highs and lows in the series against Schalke, driving his team to victory in Game 1 and barely showing up in the stat line in Game 2. In the first game, Viziscasci took Shen with the first pick and never looked back. He snagged an early kill with a bottom lane gank, built up to be an unstoppable tanking machine, and then helped completely turn the Baron fight at 23 minutes that decided the game. In Game 2, Schalke adjusted with by banning out Shen, leaving Vizicsacsi to take Trundle up against Steve's Gnar. This proved to be a regrettable choice, as Viziscasci made some aggressive gambles that didn't pay off, including a 1-vs-1 dive against Gnar in the bot lane where Viziscasci was thrown into his own pillar and stunned for the kill.

Move: Stuns and struggles on Rek'Sai in 1-1 split with Schalke

Name: Kang "Move" Min-Su

Team: Unicorns of Love

Update: Move had a 3/4/8 KDA in the series split against Schalke, with a great first game and a rough second.

Analysis: Move leaned on Rek'Sai for both games of the series against Schalke, but only managed to find real success in the first game. In Game 1, Move had the advantage of Viziscasci's Shen in the top lane, and their combined tankiness and disruption was enough to swing a number of teamfights in the Unicorns favor to give them a fairly easy win. In Game 2, with Viziscasci falling behind on Trundle, Move was left as the only real frontliner and CC for his team and consistently struggled to make an impact. Move's Game 2 may have been best exemplified by a late Baron fight, where he took a lot of care to set himself up for a perfect burrow into a Smite, only to get knocked out by Fox's Azir the moment he entered into the pit. It wasn't so much that Move played poorly in Game 2, but it does seem that he struggled more as the sole engage for his squad.

Exileh: Plays fantastic on Viktor as Unicorns of Love split series with Schalke 1-1 on Friday

Name: Fabian "Exileh" Schubert

Team: Unicorns of Love

Update: Exileh finished Unicorns of Love's match against Schalke with a 9/3/4 after a dominating Viktor performance in UOL's Game 1 win.

Analysis: Exileh's Game 1 Viktor play looked phenomenal, as he took the inventor up against Fox's Cassiopeia and completely dominated. Exileh was consistently sniping out the squishier members of Schalke in teamfights, as well as using his ultimate to both disrupt his clumped-up opposition and chase down injured opponents for kills. In Game 2, however, Unicorns of Love made two key banning decisions: choosing to ban out Viktor rather than risk Schalke taking him with the first pick, and not banning out Azir. Fox snatched up the Azir early, pushing Exileh onto LeBlanc. The game started off well for Exileh as he started off with two early kills, but a series of positioning mistakes led to Exileh dying in a few unnecessary spots. Meanwhile, Fox's Azir was controlling the game with both damage and CC, and Exileh struggled to live long enough to pick anyone off in the late game teamfights. All these factors added up to a Game 2 loss for Unicorns of Love to split the series with Schalke.

Veritas: Play on Caitlyn stays quiet as Unicorns of Love split series with Schalke 1-1 on Friday

Name: Kim "Veritas" Kyoung-min

Team: Unicorns of Love

Update: Veritas couldn't seem to find the kills, finishing the match against Schalke with a 1/4/8 KDA.

Analysis: Veritas failed to impress in either of UoL's games against Schalke, though he also rarely got himself into trouble. In Game 1, with the rest of his team racking up kills, Veritas finished just 1/2/7, only managing to snag a kill with the Nexus mostly secured. The Unicorns did not need much from their ADC in this game, but the fact remains that Veritas was largely a non-factor in the win. In Game 2, Veritas went back to Caitlyn and found similarly unexciting results, going just 0/2/1 in a game where Unicorns of Love were never particularly close. Veritas looked even worse by comparison in this game, as the opposing ADC MrRalleZ had an excellent round on Jhin. In general, Veritas didn't put himself in a lot of undue risk, but also did very little to actually help UoL find the win.

Hylissang: Looks solid on Nami as Unicorns of Love split series with Schalke 1-1 on Friday

Name: Zdravets "Hylissang" Galabov

Team: Unicorns of Love

Update: Hylissang went 0/2/6 for the series against Schalke, including a zero death effort in Game 1.

Analysis: With Schalke banning out Bard in both games, Hylissang leaned on Nami with some mixed results for his team. In Game 1, Hylissang's Nami had the excellent support stat line of 0/0/5. Hylissang used the mermaid to great effect this game, combining his Tidal Wave initiation with a durable frontline of Vizicsacsi's Shen and Move's Rek'Sai to ensure that UoL found the fights they wanted. In Game 2, Hylissang went back to the Nami, but the same plays just didn't seem to arrive. Schalke, and Gilius in particular, did a much better job of avoiding Nami's initiation attempts, and were able to snowball an early lead over UoL into a full game blowout. This game was also influenced by Schalke's choice to ban out Shen, pushing Vizicsacsi onto Trundle, where he had a much worse game and was unable to be the tanky frontliner Hylissang needed to follow up on his CC.

Steve: Gnar looks decent as Schalke splits series with Unicorns of Love 1-1 on Friday

Name: Etienne "Steve" Michels

Team: Schalke 04

Update: Steve managed a 2/4/6 KDA with solid teamfighting in both the win and loss against Unicorns of Love.

Analysis: Steve played a solid pair of Gnar games against the Unicorns of Love, looking much better than his 2/4/6 KDA might suggest. In Game 1, Steve did make the poor decision to hang around near a second tier top lane turret as the entire Unicorns of Love squad closed in on him, resulting in his death as well as the loss of the turret. That engagement helped get Unicorns of Love back into the game, giving them enough of an edge to swing the next Baron fight and eventually take the game. In Game 2, Steve took his Gnar up against Vizicsacsi's Trundle and had a rough start to the lane, falling behind his opponent in CS. Still, Steve was able to play conservatively and counter Vizicsacsi's aggression, including a 1-vs-1 kill where he negated Trundle's turret dive by going Mega Gnar and stunning the troll against his own pillar. Schalke picked the Gnar very early in both games, leaving Steve open to counterpicks both times, but he still played well and held his own no matter how the rest of his team was faring.

Gilius: Looks great on Elise as Schalke splits series with Unicorns of Love 1-1 on Friday

Name: Berk "Gilius" Demir

Team: Schalke 04

Update: Gilius finished the series 3/4/12, including 79 percent kill participation in Schalke's win over Unicorns of Love.

Analysis: Gilius played a pair of excellent Elise games against the Unicorns of Love, though his performance was only enough to earn a 1-1 split. In Game 1, Gilius started off a strong 2/0/2, but then failed to garner another kill or assist as he finished 2/3/2 in Schalke's loss. This game also turned heavily on a failed Baron attempt around the 23 minute mark, but Gilius was largely rendered ineffective by the durable frontline of Vizicsacsi's Shen and Move's Rek'Sai. In Game 2, Gilius had a much better time on the spider queen, finishing 1/1/10 and managing a number of highlight stuns and dodges. Gilius was involved in 79 percent of his team's kills on the second map, with the pick potential of his cocoons combining with Fox's explosive damage to consistently neutralize dangerous targets. Even in Schalke's loss, Gilius looked solid, showing that he is very comfortable taking Elise whenever he is given the opportunity.

Fox: Strong Azir play helps push Schalke back up to a 1-1 tie with Unicorns of Love on Friday

Name: Hampus "Fox" Myhre

Team: Schalke 04

Update: Fox had a 5/2/9 KDA for the series, but most of his highlight plays came in Game 2 on Azir.

Analysis: In Game 1, Unicorns of Love banned out Azir and took Viktor for themselves, leaving Fox to take Cassiopeia as a potential counter. The pick looked to be starting strong, as Fox hung with the Viktor through the lane and even helped his team secure a double kill during a tower dive in the top lane. However, after Exileh started racking up kills around the 20 minute mark, Fax simply fell behind and found his poke and counter engage to be much less effective in teamfights than his opponent's raw damage potential. In Game 2, though, Unicorns of Love chose to change their Azir ban to a Viktor ban, opening the door for Fox to take the Shuriman emperor. The odds looked to be stacked against Fox, with Exileh taking LeBlanc and nabbing two early kills, but it didn't end up mattering. Fox looked spectacular on Azir, finishing 4/0/6 with a number of highlight ultimates, including a key bounce-out on Move's Rek'Sai that prevented him from stealing a late game Baron.

MrRalleZ: Play on Jhin helps Schalke snipe a Game 2 victory in their 1-1 tie with Unicorns of Love on Friday

Name: Rasmus "MrRalleZ" Skinneholm

Team: Schalke 04

Update: MrRalleZ finished 8/4/8, with an underwhelming Game 1 and an astounding Game 2.

Analysis: In Game 1, MrRalleZ took Jhin into the bottom lane and found himself the victim of an early gank. Even though he was able to recover from the brief CS deficit and catch back up to Veritas' Caitlyn, his efforts weren't enough to swing the game in Schalke's favor. After a Baron fight turned into a disaster for Schalke, MrRalleZ and his team found themselves too far behind to compete with their opponents and eventually lost their base. In Game 2, MrRalleZ decided to stick to Jhin, with much brighter results. In spite of a great start for Exileh's LeBlanc, MrRalleZ was able to stay safe and snipe away in teamfights, using his Curtain Call to decimate the opposition on his way to a 7/1/5 KDA. His positioning was also impeccable, managing to stay entirely out of reach of both Exileh's LeBlanc and Unicorn's tanky frontline of Rek'Sai and Trundle.

sprattel: Vision control leads to a 1-1 tie against Unicorns of Love on Friday

Name: Hampus "sprattel" Abrahamsson

Team: Schalke 04

Update: sprattel stuck to Karma for both games, finishing 1/3/15 and looking consistent throughout.

Analysis: sprattel leaned heavily on Karma for the series against Unicorns of Love, but it was really his vision control around Baron that may have had the most impact on the match. In Game 1, Schalke took an early lead before giving some ground back to UoL, then tried to take Baron while they still had a slight advantage. Unfortunately, Schalke failed to eliminate UoL's vision before starting the fight, allowing Vizicsacsi's Shen to jump into the middle of their squad and turn the fight into a rout. UoL was able to convert that lost objective into a big push and eventually the Game 1 win. In Game 2, Schalke had a much bigger early lead, but still managed to almost lose it all with a missed ward in the Baron pit. In this case, sprattel's pink ward couldn't quite spot UoL's last remaining ward, giving Move the sight he needed to potentially dive in and steal the Baron. However, Schalke's Fox was ready with a spot-on Azir ultimate, bouncing Move back out of the pit and securing the objective for Schalke in spite of the vision error. Schalke would go on to win the game on the back of that clutch Baron secure by Fox.

JULY 1, 2016

Bless: Dominant in series upset over SK Telecom

Name: Choi "Bless" Hyeon-woong

Team: Ever

Update: Bless earned an impressive series KDA of 6/1/23 in Ever's 2-1 win over SK Telecom.

Analysis: Throughout the entire series, Bless was the standout member on his team. Boasting an impressive KDA, he was not simply playing for stats, but played to win and that is exactly what he did. He started off Game 1 with an impressive performance. As his team picked up an early first blood, he was able to secure an early farm lead, not worried about snowballing his team. By doing so, it allowed him to scale quickly, finding two early dragons and picking up kills off the back of them. Once Ever was in the lead, he refused to let go which resulted in his team finding even more of an advantage. After securing several Mountain Drakes, the team had an easy time picking up more objectives and using them to close out the game. Bless continued to do well into Game 2, once again finding an early lead for his team. Unfortunately, a teamfight went wrong near dragon resulting SKT finding their way back into the game. Try as he might, Bless could not shut down the comeback as SKT snowballed their way to victory to tie the series. Determined to claim victory in the series, Bless stormed the rift in Game 3 to lead his team to a final victory. Finding yet another early advantage, he caught out members of SKT time and again to utterly demolish his enemy. In the process, he secured tons of objectives, making Bengi look like a rookie. In doing so, he allowed his team the advantage they needed to close out the series and upset SKT.

Crazy: Dominant performance nets victory over SK Telecom

Name: Jah-hee "Crazy" Kim

Team: Ever

Update: Crazy earned a series KDA of 5/5/20 in Ever's series victory over SK Telecom.

Analysis: Although he was up against one of the best top laners in Korea, Crazy was able to perform and bring his team a victory. He started off the series by finding first blood for his marksman just as minions were spawning, putting him in the position he needed to secure victory. After finding an advantage for his bottom lane, he did so for himself as well, doing much better than Duke during lane phase to move into teamfights with an advantage. As a result, he was able to save his team several times with ultimates while becoming nearly unkillable. Participating in 15 out of his team's 17 kills in the game 1 victory, Crazy had an extremely crucial role in the victory. He continued to do well during the second game of the series, but did not find the same results. After finding an early advantage, a poor teamfight gave SKT a way back into the game. The rest of the game saw Ever desperately trying to defend against SKT's objective control to no avail. Falling in a final teamfight, the series was tied 1-1. After the defeat, Crazy tried to carry his team, but simply wasn't able to do so. Thankfully he didn't need to since his team dominated on all fronts. Finding assists with his Trundle pillar, he was able to stay alive and set up kills for his team while becoming an annoyance that SKT had to deal with. In doing so, he allowed his team to close out the game in convincing fashion to secure the series victory 2-1.

Tempt: Outperforms Faker in series victory

Name: Kang "Tempt" Myung-Gu

Team: Ever

Update: Tempt earned a series KDA of 12/4/13 to defeat SKT.

Analysis: Tempt started off the series against SKT with a dominant performance on Vladimir. Finding early kills, he was able to dominate Faker without killing him. Roaming with his team and grouping early, he used Vlad's AoE to his advantage, putting the team at a huge lead. As Faker tried desperately to find an opening for his team, Tempt kept them all down to ensure his team would win fights over and over. In doing so, he allowed his team to close out Game 1 in just 38 minutes with a 15,000 gold lead. Game 2 wasn't as impressive for Tempt. Although his team found a lead once again, a botched dragon fight allowed SKT to mount a comeback. As he was on LeBlanc, it became difficult for him to find an opening as he was unable to one-shot anyone on the enemy team. As a result, the series quickly became tied 1-1. With the loss fresh on his mind, Tempt was determined to claim victory. He did just that, picking Varus into Faker's Karma in Game 3. He showed his expertise on the champion, seemingly landing every arrow and ultimate he shot. Dealing insane amounts of damage, he quickly bullied SKT and gave his team sole control of the map. In doing so, he paved the way to victory and his team followed him down the path. Winning fights back and forth, he allowed Ever to claim multiple dragons bringing them a 39 minute victory. With the win, Ever secured the series victory 2-1.

Strong showing nets series win

Name: Lee "LoKeN" Dong-Wook

Team: Ever

Update: LoKeN finished Ever's series victory over SKT with a combined KDA of 14/3/8.

Analysis: Throughout Ever's series victory over SKT, LoKeN had a strong performance. He started off Game 1 with an impressive showing on Sivir, picking up first blood just as minions were spawning. In doing so, he pushed Bang out of lane early and used his lane to great effect, snowballing to create an advantage for his team. Grouping early, he allowed his team to engage and overrun SKT early. Dying only once in the victory, he was constantly dealing the most damage on his team, paving the way for his team to claim the Game 1 win. He faltered slightly in Game 2 but did not have a bad performance by any means. After his team found an early lead, they took an unfortunate fight near dragon that resulted in SKT coming back. As SKT began steamrolling down the team and Ever's base, LoKeN dealt enough damage to fend them off temporarily. Unfortunately it was not enough to deter the lineup of SKT after they had secured Baron and several dragons. With the series tied 1-1, everything was on the line. When it came down to the final stretch, LoKeN performed amazingly. Earning a near perfect 5/0/3 KDA in the final game, his play was dominant to say the least. After finding yet another early advantage, he was able to translate it into teamfight victories and objectives for his team. Helping the team to secure five dragons and three Barons in the victory, his impact was clear. Earning 4,000 gold more than anyone else in the game, his skill paid off and net him yet another win. With the victory in Game 3, he allowed Ever to close out the series and upset against SKT.

Plays well in tie with H2K

Name: Glenn "Hybrid" Doonenbal

Team: Origen

Update: Hybrid ended Origen's tie against H2K with a combined 1/4/11 KDA.

Analysis: Hybrid used Karma to help Origen to a Game 1 win. He was effective as Origen sieged their way to victory, using Inner Flame to poke down H2K health bars and using his shields and speed boosts to keep Origen in good position to knock down objectives. In Game 2, Hybrid used Thresh and played well. He showed off good mechanics, threading the needle to land Death Sentence throughout the game. He picked up an assist on first blood and although Origen lost the game, Hybrid played well in this split series.

Good positioning in tie with H2K

Name: Enrique "xPeke" Cedeno Martinez

Team: Origen

Update: xPeke ended Origen's tie against H2K with a combined 7/3/6 KDA.

Analysis: xPeke helped lead Origen to a Game 1 win on Lucian. He helped siege with his ultimate and picked up two kills in the final teamfight of the game. Best of all his positioning was good this game, as he wasn't caught out once to give away easy kills, ending with a game high three kills. In Game 2, xPeke again used Lucian and played well. He picked up first blood and a kill in the mid game to allow Origen to pick up Baron. He wasn't able to carry Origen to a win in Game 2, but his good positioning in this series as a whole was a huge step forward in his progression as an AD Carry.

Good skill shot accuracy in split series

Name: Tristan "PowerOfEvil" Schrage

Team: Origen

Update: PowerOfEvil ended Origen's tie against H2K with a combined 4/3/7 KDA.

Analysis: PowerOfEvil showed off excellent accuracy in Game 1 on Varus. He hardly missed any Piercing Arrows, helping Origen siege all game long by chunking down H2K health bars. PoE didn't have a ton of kills, but his poke damage helped Origen siege to a victory. PowerOfEvil used Karma in Game 2. He picked up his first kill during a 3-vs-2 fight in the bottom lane, but struggled as Origen fell behind. He was able to pick up a kill in the mid game that allowed OG to take the Baron, but with multiple members killed after securing the buff.

Inconsistent series on Olaf

Name: Maurice "Amazing" Stuckenschneider

Team: Origen

Update: Amazing ended Origen's tie against H2K with a combined 4/7/6 KDA.

Analysis: Amazing used Olaf to help Origen to a Game 1 win. He picked up an assist on first blood and used his ultimate to charge through H2K's multiple crowd control abilities in the late game to set up kills while Origen sieged. Amazing used Olaf again in Game 2 and had varying success. He was able to pick up kills and threaten the H2K back line in teamfights, but he was also killed repeatedly as Origen fell behind. If anything he proved that he can play Olaf, but that the champion struggles when falling behind.

Good use of Shen in Game 1

Name: Paul "sOAZ" Boyer

Team: Origen

Update: sOAZ ended Origen's tie against H2K with a combined 2/6/7 KDA.

Analysis: sOAZ was able to help OG to a Game 1 win on Shen. He picked up first blood onto Odoamne and used his ultimate to make plays across the map. This was an extremely slow game, but sOAZ split pushed well late aided by the Baron buff to allow Origen to open the base. sOAZ used Trundle in Game 2 and was less effective. Origen was dominated for most of this game, except for one mid game teamfight where sOAZ picked up his lone kill. This allowed Origen to take Baron, but multiple members died in the aftermath to slow their push and comeback.

Provides the water works for H2K

Name: Oskar "VandeR" Bogdan

Team: H2K-Gaming

Update: VandeR ended H2K's tie against Origen with a combined 1/6/13 KDA.

Analysis: VandeR used Nami to set up good damage in Game 1 early on. He landed multiple Aqua Prisons early to help H2K poke down OG and pick up kills. Things went south in the late game however, as he was unable to set up kills and Origen eventually sieged their way to a win. Using Nami again in Game 2, VandeR helped H2K to a win. He was killed to give away first blood and finished with five deaths overall in the game. While he was killed a lot, he also helped H2K in teamfights by landing Aqua Prisons and his Tidal Wave to set up kills, ending with nine assists.

Helps carry Game 2 after poor Game 1

Name: Ales "Freeze" Knezinek

Team: H2K-Gaming

Update: Freeze ended H2K's tie against Origen with a combined 6/2/9 KDA.

Analysis: Freeze was unable to carry H2K in Game 1 on Ezreal. He was mainly anonymous, unable to pick up any kills in the entirety of the game. There wasn't much action in Game 1 as Origen won a slow game. Freeze was much better on Ezreal in Game 2. He picked up multiple kills in the late game as he scaled including a triple kill in the final teamfight to help H2K close the game. Freeze must be more involved for H2K to reach the heights expected of them this split.

Assist heavy Game 2 leads to tie

Name: Yoo "Ryu" Sang-ook

Team: H2K-Gaming

Update: Ryu ended H2K's tie against Origen with a combined 3/4/11 KDA.

Analysis: Ryu was unable to carry H2K in Game 1 on Azir. He picked up a kill in the first teamfight of the game, but was unable to help win late game teamfights as Origen starved out H2K in a slow game. Ryu used Viktor to help H2K win Game 2. He only ended the game with two kills, but his burst damage in teamfights allowed him to pick up a game high 10 assists. While he wasn't picking up the kills, he was able to chunk down multiple members of Origen in fights with his full rotation of spells, allowing other members of H2K to pick up execute kills.

Utilizes the Spider Queen in split series

Name: Marcin "Jankos" Jankowski

Team: H2K-Gaming

Update: Jankos ended H2K's tie against Origen with a combined 9/3/10 KDA.

Analysis: Jankos used Elise to start off well in Game 1. He was able to pick up three kills early, responding well to a gank in the top lane to kill xPeke in the bottom lane. As the game wore on he lost his effectiveness. Origen smothered H2K in the late game and Jankos was unable to set up kills to pull H2K from behind. In Game 2, Jankos dominated on Elise. He picked up a double kill in the mid game and helped H2K dominate teamfights combining his burst damage and cocoon to set up kills, including six for himself. Overall his cocoon accuracy was poor in comparison to his usual games, but when push came to shove Jankos landed the crowd control to help H2K tie the series.

Dominates Game 2 in tie with Origen

Name: Andrei "Odoamne" Pascu

Team: H2K-Gaming

Update: Odoamne ended H2K's tie against Origen with a combined 4/3/15 KDA.

Analysis: Odoamne played Gnar in Game 1, but was unable to help H2K to a win. He was killed early to give away first blood and struggled to set up kills in this slow game. He landed one good three person GNAR in the mid game, but H2K was unable to follow up for kills. Odoamne took Shen in Game 2 and helped H2K dominate. He was killed during a 1-vs-3 turret dive early, but survived long enough to pick up a return kill. He scaled well into the mid game and was nearly unkillable in teamfights, using his ultimate to shield carries and landing his Shadow Dash on multiple Origen members. He even picked up a double kill in the mid game after Origen secured Baron to lessen the effects of the buff.

Sets up the plays for G2

Name: Alfonso "Mithy" Aguirre Rodriguez

Team: G2 Esports

Update: Mithy ended G2's sweep of Fnatic with a combined 1/3/21 KDA.

Analysis: Mithy had a strong Game 1 on Braum. He was able to play the off tank role perfectly for G2 alongside of Expect. He set up multiple kills with his Concussive Blows passive and helped G2 engage with his Glacial Fissure for an easy Game 1 win. In Game 2, Mithy used Bard and again was a playmaker. He was able to set up kills using his Tempered Fate and Cosmic Bindings to lock members of Fnatic in place during teamfights. He also showed good use of Tempered Fate to save his teammates from dangerous situations, often prolonging their lives in the process.

Unkillable in sweep of Fnatic

Name: Jesper "Zven" Svenningsen

Team: G2 Esports

Update: Zven ended G2's sweep of Fnatic with a combined 7/0/14 KDA.

Analysis: Zven carried G2 to a Game 1 win on Jhin. He was able to stay safe throughout the game, dealing damage from long range with his ultimate. He picked up a double kill in the second teamfight of the game and a triple kill in the final teamfight to close out Game 1. Zven played a more utility role on Ashe in Game 2. He picked up an assist on first blood and showed good Enchanted Crystal Arrow accuracy throughout the game to pick up 10 assists. While his two kills was a low total for Game 2, his 12 KDA was excellent.

Steady play helps G2 to sweep

Name: Luka "PerkZ" Perkovic

Team: G2 Esports

Update: Perkz ended G2's sweep of Fnatic with a combined 6/3/12 KDA.

Analysis: Perkz used Zilean to support G2 in Game 1. He was able to pick up three kills in the game, but really helped with Zilean's utility in teamfights. He was able to speed up Trick to engage on the Fnatic backline and used his ultimate to resurrect members of his team to continue fighting. Perkz used Ryze in Game 2 to help G2 dominate Fnatic. He picked up a kill onto Febiven with help from Trick and solo killed Gamsu early. He didn't pick up many kills, but his burst damage chunked down Fnatic for his teammates to pick up execute kills.

Carries from the jungle once again

Name: Kang-yoon "Trick" Kim

Team: G2 Esports

Update: Trick ended G2's sweep of Fnatic with a combined 11/1/11 KDA.

Analysis: Trick used Olaf to help G2 to a Game 1 victory. He picked up first blood on Gamsu and a kill in the first teamfight of the game. Trick proved a threat all game long, sprinting onto the Fnatic backline to disrupt their carries in teamfights. Things went even better for Trick in Game 2 on Nidalee. He picked up a kill on Spirit early and two kills in the first teamfight of the game. He went off picking up a triple kill in the second teamfight of the game and dealt huge burst damage, leading to a game high nine kills.

Crushes Fnatic on Gnar

Name: Dae-han "Expect" Ki

Team: G2 Esports

Update: Expect ended G2's sweep of Fnatic with a combined 4/1/13 KDA.

Analysis: Expect piled up the assists in Game 1 on Gnar. He was able to pick up an assist on first blood and provided G2 with an excellent front line tank in teamfights. He used his ultimate and Mega Gnar form to stun members of Fnatic to set up kills. Expect crushed it again on Gnar in Game 2. He was able to pick up first blood, leading to a double kill early, and a kill in the first teamfight of the game. G2 took a huge lead and Expect was unkillable in Game 2 on the front line.

Can't make plays as Fnatic is dominated

Name: Bora "YellOwStaR" Kim

Team: Fnatic

Update: Yellowstar ended Fnatic's sweep at the hands of G2 with a combined 0/8/5 KDA.

Analysis: Yellowstar was unable to make plays in Game 1 on Karma. He struggled to set up kills as Fnatic fell behind early and never caught up, ending the game with only three assists. In Game 2, it was much of the same on Alistar. He was unable to really set up kills with his Headbutt/Pulverize combination and struggled to stay alive with Fnatic falling far behind from the early stages of the game.

Unable to carry in sweep to G2

Name: Martin "Rekkles" Larsson

Team: Fnatic

Update: Rekkles only managed to put together a 3/3/3 KDA during G2's sweep of Fnatic on Thursday.

Analysis: Rekkles was mostly anonymous in Game 1 on Ezreal. He was unable to carry Fnatic and picked up his lone kill in the late game, catching Expect out of position. In Game 2, Rekkles used Jhin and again struggled. He picked up two kills, but lacked the damage needed to turn teamfights as Fnatic fell behind. He kept decent position, but G2 ran through Fnatic in Game 2.

Lacking the burst damage needed

Name: Fabian "Febiven" Diepstraten

Team: Fnatic

Update: Febiven ended Fnatic's sweep by G2 with a combined 3/6/1 KDA.

Analysis: Febiven played Viktor in Game 1 and did most of Fnatic's damage. He picked up two of Fnatic's three kills, killing Mithy early and picking up a kill in the first teamfight of the game. It wasn't enough as G2 took a convincing Game 1 win. Febiven used Viktor again in Game 2 and struggled. He was killed often, ending the game with five deaths, and was unable to really turn teamfights as G2 dominated Fnatic.

Limited in series against G2

Name: Lee "Spirit" Da-yoon

Team: Fnatic

Update: Spirit ended Fnatic's sweep by G2 with a combined 1/6/6 KDA.

Analysis: Spirit struggled in Game 1 on Graves. He was unable to have an effect on the early game and couldn't carry Fnatic once they fell behind. He finished the game with no kills and only three assists. Things didn't get much better in Game 2 on Elise. He was able to pick up a kill onto Mithy early, but again struggled to do much for Fnatic as they were dominated by G2, ending the game with only three assists.

Gives away first blood in sweep to G2

Name: Yeong-Jin "Gamsu" Noh

Team: Fnatic

Update: Gamsu ended Fnatic's sweep at the hands of G2 with a combined 0/6/5 KDA.

Analysis: Gamsu played Shen in Game 1 and was mostly anonymous. He was killed to give away first blood and was unable to really set up kills for Fnatic. His lone highlight was using his ultimate to set up a kill onto Mithy in the early game for Febiven. In Game 2, Gamsu played Jarvan IV and struggled again. He was killed again to give away first blood and was really unable to one-shot members of G2 at any point in the game.

Solid play gives Unicorns much-needed momentum

Name: Kiss "Vizicsacsi" Tamas

Team: Unicorns of Love

Update: Vizicsacsi played well, posting a 4/4/14 KDA in UoL's 1-1 series tie with Splyce.

Analysis: Vizicsacsi's Shen was crucial to Unicorns' win in Game 1. Dominating his lane despite a difficult champion matchup against Wunder's Gnar, Vizicsacsi would make room to use his Stand United ultimate to secure first blood for Exileh at 10 minutes. Vizicsacsi was donated the Rift Herald buff at 13 minutes, which Vizicsacsi would use to shove lanes with impunity. Vizicsacsi's ultimates were on point, arriving to teamfights at crucial moments before Wunder could, and helped lead UoL to a 32 minute win on the back of his deathless 2/0/12 KDA for 67 percent kill participation. Game 2 wasn't as fortunate for Vizicsacsi, with Vizicsacsi's Trundle securing an early solo kill, but immediately dying afterwards at seven minutes. Across the map, the Unicorns were struggling to generate any momentum, and Vizicsacsi was unable to split push due to Trashy's pressure and Wunder's huge gold lead. Despite a team-high 305 CS, Vizicsacsi's 2/4/2 KDA was unable to carry UoL to a Game 2 win.

Hit-and-miss in series tie

Name: Kang "Move" Min-Su

Team: Unicorns of Love

Update: Move had a mixed performance, earning a 2/3/18 KDA in UoL's 1-1 series tie against Splyce.

Analysis: Move's form against Splyce can be best described as mercurial, carrying UoL in Game 1 and dragging the team to a loss in Game 2. Game 1, Move was fantastic on Rek'Sai, picking up first blood for Exileh at 10 minutes, roaming around the map to get UoL's duo lane ahead, and generally applying pressure wherever UoL needed. Move was solid in teamfights, taking a game-high 29,900 damage while remaining deathless at 2/0/16, for 86 percent kill participation. In Game 2, however, Move's Rek'Sai looked like a fish out of water, unable to be in the right place at the right time while getting outclassed in the jungle by Trashy's Nidalee, who held a three level lead over Move at nine minutes. Steamrolled by Splyce's long-range, Move was a liability for his team, getting caught out a few times en route to a poor 0/3/2 KDA.

Bright spot in win and loss

Name: Fabian "Exileh" Schubert

Team: Unicorns of Love

Update: Exileh shined in UoL's series tie with Splyce securing a 14/4/7 KDA.

Analysis: Exileh's Anivia in Game 1 hard-carried the Unicorns to a win, after receiving first blood against Sencux on the back of a Move/Vizicsacsi gank. Exileh would then solo kill Sencux at 12 minutes, snowballing out of control. Exileh was able to control areas very effectively, cutting Splyce's escape paths off with well-placed Crystalizes, earning a game-high 335 CS along with a 9/0/7 KDA for 76 percent kill participation, as UoL took Game 1. Exileh looked to repeat his performance in Game 2 on LeBlanc, but he was never given a chance to take over the game. After getting killed by Mikyx after a close trade at six minutes, Sencux's Azir dominated the lane, preventing Exileh from playing a part in the early-mid game. Despite a couple of successful assassinations, Exileh wouldn't have enough impact on the game to carry the Unicorns, finishing with a 5/4/0 KDA in a thorough Game 2 loss.

Consistent play against Splyce

Name: Kim "Veritas" Kyoung-min

Team: Unicorns of Love

Update: Veritas posted a 7/1/13 KDA in UoL's series tie against Splyce.

Analysis: Veritas had a great performance in Game 1 as Jhin, winning his lane early along with Hylissang and farming well throughout the early game. With Move ganking bottom lane twice in the early game, at 12 and 15 minutes, respectively, Veritas was able to snowball very quickly. Dealing a game-high 19,600 damage to enemy champions, Veritas helped carry the Unicorns on the back of his 7/0/9 KDA. Game 2 saw Veritas continue to play Jhin, but with much less success. While Veritas farmed well, Splyce was able to gain advantages across the map, keeping the pressure advantage. Despite a 0/1/4 KDA, Veritas was unable to give UoL any momentum, as the Unicorns dropped Game 2.

Puts on impactful display in series tie

Name: Zdravets "Hylissang" Galabov

Team: Unicorns of Love

Update: Hylissang was a consistent playmaker for UoL, earning a 2/5/17 KDA in UoL's 1-1 tie against Splyce.

Analysis: Hylissang's play-making abilities were on full display on Bard during Game 1. Landing several tricky Cosmic Bindings and Tempered Fates, Hylissang's ability to lock Splyce down led to early game advantages for the Unicorns, which UoL snowballed into the mid and late game. With decent vision control, Hylissang's 1/3/13 KDA helped lead UoL to a 33 minute Game 1 win. Hylissang enjoyed less success on Nami in Game 2, despite a good laning phase. With UoL giving up advantages across the map, Hylissang was unable to produce the momentum needed for the Unicorns to take control of Game 2. Despite a decent 1/2/4 KDA, Hylissang couldn't prevent UoL from dropping Game 2.

Poor play in loss, carries in victory

Name: Martin "Wunder" Hansen

Team: Splyce

Update: Wunder posted a 5/4/6 KDA in Splyce's 1-1 series tie against Unicorns of Love.

Analysis: Wunder's performance on Gnar left a lot to be desired in Game 1, losing lane to Vizicsacsi's Shen despite having the "favored" champion matchup. Wunder had poor TP usage throughout the game, often ignoring multi-man skirmishes in favor of shoving his lane while Vizicsacsi used his huge global pressure with two global abilities to snowball UoL ahead. While Wunder earned a team-high 11,700 gold, he was unable to carry Splyce to a win with his 1/2/1 KDA. Game 2 found Wunder again on Gnar, and this time with more success. Receiving near constant attention from junglers, the volatile top lane snowballed in Wunder's favor, and Wunder was able to TP around the map to set his team up for success. On the back of solid teamfighting, and his game-high 22,300 damage dealt to enemy champions, Wunder helped give Splyce a much-needed Game 2 win with a 4/2/5 KDA for 64 percent kill participation.

A tale of two halves against UoL

Name: Jonas "Trashy" Andersen

Team: Splyce

Update: Trashy's mercurial form earned him a 4/7/9 KDA in Splyce's 1-1 series tie.

Analysis: Trashy lived up to his name in Game 1 on Nidalee, getting outclassed by jungle counterpart Move. Move was able to make aggressive plays and ganks work for Unicorns, while Trashy was often late to skirmishes and generally had poor positioning. With a woeful 0/5/3 KDA, Trashy was ineffective in providing Splyce with momentum, as UoL were able to dominate the map en route to a 33 minute win. Playing Nidalee again in Game 2, Trashy's play dramatically improved, beginning at seven minutes, when Trashy would kill Move under his own tier one top turret. Power-farming as only Nidalee can, Trashy held a whopping three level lead over Move at nine minutes, which Trashy used to shut Move down and snowball Splyce ahead. With a much improved 4/2/6 KDA for 71 percent kill participation, Trashy was instrumental in Splyce's Game 2 victory.

Uninspiring, but effective performance

Name: Chres "Sencux" Laursen

Team: Splyce

Update: Sencux played adequately, earning a 4/4/6 KDA in Splyce's series tie against UoL.

Analysis: Sencux had a rough time in Game 1 on Karma, with Sencux getting ganked by Move and Vizicsacsi at 10 minutes to give Exileh's Anivia first blood. Exileh would snowball heavily, solo-killing Sencux at 12 minutes, and effectively shutting Sencux out of the game. Behind in gold and experience, Sencux was forced to play passively as to avoid getting picked by Exileh. Unicorns stampeded their way to a 33 minute win, as Sencux earned a poor 1/4/2 KDA in the loss. Sencux played Azir in Game 2 to more success, dueling Exileh's LeBlanc early for Mikyx to roam and secure first blood at six minutes. Once Sencux got ahead, there was nothing Exileh could do to prevent Sencux from taking over the game. While Sencux only dealt the third-most damage to enemy champions on his team, his zone control and wave clear were crucial to Splyce's objective control, with Sencux posting a safe 3/0/4 KDA in the win.

Crucial carry against Unicorns

Name: Kasper "Kobbe" Kobberup

Team: Splyce

Update: Kobbe cobbled together a 3/5/8 KDA in Splyce's 1-1 series tie against UoL.

Analysis: Kobbe's Lucian in Game 1 got heavily abused by UoL, receiving constant attention from Move in the early game. UoL would send multiple members to gank Kobbe and lane partner Mikyx, setting Kobbe far behind while snowballing the game out of control for UoL. With Lucian's short range and UoL's massive zone control, Kobbe was unable to impact the game much for Splyce, finishing Game 1 with a 1/4/2 KDA. Game 2 found Kobbe on Caitlyn, where he found much more success. Able to lane without outside interference, Kobbe was even in power with Veritas throughout the early game. Once the mid game teamfighting began, Kobbe's positioning was brilliant, remaining safe while dealing 20,000 damage to enemy champions, the second highest amount in the game. With Splyce snowballing off of their objective control and teamfight dominance, Kobbe posted a solid 2/1/6 KDA in Splyce's Game 2 victory.

Persistent aggression in series tie

Name: Mihael "Mikyx" Mehle

Team: Splyce

Update: Mikyx put together a middling performance, earning a 1/9/10 KDA against UoL.

Analysis: Mikyx's Braum in Game 1 left a lot to be desired, as he was constantly out of position. After getting roamed on and killed by multi-man ganks from UoL, Mikyx found himself far behind in experience and gold, even for a support. Despite the setbacks, though, Mikyx still tried to make plays for his team, starting teamfights and playing aggressively, but Splyce was unwilling to back him up. As a result, Mikyx would simply die for little return, culminating in a dismal 0/6/1 KDA. Mikyx's Karma in Game 2 was far better, with Mikyx's aggression earning him first blood, when he ganked mid at six minutes and killed a low-health Exileh. With a solid lead, and Splyce's newfound confidence, Mikyx was able to control vision and use Karma's utility to empower Splyce. Earning a 1/3/9 KDA, Mikyx was instrumental in Splyce's Game 2 win.

Decent performance not enough to secure series win

Name: Raymond "KaSing" Tsang

Team: Vitality

Update: KaSing was average in Vitality's 1-1 series tie against Schalke, posting a 0/5/14 KDA.

Analysis: KaSing might be known as a "play-making support," but his passive play prevented Vitality from picking up a series win. Game 1 went well for KaSing's Braum, roaming around the map to help secure an early gold lead for Vitality. In the mid game, KaSing acted as a secondary initiator for Vitality, behind Cabochard's Irelia, chaining his crowd control to lock Schalke down en route to a 0/3/11 KDA. With his team's early lead, KaSing was able to dominate the vision game with a game-high 51 wards placed, as Vitality finished a scrappy Game 1 in 37 minutes. Game 2 found KaSing playing Braum for a second time, but with much less success. While Vitality were able to secure an early gold lead through early rotations and skirmishing, KaSing had a less pronounced impact on the game. With Cabochard's Kennen unable to initiate for Vitality, KaSing looked apprehensive about starting fights, despite Vitality's massive gold lead in the mid game. With Vitality on the backfoot, Schalke took over the game. Schalke dominated the vision game after taking the lead at around 31 minutes, and quickly closed out the game with superior teamfighting. KaSing was only able to post a 0/2/3 KDA, as Vitality threw an early lead away in a chaotic Game 2 loss.

Good stats, but low impact in series tie

Name: Park "Police" Hyeong-gi

Team: Vitality

Update: Police performed well in Vitality's series tie with Schalke, earning a 3/2/12 KDA.

Analysis: Police's Sivir played more of a utility role for Vitality in Game 1, as evidenced by Police's 1/2/10 KDA. Earning a game-high 363 CS, Police's waveclear helped Vitality snowball an early lead, able to quickly shove down turrets and engage fights with Police's On The Hunt ultimate. Through a strong early and mid game, Vitality was able to pick up the 37 minute win. Game 2 found Police on more of a carry role as Lucian, but Vitality's problems prevented Police from taking over the game. With Schalke's heavy engage composition, and Lucian's low range, Police was forced to play conservatively, dealing only 9,700 damage to enemy champions. Despite a deathless 2/0/2 KDA, Police was unable to carry Vitality to a Game 2 win.

Unable to carry Vitality to a series win

Name: Erlend "Nukeduck" Holm

Team: Vitality

Update: Nukeduck had a decent showing against Schalke, posting a 3/5/10 KDA in a 1-1 series tie.

Analysis: Nukeduck's Ryze was strong throughout Game 1, roaming around the map and skirmishing well with the rest of Vitality. After picking up a kill onto sprattel at nine minutes, Nukeduck started to snowball out of control. Dealing a game-high 28,200 damage to enemy champions, Nukeduck was instrumental to Vitality's Game 1 win with a 2/3/9 KDA. Game 2 found Nukeduck on Varus, where he enjoyed only limited success. Despite an early Vitality lead, and another game-high in damage dealt to enemy champions with 18,900 damage, Nukeduck was unable to find kills. With Vitality struggling for initiation options, Nukeduck's poke wasn't enough to prevent Schalke from taking over the game, with Nukeduck finishing a wild Game 2 with a 1/2/1 KDA.

Returning jungler inconsistent in series tie

Name: Ilyas "Shook" Hartsema

Team: Vitality

Update: Shook had a mixed performance against Schalke 04, earning a 8/3/8 KDA in the series tie.

Analysis: Despite what Shook's final KDA might suggest, Shook's infamous mercurial form was on full display against Schalke. In Game 1, Shook's Nidalee was a monster: counterjungling Gilius, applying pressure across the map, securing kills, including first blood, and taking over the game as a carry jungler should. Shook's consistent damage earned him a 8/1/7 KDA for 83 percent kill participation in Vitality's Game 1 win. Shook's Elise in Game 2, however, left a lot to be desired. Shook looked lost throughout Game 2, despite Vitality controlling the early game. Shook was often on the wrong side of the map during skirmishes, and generally had a low impact on the game. With his lack of pressure after the early game, Schalke was able to take control of the game on the back of their impressive teamfighting, with Shook earning a poor 0/2/1 KDA in the humbling loss.

Sole spark of momentum for his team in series tie

Name: Lucas "Cabochard" Simon-Meslet

Team: Vitality

Update: Cabochard impressed with a 9/7/7 KDA in Vitality's 1-1 series tie against Schalke 04.

Analysis: Cabochard's Irelia got off to a strong start in Game 1, picking up an assist as Shook killed Steve for first blood at four minutes. From then on, throughout constant skirmishing, Cabochard was a huge threat to Schalke's backline, dealing a little over 21,000 damage to enemy champions while posting a 7/3/5 KDA for 67 percent kill participation. With Cabochard fed, and Vitality firing on all cylinders, Vitality was able to end the game in 37 minutes on the back of a Cabochard triple kill in Schalke's base. Cabochard's Kennen was effective early on in Game 2, securing first blood for his team with a TP flank and his Slicing Maelstrom at eight minutes. As the game went on, however, Cabochard would repeat this play to limited success, as he would get immediately exhausted and killed. With Cabochard's struggles, Vitality were without engagement options, allowing Schalke to take control of the game with decisive teamfighting. Earning a 2/4/2 KDA, Cabochard was unable to carry Vitality to a Game 2 victory.

JUNE 30, 2016

Dominates as Braum

Name: Morgan "Hustlin" Granberg

Team: Giants Gaming

Update: Hustlin earned a combined 1/4/25 KDA in GIANTS series win against ROCCAT.

Analysis: Hustlin played excellently in Game 1 on Braum. He was able to fast push the bottom turret early, but really showed up in teamfights. He effectively blocked damage with Unbreakable and set up multiple kills using Concussive Blows and Glacial Fissure, which allowed his carries to dominate teamfights. It was a similar story for Hustlin in Game 2 as Braum. Once again he played outstandingly, using his ultimate and passive to set up kills. Hustlin ended with a series-high 25 assists.

Outstanding play on Jhin

Name: Seung-ik "SONSTAR" Son

Team: Giants Gaming

Update: SONSTAR ended GIANTS sweep of ROCCAT with a combined 11/2/14 KDA.

Analysis: SONSTAR helped GIANTS to a dominate Game 1 win on Jhin. He was able to fast push the bottom lane tier one turret early, but gave away a kill after being caught out of position early. In teamfights, he was excellent, picking up multiple kills and using Curtain Call to snipe members of ROCCAT throughout the game. Using Jhin again in Game 2, SONSTAR found similar result. He was able to use Deadly Flourish's long range to root members of ROCCAT, setting them up for easy kills. His play was incredible during this series, possibly prompting future Jhin bans against him by other teams.

Shows up on carry and utility mid laners

Name: Na "NighT" Gun-woo

Team: Giants Gaming

Update: NighT earned a combined 9/4/15 KDA in GIANTS sweep of ROCCAT.

Analysis: NighT helped carry GIANTS in Game 1 on Cassiopeia. He showed good damage throughout the game, picking up first blood with help from Maxlore onto Betsy. In teamfights, NighT was massive for GIANTS, picking up a double kill in the second, third, and fourth teamfights to help GIANTS gain a massive advantage on their way to the win. In Game 2, NighT used Karma's utility in a comeback win. He was able to be supportive in teamfights, using his shields and Inner Flame to poke down ROCCAT, allowing his team to set up execute kills.

Piles up assists in sweep over ROCCAT

Name: Nubar "Maxlore" Sarafian

Team: Giants Gaming

Update: Maxlore finished GIANTS sweep of ROCCAT with a combined 5/2/19 KDA.

Analysis: Maxlore set up multiple kills in Game 1 on Rek'Sai. He farmed well during the lane swap and helped NighT pick up first blood, ganking Betsy in the mid lane. This trend would continue as Maxlore piled on the assists in teamfights, making good use of his knockup to set up easy kills for GIANTS. In Game 2, Maxlore used Nidalee and helped GIANTS come from behind. He was able to deal strong burst damage in the mid and late game to pull GIANTS back into the lead as they took the series sweep.

Rumble, young man, Rumble

Name: Lennart "Smittyj" Warkus

Team: Giants Gaming

Update: SmittyJ ended GIANTS sweep of ROCCAT with a combined 6/7/19 KDA.

Analysis: SmittyJ helped GIANTS to a decisive Game 1 on Rumble. He was able to pick up kills and assists throughout the game, showing excellent burst damage in teamfights. He placed The Equalizer well to chunk down multiple members of ROCCAT at once, setting up easy kills for GIANTS. SmittyJ again used Rumble to good result in Game 2. He was able to help GIANTS come from behind by again placing The Equalizer expertly in late game teamfights. He picked up a double kill late that allowed GIANTS to open the ROCCAT base.

Better play on Bard in Game 2 not enough to prevent sweep

Name: Jihwan "Raise" Oh

Team: TEAM ROCCAT

Update: Raise earned a combined 2/7/14 KDA in ROCCAT's sweep to GIANTS.

Analysis: Raise struggled to stay alive to support ROCCAT in Game 1 as Karma. He helped fast push down the tier one top turret early, but was unable to do much else. He was killed quickly in teamfights, unable to root members of GIANTS or protect his own allies with his shields. In Game 2, Raise played better on Bard. He was able to set up multiple kills as ROCCAT jumped out to an early game lead. His Tempered Fate combined with Cosmic Binding set up kills early, but once ROCCAT fell behind in the mid game, he lost his effectiveness.

Unable to carry ROCCAT to victory on Lucian

Name: Pierre "Steeelback" Medjaldi

Team: TEAM ROCCAT

Update: Steeelback ended ROCCAT's sweep to GIANTS with a combined 8/3/9 KDA.

Analysis: Steeelback struggled to carry ROCCAT in Game 1 as Lucian. He lane swapped and fast pushed the top lane tier one turret early and picked up ROCCAT's first kill, catching SONSTAR overextended. He was unable to carry in teamfights, especially late, once ROCCAT fell behind. Steeelback played well in Game 2 again on Lucian. He helped carry ROCCAT to an early game lead and gave them a chance to win by dealing massive damage in teamfights. With his team behind, he couldn't fully carry, but finished the game with only one death to four kills and seven assists.

Downhill slide continues vs. GIANTS

Name: Felix "Betsy" Edling

Team: TEAM ROCCAT

Update: Betsy earned a combined 4/9/7 KDA during ROCCAT's series loss to GIANTS.

Analysis: Betsy used Swain in Game 1, but was unable to carry. He was killed for first blood by NighT and despite picking up a kill in the first teamfight of the game, was unable to help ROCCAT to a win. He was unable to sustain in teamfights with GIANTS using items such as Morellonomicon to grievously wound the ROCCAT mid laner. In Game 2, Betsy used Azir and again struggled. He used his ultimate well to set up kills onto NighT in the mid lane early on, but struggled to carry in late game teamfights as GIANTS finished the sweep.

Decent play not enough for ROCCAT

Name: Karim "Airwaks" Benghalia

Team: TEAM ROCCAT

Update: Airwaks finished ROCCAT's sweep at the hands of GIANTS with a combined 1/6/15 KDA.

Analysis: Airwaks struggled in Game 1 playing Hecarim. He farmed well during the lane swap, but was unable to deliver for ROCCAT in teamfights. He used his ultimate to try and scare GIANTS, but with his team behind, they were unable to really follow up his crowd control properly. In Game 2, Airwaks used Gragas. He was much more effective early on, helping ROCCAT get off to an early lead by using his Bodyslam and ultimate to set up kills before ROCCAT fell off late.

Unimpressive on signature champion

Name: Sangwon "Parang" Lee

Team: TEAM ROCCAT

Update: Parang ended ROCCAT's sweep to GIANTS with a combined 4/7/7 KDA.

Analysis: In Game 1, Parang played Lissandra and struggled. He helped fast push the tier one top lane turret and picked up a kill in the first teamfight before falling off. He was unable to turn the tides for ROCCAT in teamfights, missing multiple roots and dying before really locking down priority targets. In Game 2, Parang used Jayce and again struggled. He was able to help get ROCCAT off to an early game lead and split pushed in the mid game to take the bottom inhibitor. In the late game, he really struggled to help ROCCAT win teamfights. Parang has been unimpressive on his signature champion in two tries this split.

Unimpressive in series defeat against Ever

Name: Lee "Duke" Ho-Seong

Team: SK Telecom T1

Update: Duke earned a series KDA of 8/11/4 in SKT's series defeat.

Analysis: As SKT seems to be in their standard summer slump, Duke is not an exception to the team's underperformance. He started off the series with a rather underwhelming performance on Rumble. As Ever earned an early advantage in the game, he tried desperately to group with his team, but could not find a favorable ultimate to win fights. Finding only a single kill, it came from catching LokeN off guard and using his protobelt, flash and ultimate to do so. As Ever gained dragon control, Duke fell with the rest of his team, leading to 38 minute defeat. He stepped his play up in Game 2 despite a rocky start. Getting ganked repeatedly, he fell and Ever took another early lead. To come back in the game, he used his teleport and grouped with the rest of SKT to secure a teamfight victory at 15 minutes and pick up back-to-back dragons. With two Infernal Drakes under their belt, the team was able to secure a Baron and push into Ever's base to secure a quick victory in response. Duke's success was limited to this game, as he once again was unable to perform in the final game of the series. Although he didn't do terribly in the game, everyone around him seemed to crumble, with the exception of Bang. Unable to dive Tempt or LokeN, Ever was simply able to out damage him and the rest of SKT. Using their momentum, they secured three Barons and five dragons to close out the game in convincing fashion and claim the series win. With the defeat, SKT is slowly losing grasp of their Playoffs spot and will need to improve if they wish to qualify for the World Championship.

Poor Game 1 performance results in substitution

Name: Kang "Blank" Sun-gu

Team: SK Telecom T1

Update: As SKT lost Game 1 against ESC Ever, Blank earned a 0/4/2 KDA on Rek'Sai.

Analysis: After SK Telecom's defeat in their last series, it was uncertain whether the team would start Bengi or Blank against Ever. They opted to start Blank, which ended up being the incorrect decision. He started off Game 1 on Rek'Sai and was unable to do much of anything. As Bless gained early control of the map, Blank found no openings to counter him. As his team fell behind, he didn't attempt to bring the team back, simply farming up as his team continued to suffer. Only able to pick up a single dragon, his pressure didn't come close to Ever's. As they controlled the rest of objectives, he sat by idly as his team was slowly choked out of the game. Participating in only two kills in the defeat, he was underwhelming to say the least. Due to his performance, the team opted to sub him out for Bengi for the remainder of the series.

Unable to claim series victory over Ever

Name: Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok

Team: SK Telecom T1

Update: In SKT's series defeat, Faker earned a combined KDA of 5/7/8.

Analysis: The series started off with Faker's Azir getting focused early on. After his team had begun to fall behind, Ever turned focus towards him to keep him from bringing his team back. They did so effectively, unable to pick up kills on him, they simply prevented him from doing much in teamfights. As his team fell behind, Faker tried desperately to bring them back, picking up all his team's kills but one. Despite the effort, Ever's early control led them to a convincing victory in Game 1. SKT and Faker answered back in Game 2, determined not to go down without a fight. Although he fell behind again early, his performance in teamfights shined, turning the game around during a dragon fight 15 minutes into the game. With a rather low kill count, he moved with his team to pressure Ever and secure objectives to take an early Baron and push into the enemy base. As final fights erupted, Faker found the upper hand, closing out the game to even the series score. Game 3 saw a substantially different performance, as Faker began to falter. After Ever's bottom lane roamed early to pick up a kill on Faker, he fell behind as the enemy also picked up dragons. He was repeatedly focused, making his Karma nearly useless in the game. Ever struggled to close out the game, but picked up several Barons and five dragons to slowly dominate SKT. Faker was nowhere to be found in the loss, assisting in only one kill in the defeat. With the loss, Ever won the series 2-1.

Finds only a single kill in series defeat

Name: Bae "Bang" Jun-sik

Team: SK Telecom T1

Update: As Ever took down SKT, Bang earned a series KDA of 1/3/11.

Analysis: Although Bang often plays Sivir and a supportive style, he is frequently known for picking up a large number of kills and boasting an impressive KDA. This was not the case in SKT's series defeat as he failed to pick up a single kill until the final game. He fell early in Game 1 just as minions were spawning, resulting in an extremely rough early game that snowballed hard. As Ever found early leads, he was unable to do anything while his team was constantly caught out. Once behind, there was no way back into the game as he did little more than farm in the 38 minute defeat. Game 2 saw a much better performance, but he was once again unable to pick up a kill. As the team fell behind early, he held his own in anticipation of a teamfight to bring it back SKT's way. This finally happened around a dragon 15 minutes into the game, resulting in SKT taking a lead. With their new found dragon, they controlled objectives and slowly choked out Ever to claim victory in just 33 minutes. Bang kept up his performance in Game 3, but it was not enough. As his team fell behind, he was able to do little more than survive on Ezreal. When he finally found a kill, it was far too late, as Ever had taken control of the game. His team fell left and right as he was forced to play from behind. Similarly to Game 1, once Ever had control, they slowly amassed a large lead through objective control that forced Bang to play far back. Unable to deal the damage necessary to claim victory, SKT and Bang fell in Game 3, giving the series victory to Ever.

Suspended four months for Elo boosting

Name: Joshua "Impactful" Alan Mabrey

Team:

Update: Impactful has been suspeneded for four months after it was confirmed he was Elo boosting, Daniel Rosen of theScore reports.

Analysis: Joining Impactful on the suspension train is Papa Chau and k2soju, two players relegated to the bench on their respective Challenger squads. While the latter two players garnered a three-month suspension from Riot, Impactful was given a four month ban thanks to reports that he provided "significantly more" boosting than the other two players.

JUNE 29, 2016

MorZB: Goes down to RNG in 1-2 losing series

Name: Zhang "MorZB" Hong-Wei

Team: NewBee

Update: MorZB finished NewBee's series loss to Royal Never Give Up on Sunday at a 1/9/22 KDA.

Analysis: =MorZB finished with a decent scoreline for a loss, a KDA ratio of 2.56 and a kill participation of 64 percent. He had a hard time in Game 1 while mlxg was able to snowball all of RNG's lanes early. Although HappyY and MorZB didn't get killed the way the rest of NewBee was, the CS lead of RNG and the heavy map pressure brought by mlxg's success pushed them back away from their tower and farm, and forced MorZB to stick around HappyY to keep him safe. Mata was able to roam around, help get objectives and further pressure RNG's already winning lanes, but MorZB was stuck in the one lane and didn't end up having hardly any use in a game without teamfighting. Game 3 was the same story, losing in the bottom lane, never getting a chance to roam or create teamfights, and NewBee went down twice before 30 minutes. It was Game 2 where there was a little glimmer of what MorZB could be able to bring to the party if he was given a slight lead. Before minions spawned, Mor and HappyY forced Uzi's flash and then punished his immobility, taking his Krug start away and getting an early double kill with the help of Swift when Uzi pushed up too far. NB was able to use this advantage to not only snowball Swift into finding more successful ganks but also to get HappyY ahead. When they found several kills in the jungle after RNG tried to stick around after a Dragon fight, NewBee had found enough of an advantage to push RNG back. MorZB's Trundle helped his now stronger team chase down fleeing enemies, and NewBee, despite expectations, took a game off of the top ranked RNG.

HappyY: Capitalizes on RNG's mistakes in 1-2 series

Name: Yu "HappyY" Rui

Team: NewBee

Update: HappyY earned a 10/7/12 KDA in NewBee's series loss against Royal Never Give Up.

Analysis: HappyY finished Sunday's series with a 3.14 KDA ratio and a 61 percent kill participation. Along with the rest of his team, HappyY had a poor Game 1. Despite the fact that Swift was attempting to focus on ganking the bottom lane, none of them were successful even in gaining pressure because Uzi still pulled ahead in CS. When mlxg ended up having the first successful kill pressure in the bottom lane instead of NewBee, HappyY was too far gone to have the same kind of impact Uzi was bringing. HappyY had a bright spot in Game 1, a very impressive showing in NB's one teamfight win. He got his ultimate across three people and then Arcane Shifted back over the blue wall to safely finish off the last remaining member of RNG for an ace. This advantage was not enough to turn the pressure back against RNG, however, and after respawning, they simply returned to pushing until they won. In Game 2, HappyY put on the early pressure, getting Uzi's flash by catching him out in the jungles pre-minion spawn. Although it was not a mistake that NewBee can consistently count on anyone making, HappyY and MorZB at least knew how to capitalize on it, invading the jungle early and taking the Krugs away from Uzi to continue their stranglehold. It was Uzi's mistake to push up in lane aggressively despite being down a flash, but it was still strong duo play by NewBee to pick up the first blood, and when Swift came in it was a quick double for HappyY. After this, HappyY had the lead and pressure to begin crushing down on RNG, finishing enemies off on the backside of fights with his Curtain Call, although he continuously attempted to use it to start fights or get poke, his aim was not very impressive. That poor aim came back to bite him when he played Jhin again in Game 3 and ended up with only one assist for the entire game. Without gaining an early lead of his own, HappyY did not have the mechanical skills to compete with RNG, and ended up contributing very little to his team, as they were soundly defeated in under 30 minutes.

Dade: Up and down against RNG

Name: Bae "Dade" Eo-Jin

Team: NewBee

Update: Dade went 11/8/12 KDA in NewBee's losing series on Sunday.

Analysis: Dade had a tough series of matches against the top-ranked RNG. In Game 1, he fell heavily behind Xiaohu in farm, and despite the fact that Dade managed to pick up a return kill on Xiaohu when he caught Swift invading, the eventual two-for-one went over to mlxg's Elise, which only furthered his lead and pressure on the side waves. Dade had some good moves in the mid game, setting up a jungle trap with Swift that caught two. Dade flashed just outside of the Tempered Fate to set up the re-engage and pick up an ace on RNG. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to make up for how far behind he already was, and Dade's attempts to dive into the middle of RNG and be a tanky Vladimir just ended with him being blown up. In Game 2, Dade had some really strong play on Zed, having some fancy feet to help escape from certain death until his team could arrive and finding and deleting Uzi right before a big Baron fight. Despite this, however, we see the same messy play. Even in what should have been a winning matchup, Dade fell behind in farm and couldn't pressure his opponent at all. After a Dragon fight that NB lost, Dade walked blind into the jungle straight into mlxg and died for free. These kinds of mistakes only grew more apparent in Game 3, where he was no longer bolstered by his team winning early pressure. Xiaohu ran circles around Dade's Kassadin, and even when all of NB together tried to gank mid, they just could not equal the early game strength Xiaohu had made for himself and Dade, along with most of his team, went down during their own attempts at aggression.

Swift: Unable to compete with mlxg in the jungle

Name: Bael "Swift" Da-Hoon

Team: NewBee

Update: Swift finishes NewBee's loss to Royal Never Give Up with a 6/10/15 KDA.

Analysis: This series, at its core, was all about the junglers, and in the end, Swift could not match up to the pressure and confidence mlxg brought to the Jungle matchup. In Game 1, Swift was not only down by three successful lane ganks that were snowballing every single member of RNG ahead, he also was being counter jungled by mlxg's Elise and was over 60 CS behind at one point, with RNG's jungler doubling Swift's number. There was a brief spot of hope in the mid game when Swift set up a trap in his own jungle with Dade and managed to find a slightly messy, but successful ace that almost evened out the massive gold lead RNG had acquired. However, without the element of surprise, NB failed to win any of the following teamfights, and in the end were crushed down by RNG's unrelenting pressure. In Game 2, Swift picked up, getting the previously successful Elise for himself. After HappyY managed to burn Uzi's flash early, Swift ganked bottom and helped his AD Carry get a first blood double kill. From there he earned another gank kill in mid, and despite his Elise not being as explosive as mlxg's, Swift got his team rolling early and shut down mlxg's attempts to do the same. Swift was still being massively out farmed, but his contribution to the rest of his team and his gold from kills and assists made up for that. With RNG's jungler unable to impact his side lanes, NewBee turned around and decisively won Game 2. Game 3 rolled around and again, it was all a game of early jungle pressure. Swift could not catch a break with his Nidalee; he was unable to find hardly any ganks and despite being on the best farming jungler in the game, he somehow still was being counter jungled and out CS'd by mlxg to a massive degree. Swift showed in Game 2 that he has the potential to get his team the leads that bring them wins, he just couldn't deliver reliable results.

V: Helps NewBee take one game off RNG

Name: Bao "V" Bogdan

Team: NewBee

Update: V ended NewBee's 1-2 loss to RNG at an 8/3/14 KDA.

Analysis: V was a victim of NewBee's own pressure, succeeding when they gained an advantage, but failing to escape the downward spiral when they were losing. His final KDA ratio was a respectable 7.3, but his overall kill participation was only 61 percent. In Game 1, V was the first to fall to mlxg's incredibly aggressive Elise, giving first blood to Looper's Irelia. After that, he fell behind his lane opponent, finding it difficult to push back for any pressure, and mlxg could easily swing up top and drive V back since every one of RNG's lanes were winning. In the sub-30 minute loss, there was simply not enough time for V's Maokai to get off the ground and become just as useful as RNG's snowballed Irelia. Although V didn't end with a bad scoreline, and only died once to the initial gank, one member with decent gold wasn't enough to pull NB out of their deficit. In Game 2, V's team found a lead with a couple of successful ganks and V improved with them. mlxg could not threaten him the way he had before, and although V had a little bit of trouble against the Hecarim, it was not enough to keep him from hitting item spikes. V only participated in 14 of the 23 total kills in Game 2, spending more of his time solo laning than roaming with his team or ganking, but he did draw aggro from RNG, pooling his way smoothly out of a four-man gank that gave the rest of NB time to further their map control. Game 3 looked a lot like the first one, instead of Swift controlling the lanes and map, it was mlxg once again, who could pressure all of NB and push them further and further behind until they were unable to teamfight. V never managed to make his Irelia go off in such a quick game with so little teamfighting. NB needs to find early advantages, because when V and his team found themselves behind, they simply could not make a recovery.

ADD: Modest scoreline doesn't accurately reflect skill in victory

Name: Kang "ADD" Geon-mo

Team: MVP

Update: ADD finished MVP's series victory over Longzhu with a 5/6/13 KDA.

Analysis: Although ADD didn't have monstrous KDA, he was certainly one of the stronger members of MVP during their series victory. He started off Game 1 by picking up first blood before minions had spawned. He used his lead to mitigate the ranged advantage of Gnar, creating a beneficial lane for himself. After pushing rather aggressively, he nearly died, but was able to dodge and live with a sliver of health. Dodging skillshots, he allowed Ian to roam and pick up a kill. As the game went on, his macro play remained strong as well, with impressive teleports that lead his team to earn more advantages. Although his mid game was rough, his performance in the late game more than made up for it, allowing his team to win teamfights. Landing clutch pillars on caught out members of Longzhu time and again to grant MVP victories. After winning several fights in a row, they were finally able to close out Game 1. ADD had another early start in Game 2, picking up two assists and giving Beyond two kills just five minutes into the game. This time he was able to use his advantage much more efficiently, punishing Expession's lack of teleport to propel himself forward in lane. He prevented his opponent from leaving lane and allowed his team to control objectives with the split pushing pressure he provided. He landed several impressive pillars to prevent unfavorable fights and finally stop a Baron that would have brought Longzhu back from their early disadvantage. He was once again able to dominate fights, stealing stats from Crash and preventing several losses despite Expession landing impressive ultimates. As the game progressed, MVP was able to use their objective control to make a pick on Coco and secure Elder Dragon to close out the game.

Beyond: Aggressive play pays off against Longzhu

Name: Kim "Beyond" Kyu-seok

Team: MVP

Update: Beyond ended MVP's win over Longzhu with a series KDA of 7/6/17.

Analysis: Beyond's early game was extremely strong in both games against Longzhu and was a large reason the team was able to claim victory. He started off Game 1 by helping ADD kill Expession just one minute into the game. He didn't stop the pressure there, flanking bottom lane and picking up another kill for his team just 5 minutes into the game. His early advantages allowed him to claim several uncontested dragons and bring his team even more of a lead. As the game progressed to teamfights, he was able to disrupt Longzhu and prevent Fury and Coco from completely controlling the game. Although he was unable to deal massive amounts of damage, his disruption brought his team the victories they needed to win the back and forth Game 1. He continued dominating in Game 2, once again finding an early advantage for ADD. After picking up one kill, he repeatedly ganked, picking up four kills for his team just shy of 10 minutes into the game. Using this early advantage, he was able to control the pace of the game, favoring dragon control to bring his team a greater lead. As the game went back and forth, Longzhu found a lead that put Beyond and his team in a poor position. Thankfully, a mistake by Coco allowed the team to pick up a kill and secure the Elder Dragon, allowing MVP to win a final teamfight and secure the victory. With the Game 2 win, they secured the series sweep over Longzhu.

Ian: Strong Anivia play nets series victory

Name: An "Ian" Jun-Hyeong

Team: MVP

Update: Ian earned a combined KDA of 9/4/9 after two games of Anivia against Longzhu.

Analysis: Ian had an extremely strong performance on Anivia to bring MVP a series victory over Longzhu. He started off the series with an early roam to pick up a kill following an impressive outplay from his top laner. He used the advantage to shut down Coco in lane, forcing the enemy to play for team fights. Despite being against the heavy AOE composition of Longzhu, Ian found safety in fights, creating picks for his team and dealing insane amounts of damage to lead his team to a Game 1 victory. He didn't let up in Game 2, once again finding an early lead in lane. This time he was unable to shut down Coco, resulting in Longzhu finding an advantage during the mid game. Fights went back and forth, with the teams neck and neck, but Longzhu coming out slightly ahead. After then enemy took two Barons, it seemed as though hope was lost. Thankfully, Ian was able to land an important wall and stun to get a free kill onto Coco and secure his team an Elder Dragon. Combined with their four earlier dragons, the team had no trouble storming forward with the lead to close out the game and secure the series victory.

MaHa: Uses utility to great success against Longzhu

Name: Oh "MaHa" Hyun-sik

Team: MVP

Update: MaHa earned a modest 4/7/18 KDA in MVP's series victory.

Analysis: Although MaHa did not have a stand out performance against Longzhu, he was crucial in his team's victory. Up against Fury and Pure, he found an early advantage in Game 1, but was unable to use it to shut down Fury. Doing little more than staying even, it was enough to allow him to move into the mid stages of the game. Grouping with his team, he had a decent performance, allowing his team to kite away from Longzhu as well as engage. Unable to do much in terms of damage, he simply allowed his team to move forward as he was forced out of fights time and again. This was enough, however, as both Ian and ADD had strong performances. Allowing them to kite and engage, he brought his team the positioning they needed to win fights and close out the game. Game 2 saw a similar performance from MaHa, once again being out shined by Fury who had an extremely strong performance. Dying several times early on, MaHa was once again forced to simply help his team in fights. As they fell behind in the mid game, he suffered and was at a large disadvantage. Thankfully, Ian found a free kill on Coco that allowed the team to pick up an Elder Dragon. This is where MaHa's ultimate came into play, allowing the team to use their new found buff to force a fight and close out the game, securing the series victory.

Max: Impressive performance nets victory

Name: Jeaong "Max" Jong-bin

Team: MVP

Update: Max earned an impressive 3/3/22 KDA in MVP's victory over Longzhu.

Analysis: As MVP has begun to go on a winning streak, Max has had impressive performances throughout. Never faltering, his play has remained consistent and allowed his team to claim the victories they needed to rise in the standings. He started off the series against Longzhu by picking up first blood for his top laner before minions had even spawned in Game 1. Stacking his Braum passive, it brought an early lead that mitigated the range disadvantage in the lane. He continued to impress in lane, helping to pick up another kill to bring his team ahead. Although the advantage didn't last long, he used it to gain vision control and help Beyond control dragons. The dragon control proved crucial for the team in the back and forth game, as they were buffed up in teamfights. Performing well, he landed crucial ultimates and slows to lead his team to a Game 1 victory. His performance continued to impress well into Game 2 with an impressive showing on Bard. Landing double binds left and right, he delayed the game as his team was falling behind. Once at a disadvantage, his team nearly had to concede a Baron, but Max landed a clutch four-man Tempered Fate to delay Longzhu enough to prevent it from happening. He continued landing these ultimates and binds well into the late game. As it came down to the final minutes of the game, he assisted in picking up a kill on Coco, who was positioned alone. As a result, the team was able to claim Elder Dragon and move to a final teamfight where they were able to claim victory. With the win, MVP closed out the series 2-0 against Longzhu.

Shook: Rejoins Vitality as starting jungler

Name: Ilyas "Shook" Hartsema

Team: Vitality

Update: Shook has been welcomed back to the starting Vitality lineup, Team Vitality announced Wednesday.

Analysis: After falling to Fnatic in Vitality's playoff run last split, the team opted to make a change in the lineup. Taking a risk, the team signed Mightybear and moved Shook to a substitute position. The decision unfortunately did not improve the team's performance, with Vitality currently sitting in sixth Place, just one point above the teams tied for last place in the league. As a result, the team has decided to once again make a change in the jungle. Shook will rejoin the team as they hope to qualify for the League of Legends World Championship. He will make his return performance Thursday against FC Shalke 04.

Mightybear: Moved to substitute position

Name: Min-soo "Mightybear" Kim

Team: Vitality

Update: Following an underwhelming start to the split, Mightybear will be replaced with Shook on Vitality's starting lineup, the team announced Wednesday.

Analysis: After a disappointing end to the last split, Vitality opted to take a risk and replace Shook with Mightybear for the starting jungle position. Despite being an individually skilled player, his impact on the team has not been what was expected, resulting in a current sixth place standing in the EULCS. This falls short of expectations for the team who hopes to qualify for the World Championship. In an effort to increase their chances, they have opted to welcome Shook back to the starting lineup and move Mightybear to a substitute position where he will remain under contract with the team.

Excellent series despite middling Game 2

Name: Jang "Looper" Hyeong-seok

Team: Royal Never Give Up

Update: Looper earned a 9/4/11 KDA during RNG's 2-1 victory over Newbee.

Analysis: Even with the inexplicable hiccup in Game 2, Looper had an excellent series overall, not surprising considering he faced a lane opponent who's claim to fame is simply surviving, not prospering. Even in Game 2, where V arguably had an enormous advantage against Looper's Hecarim with his Vladimir, Looper held strong. His incredibly high CS and ability to find the most improbable flanks were the only thing keeping his team in the game, and while it would prove to not be enough to sweep Newbee out the door, it still was an impressive sight as he had more success that most Hecarim's have had thus far globally. It was still a far cry from Game 1, though, where Looper's Irelia utterly smashed not only V, but all of Newbee post laning phase. With so many threatening targets on RNG thanks to how fed both mlxg and Xiaohu were, Looper often found himself ignored in favor of one of his teammates. Ignoring an Irelia who's gotten to freely farm and who has a Karma on her side is a mistake all on it's own, and it was one that Newbee paid for in blood. Looper's sole death would come during RNG's collective throw around Newbee's blue buff, where they inexplicably all decided to commit to a fight where Xiaohu got instantly picked off and ended up getting aced while finding only a sole kill. Game 3 would be an even more crushing victory for RNG, which is saying a lot when Game 1 resulted in a 10,000 gold deficit in 18 minutes. Looper would fail to even die in this game, as Xiaohu and Swift's early bullying of Dade's Kassadin ended the game before Newbee could get a world in edgewise. Looper's Trundle would crush V's Irelia, and go on to be yet another obnoxious front liner along with Xiaohu and mlxg, all of whom enjoyed NB's lack of persistent Grievous Wounds as they sustained through fights so potently that they often ended fights at more HP than they started them. RNG would take the series off a wonderfully played Game 3, but for a series that should have been an easy 2-0, the 2-1 victory that RNG ended up earning may well feel like a defeat. RNG's record thus far is built upon their long string of 2-0 victories, so much so that they still hold the point lead over EDG despite losing the head to head. If they buck that trend, it gives fans even more reasons to worry heading into playoffs, as thus far RNG has struggled quite a bit more during the cross-group matches than they did playing in their own group.

Inexplicably weak Game 2 flanked by amazing performances

Name: Liu "mlxg" Shi-yu

Team: Royal Never Give Up

Update: mlxg earned a 4/8/27 KDA during RNG's 2-1 victory over Newbee.

Analysis: The highlight matchup of this series took place in the jungle, as the young mlxg took on Swift, the star of Newbee in all of it's incarnations. The matchup ended up delivering, as every game was decided from the jungle, and while the two rarely directly engaged each other their decisions about where to play the map would have long-reaching consequences. While Swift clearly took this very seriously - he looked to be in a form that we had thought impossible for him now on this new, stunted Newbee lineup - it wouldn't be unfair to say that mlxg was messing around during the series. Game 1 he found an early kill, and used it to buy the most bizarre combination of items that may have ever been seen on Elise, opting for a Dark Seal and Boots of Mobility before any other items. Hilariously, this would end up paying dividends when mlxg immediately killed Swift as he invaded into the RNG jungle, and took Dade as punishment for trying to assist. He followed up by immediately killing Dade again, as Xiaohu kept the Newbee mid laner pushed underneath his turret and on low HP for the duration of laning phase, making it child's play for mlxg to land a cocoon from Fog of War and burst down Dade's Vladimir before he could even activate Sanguine Pool. mlxg's snowball would give RNG the game from there, even after they all perished while foolishly invading the Newbee blue buff with their mid laner dead. Game 2 would be an entirely different story, as his Nidalee play looked more akin to something one would see in mid level solo queue, not on the professional stage of an LCS region. His spears hit only air, his impact was limited, and while his farm was exceptional, it was a poor trade off for Swift's crushing map pressure. Game 3 he would be back on form, however, as his Rek'Sai proved to once again be amongst the best in the league. An early countergank mid gave Xioahu all control of that lane, and he used that to deadly effect as he pressured Dade's Kassadin more or less out of the game. With Newbee's mid laner all but removed from the game, RNG had no difficulty crushing Game 3 as they had Game 1. Still, this was a series that should likely have ended in a convincing 2-0 like so many of RNG's series do. Whether the dropped game is a sign of an improving Newbee or an overconfident RNG will be one of the big questions that we'll be looking to answer moving into the last few weeks before playoffs.

Consistently excellent performance in victory over Newbee

Name: Li "Xiaohu" Yuan-Hao

Team: Royal Never Give Up

Update: Xiaohu earned a 12/6/17 KDA during RNG's 2-1 victory over Newbee.

Analysis: In a series where RNG could me argued to have looked a bit off form, Xiaohu was the shining exception. The eagerly aggressive RNG mid laner found an excellent punching bag in the late game-focused Dade, and took the laning phase in every game, with or without the help of mlxg, even when facing down a Zed as Kassadin. Game 1 opened with him counter-picking Dade's Vladimir with Karma, and Xiaohu played the matchup better than any player yet in the LPL. He not only came out of lane with a lead, he completely crushed Dade, killing him multiple times with the help of mlxg and holding a strong 30 CS advantage. While he would end up losing the MVP honors to lxg, it was definitely a close thing as there was no doubt that Xioahu controlled teamfights as well as mlxg had controlled the early game. After such a crushing Game 1, an equally crushing defeat in Game 2 may have been worse, especially as Xiaohu was the least culpable member of the team in said loss. He managed to leave lane against Dade's Zed with a slight CS advantage, a feat which is practically unheard of on Kassadin. While he was busy winning small battles, however, Newbee were completely taking over the game on the bottom side of the map, where an early gank from Swift gave HappyY a double kill at four minutes and ensured that RNG would be on their back foot all game. While they made a valiant attempt to come back that was spearheaded by both Xiaohu and Looper, it was not to be as Newbee's 10,000 gold deficit was more than enough to compensate for RNG's superior individual skill. Xioahu would be back for vengeance in Game 3, though, as Newbee would drop their Swain ban and allow him to take the Master Tactician onto the Rift, which Dade would for some reason attempt to counter with Kassadin. Unsurprisingly, the low damage melee caster did absolutely nothing in the face of Xiaohu's ludicrous sustain, a fact that nearly extinguished Newbee on multiple occasions. Without grievous wounds to cut his healing, Xiaohu was free to simply wade into all of Newbee and dare them to kill him. They failed utterly in that, and Xiaohu would end the game as MVP and without dying a single time, despite leading the charge in every fight. The 2-1 victory was a sour one, though, as RNG were not expected to drop a game at all this series, and whether that loss is due to a potential surge from Newbee - certainly a possibility with a lineup such as theirs - or due to overconfidence from RNG.

Uninspiring performance potentially worrisome in series against Newbee

Name: Jian "Uzi" Zi-Hao

Team: Royal Never Give Up

Update: Uzi earned a 9/8/10 KDA during RNG's 2-1 victory over Newbee.

Analysis: After a beginning to the split that can be best described as explosive, a question that has lingered since RNG's shellacking at the hands of EDG can seemingly be ignored no longer. Fans and analyst alike are starting to seriously question whether the acquisition of Uzi was an overrated one. While Wuxx and Mata were rarely the ones to hard carry a game for RNG, it happened with about the frequency that Uzi has accomplished that feat, and the previous duo were often less likely to be a liability, something that Uzi and Mata are dangerously close to becoming. Against EDG it was this lane that lost the series, and the same was true of their loss to Newbee in Game 2. The series was off to a good start in Game 1, as Uzi and Mata were rarely punished for their early aggression thanks to mlxg's dominance in the early game. RNG would take Game 1 easily off a 10,000 gold lead in 18 minutes despite getting aced in an ill conceived invade attempt. Game 2 is where the problems started for Uzi and Mata. After having burned his flash in a level 1 invade gone wrong, Uzi still played his lane with the level of aggression that is typical for the Chinese star, but without his flash it was simple for Swift to punish him. An early gank turned into a double kill for HappyY's Jhin, which gave him an overwhelming item lead. While the game would remain strangely competitive considering RNG's 8,000 gold deficit, Newbee would eventually find their way to victory on the back of their massive early game. Uzi's contribution to the loss was simply an incredible amount of farming, as the RNG ADC seemed resigned to defeat after his early game foibles, but he would come back in Game 3 when it mattered. His Lucian would prove a much stronger force than his Caitlyn, and without an early gank to set them behind RNG's bottom lane predictably smashed Newbee's, as the lane dominance of Uzi's Lucian with Mata's Nami was too much for them to bear. The game quickly became a slaughter as all of RNG's lanes found huge leads, and this time there would be no throwing. Newbee ended the game nearly shut out as RNG looked to prove their superiority. But even such a crushing victory couldn't erase the fact that RNG had uncharacteristically stumbled in a series that should have been a simple one. Newbee themselves have looked to be a bottom feeder team this split, and dropping a game against them might not be a disastrous for RNG, but it certainly could be the beginning of something that is.

Crushed in LCK debut

Name: Kim "SoHwan" Jun-yeong

Team: Jin Air Green Wings

Update: SoHwan earned a 0/2/1 KDA during Jin Air's defeat to KT Rolster in Game 2 of their series.

Analysis: After what can only be described as the narrowest victory imaginable, JAG opted to sub TrAce and his absurd picks out in favor of their new top lane sub, SoHwan. The rookie would go on to have an awful game, as KT immediately answered his Trundle with a lane swap that JAG fumbled so badly they effectively lost on the spot. While they did get the Mountain Drake, JAG would only get two turrets to KT's f9ur. That, combined with much better wave control from KT in general, led to SoHwan being denied farm for nearly the entire first 20 minutes of the game. Without any early pressure on Ssumday's Shen, he was free to teleport around the map and SoHwan could do little to stop him, as he spent most of the game two levels beneath Ssumday. When fights finally came to him, it was simply too late for him to do anything. Even with subjugate onto Ssumday, Arrow and Fly had no trouble kiting him around in circles and taking him out: Score even purchased a Frozen Mallet to help with just that. He would end the game with a weak KDA, and while he wasn't the reason JAG dropped Game 2, he certainly didn't help matters.

Malzahar pick takes world by surprise

Name: Yeo "TrAce" Chang-dong

Team: Jin Air Green Wings

Update: TrAce earned a 1/8/12 KDA during Game 1 and 3 of JAG's loss to KT.

Analysis: Ever the fan of bizarre top lane champions, TrAce would continue the legacy he built on the back of top Morgana with top Malzahar, a pick he apparently wished to use to counter the heavily melee-based champions Ssumday brought to the table. A glace at the scoreboard will tell you just how well that worked out: TrAce did almost nothing in the two games he played, though despite his uselessness for the bulk of the series, he was directly responsible for winning Game 1 outright. Thanks to KT's lack of siege ability and JAG's incredible waveclear, Game 1 turned into a 70 minute marathon game that saw players even selling their boots for Trinity Forces. This type of game is often decided by one factor: which team has more Guardian Angels during the climactic fight of the game. After a skirmish by Baron robbed Ssumday of his GA, KT still pushed aggressively into JAG's base, and TrAce responded by Nether Grasping Ssumday, who died nearly instantly to the combination of TrAce's percentage damage and Winged's impressive burst. JAG would go on to win the fight and the game in what could loosely be interpreted as a demonstration of the strength of the Malzahar pick. Game 3 would see the exact opposite happen, though, as the game would also turn into a drawn out affair, but instead of Nether Grasping a GA-less priority target in the final fight, TrAce would attempt to focus down Hachani, a confusing choice considering he was not a priority target and was saddled to an active Guardian Angel. Both he and Pilot would immediately get collapsed on and die, ending the game instantly, and all they had to show for it was barely popping Hachani's Guardian Angel. This loss should leave JAG with some lingering questions about their draft phase, as the series was critical for standings going into playoffs - KT took first place after the win - and whether something as strange as top Malzahar was worth playing in such a series is a question they'll need to ask themselves.

Thrives on long games as Graves

Name: Park "Winged" Tae Jin

Team: Jin Air Green Wings

Update: Winged earned a 11/7/11 KDA during JAG's loss to KT Rolster.

Analysis: Winged had an overall excellent series, despite losing in the end. His Graves was arguably the true ADC for JAG in the two games he brought it to the Rift, as his armor penetration build that he favors on the champion quite often took KT by surprise with it's overwhelming burst damage. The burst was so surprising that it led to a play that saved Game 1 for JAG. KT were sieging JAG's tier two mid turret after getting Baron when Score was hit by a combination of End of the Line, Collateral Damage, and Thunderlord's Decree all at once, which killed him instantly before he even had the chance to use Lamb's Respite to save himself. KT's momentum instantly stalled out, and JAG would weather the Baron buff and go on to win the game. His Game 2 was less action packed, as JAG critically mishandled the laneswap and the early gold deficit they found themselves in made Winged's Gragas somewhat useless. He had no lane he could hope to successfully gank, so he simply farmed the jungle and hoped his team would come back in the late game with their great scaling. KT never gave hem the chance, though, and the series went to Game 3. Winged would once again take Graves to the Rift, and once again the game would stall to the point that he farmed all of his items, but this time there would be no pick on an overextended Ssumday to steal the game from the jaws of defeat. The Rumble pick out of KT gave them more than ample engage to push their advantages when they wanted to, and while JAG had a strong midgame off the backs of Pilot on Kuzan, they couldn't compete in the late game and gave KT the series, despite Winged's best efforts. Without effective teammates to play off of, his Graves lacked options, and after the mid point of the game JAG rarely fought as a unit, which proved to be their downfall.

Solid performance in defeat to KT

Name: Lee "Kuzan" Seong-hyuk

Team: Jin Air Green Wings

Update: Kuzan earned a 3/5/13 KDA during JAG's loss to KT.

Analysis: No single player won or lost this series between two of the strongest up-and-coming teams in the LCK, and Kuzan was no exception. Rather it was the decisions and movements of the teams as a whole that determined the eventual victor, much of which had little or nothing to do with the mid laners. Thus Kuzan did what he could, but couldn't be said to have been a critical force in the series. Game 1 was where he saw the most success, as his Karma battered Fly's Vladimir something fierce, earning a strong early lead that carried into the mid game. The game would completely stall out from there, though, and soon it was Kuzan's utility that was vital, not his damage output. Thankfully, that proved to be fine for JAG, as Kuzan expertly used his shields to get JAG out of fights they couldn't win, and there was many in this game. It was the ability to carefully choose their fights that eventually gave JAG the win, and Kuzan was a huge part of that. Game 2 would see him do almost nothing, as his team fell in a steep hole early on in the game thanks to a bungled laneswap, and while Kuzan's Azir would in theory be able to take over the game, in practice it never got to that point, as KT won the game almost entirely via superior macro, and only engaged JAG head on when they had too big an advantage to realistically lose. Game 3 would improve things considerably for Kuzan, as his Ryze was certainly far more of a threat than his Azir had been, but it wasn't enough to take the win, despite the considerable split pressure he put KT under. He even took a solo kill on Ssumday after the KT top laner ventured a bit too close too him and tempted fate unnecessarily. He quickly learned firsthand why Ryze is nearly permanently banned when Kuzan ripped his face off with a quick succession of spell rotations. Unfortunately, his team couldn't hold the rest of the map together, an they would eventually get caught and die while he was in the split push, opening the door for KT to take the win despite Kuzan's power.

Strong performance in loss to KT

Name: Na "Pilot" Woo-Hyung

Team: Jin Air Green Wings

Update: Pilot earned a 9/5/10 KDA during JAG's loss to KT Rolster.

Analysis: In any series that ends up being decided by the larger scale decisions of the two opposing teams, there's little that an individual player can do to shine. This was such a series, as KT took the victory not off their superior skills as players, but their greater skill as a team. On JAG's side, a series of poor decisions and miscalculations led to defeat, not the failures of any individual (though TrAce comes close), and certainly not the failures of Pilot. The JAG ADC composed himself well in each game as he rarely died and always topped his team's damage charts along with Winged. While he wouldn't see the same success as he had in Game 1 in the subsequent games, he would remain a force throughout the whole series. He can be said to have been no less a force than Arrow was, as both ADCs spent the balance of the series simply farming opposite each other and getting dragged into their team's fights. Whether it was his Sivir in Game 1, the Ezreal in Game 2, or the Lucian in Game 3 Pilot brought both the damage and, often, the utility his team needed.

Excellent Bard play takes Game 1 for Jin Air against KT

Name: Choi "Chei" Sun-ho

Team: Jin Air Green Wings

Update: Chei earned a 2/9/16 KDA during Jin Air's defeat to KT Rolster

Analysis: Time and again over the last year we've learned that few supports can match the potential impact of Bard in good hands. While Chei's Game 1 performance may not have been the hard carry that some other Bard's have managed, he was critical to JAG's victory. It was he that orchestrated the picks that kept Jin Air in the game, and it was he who made the constant effort to shut down Curtain Call with Tempered Fate, a line of play that often left KT with no way to push their gold advantage. Not all of his plays were spectacular, but on the whole he performed well. Better, at least, than he would in the next two games of the series. His Braum and Karma proved to be dramatically less effective, and it can be argued that Game 3 was largely lost due to the lack of engage on JAG's side, engage that Bard would have brought. Glacial Fissure, while a powerful skill in it's own right, cannot match Tempered Fate as an initiation skill at long range, and without such a tool Jin Air's early advantages crumbles the same way that KT's had in Game 1. Holding Chei accountable for a drafting decision would be foolish, though, and he played as well as can be expected with the tools he was given.

Proves an effective and consistent frontline in victory over Jin Air

Name: Kim "Ssumday" Chan-ho

Team: KT Rolster

Update: Ssumday earned a 4/4/26 KDA during KT Rolster's victory over Jin Air.

Analysis: Ssumday started out the series in depressing fashion, as JAG singled him out in Game 1's ban phase, forcing him off his traditional carry picks and onto Shen. Jin Air quickly threw him a curve ball by picking Malzahar top lane for TrAce, but to his credit Ssumday barely missed a beat in lane. While Malzahar's early harass caused him some issues, an early Banshee's Veil and Mercury's Treads soon put a stop to that, and let Ssumday freely farm in between uses of Stand United. The game would drag on long into the late game, though, and the combination of Void Staff, Liandries Torment, and Rylai's proved to be too much for Ssumday to take on in a head-on fight, and KT slowly lost control of the map. Worse, Ssumday would critically overextend while in Jin Air's base with his Guardian Angel down, and a quick Nether Grasp would give JAG ample time to take him off the Rift. Without their tank alive, KT fell apart and JAG took the win in a game that was something of a marathon. Game 2 would have a similar macro-heavy style, but this time KT would nail the coffin shut on JAG successfully, mainly on the back of their ability to keep SoHwan's Trundle completely denied. With his early gold stymied, SoWhan couldn't directly stand against Ssumday's Shen, and eventually KT took the game after forcing JAG into an ever-decreasing section of their side of the rift. Game 3, Sumday would take Rumble as his champion, and prove to be quite a force on the mech-equipped Yordle. While he would get picked off in an early gank as well as in an embarrassing 1-vs-1 against Kuzan, Ssumday would corral Jin Air where he wanted them in teamfights with The Equalizer, which proved to be devastating against Jin Air's very squishy team comp. This game too would drag on and would, in truth, end more due to a throw from Jin Air than due to anything that KT did. Still, credit must be given to for Ssumday from coming back from a poor early game where Jin Air had their run of the Rift.

Unremarkable Kindred play proves enough to take down Jin Air

Name: Go "Score" Dong-bin

Team: KT Rolster

Update: Score earned a 8/7/18 KDA during KT's victory over Jin Air.

Analysis: Score would take Kindred to the Rift in all three games, and while his performance was by no means terrible, it was far from amazing. His superior presence helped KT secure a seemingly overwhelming lead against JAG in Game 1, but he was also the cause of them losing that momentum, as a quick combo from Winged one-shot him while KT sieged a turret after taking Baron, ending the siege and killing all of KT's momentum in a game that they would go on to lose. Game 2 would see better results, as the game was all but won in the first 10 minutes, as KT got an easy two turret lead thanks to some questionable decisions by KT. The extremely long lanes proved ideal for a mobile champion like Kindred, and he went on to punish JAG for their turret losses harshly in a game that was quite honestly very one-sided. Game 3 would go back to being a mixed bag, as while he certainly did well in the early game, he was realistically not very useful in the game's teamfights. He got very few saves with Lamb's Respite and gave kills to KT that they quite obviously didn't fully deserve. Still, KT would go on to take the game and the series, with Score's contribution being more than a nonfactor, especially his quite excellent damage output.

Teamfights spectacularly in victory over Jin Air

Name: Song "Fly" Young-jun

Team: KT Rolster

Update: Fly earned a 10/5/11 KDA during KT Rolster's victory over Jin Air.

Analysis: Fly distinguished himself throughout this series thanks to his teamfighting. In lane, he either went even or worse against Kuzan, and while he found kills thanks to his team's superior strategic play, he rarely found anything himself. Both Games 1 and 3 would see him bring the unexciting Vladimir to the Rift, and in both games he would be answered by a soft counter by Kuzan, ensuring that any effectiveness would have to come later in the game. In Game 1 that certainly happened, as KT found a huge lead largely thanks to a spectacular flank with Protobelt from Kuzan that wiped out JAG's backline nearly immediately. As the game dragged on, though, he found it harder and harder to blindly charge into the extremely mobile comp from Jin Air, as both Kuzan and Pilot could easily allow the entire team to kite him around, and eventually Jin Air would take the game. Game 2 would be another story entirely, as the game would be completely lacking in teamfights. Kuzan's Aurelion Sol mostly just cleared out mid lane and walked into the fog of war, helping to layer on the pressure that KT had over Jin Air off of their far superior early game. The game would prove so uneventful for Kuzan that he would not even cast his ultimate once over the course of the game. The third game would be another grinding marathon like the first, but this time it was KT that fell behind early. A series of misplays by Jin Air would open the game back up for KT, though, and while Kuzan definitely played a more supportive role through most of the game, his late game damage eventually kicked in and KT managed to take the game, though admittedly only after a long series of catastrophic mistakes from Jin Air that culminated in Pilot and TrAce getting caught out, giving KT the win almost immediately.

Solid presence in victory over Jin Air

Name: No "Arrow" Dong-hyeon

Team: KT Rolster

Update: Arrow earned a 15/2/14 KDA during KT Rolster's victory over Jin Air.

Analysis: Arrow, much like his opposite Pilot, saw little action over the course of the series. The series was one almost entirely decide by the decisions of the team, not by the actions of the players themselves. As such, most of Arrow's time was spent either farming minions in the mid lane, which he was switched into early, or facilitating his team in whatever they chose to do. Game 1 would prove to be his most active, as without his Curtain Call, KT lacked ways to get Jin Air off turrets, as their team's siege was all but nonexistent. His Jhin would prove both safe and effective, as his only death of the game would be during the final teamfight of the game, after which Jin Air won the game instantly. Game 2 would barely even involve Arrow, aside from his Enchanted Crystal Arrows, as KT would get such an overwhelming lead early on in the game that Jin Air simply folded before their map pressure. The game was won with almost no major engagements throughout, as KT played a nearly flawless macro game. The final game of the series would see Arrow again take Ashe, and while this game would again be mostly a macro-heavy game, Arrow would play a much more active role than he had in the last. The combination of Thresh and Ashe out of Hachani and Arrow would prove to be brutally effective at finding picks onto Jin Air, who saw their lead largely evaporate thanks to said picks. KT would end up taking the game and the series after stalling out Jin Air's early momentum.

JUNE 28, 2016

Fury: Shining light for Longzhu in series defeat

Name: Lee "Fury" Jin-yong

Team: Longzhu

Update: Fury played two Jhin games against MVP to earn a series KDA of 13/2/6.

Analysis: The current meta has often been criticized for the position it puts marksmen in. Often unable to impact the outcome of a game, their advantages can simply be mitigated because of their role. Fury proved this to be true, having two dominant performances against MVP and failing to find a win in the process. He started off the series with an impressive showing on Jhin, finding kills while his team struggled. Although Pure died time and again, he still found himself responding, picking up half of his team's kills in the defeat. He was unable to find an opening for himself against the massive amounts of crowd control he was up against, combined with his team's shortcomings. After the Game 1 loss, his play didn't waiver at all. Game 2 went much closer, with Longzhu remaining close in gold until the very end of the game. Fury continued to pop off, finding kills and exerting dominance over MaHa. Unfortunately, the current patch does not favor marksmen as solo carries. Try as he might, Fury could not make up for his team's mistakes, earning the most kills out of either team in the defeat. Despite losing the series, Fury proved himself to be one of the strongest members of his team.

Expession: Performance lacking in series defeat

Name: Bon-Taek "Expession" Gu

Team: Longzhu

Update: Expession earned a combined KDA of 2/8/11 in Longzhu's series defeat.

Analysis: Once again, Expession had a poor performance that contributed to Longzhu's defeat. After losing several series in a row, Longzhu was looking to halt MVP's win streak to start one of their own. This was not the case, as Expession and the majority of the team underperformed. Expession had a decent start to the series on Gnar, not falling behind and matching stride with his opponent. His problems were revealed in teamfights, though, as he was unable to control his rage. Entering a fight just as Mega-Gnar ran out, the fight was doomed from the start. Giving MVP the lead, they were able to close out the game to start the series off with a win. Expession seemed affected by the loss, continuing to perform poorly well into the second game. This time on Rumble, he was no match for ADD's Trundle, unable to match his split pressure. With it all coming down to how he would perform in fights, he failed to land ultimates to create an impact for his team. As the team fell behind, he tried desperately to create any sort of advantage for his team, dying more in the process. Once Longzhu was behind, MVP was able to claim dragons and Baron, including the Elder Dragon to close out the game and secure the series victory.

Chaser: Unable to bring team a Game 1 victory against MVP

Name: Lee "Chaser" Sang-hyun

Team: Longzhu

Update: Chaser ended Longzhu's Game 1 defeat with a 4/2/7 scoreline.

Analysis: Although Game 1 was a rather back and forth game, Chaser had a strong performance throughout. As his team was falling behind, he found several kills to keep them in the game. Assisting Fury time and again, he nearly gave his marksman all the needed resources to carry the game. Throughout the game, he didn't have sole objective control, but was able to split objectives with MVP, picking up three dragons and a Baron in the defeat. His map pressure was strong, matching the enemy Rek'sai to create an impact for his team. Despite his strong showing, he was unable to bring his team victory, even though he participated in all but two of his team's kills. With the defeat, Longzhu opted to sub Chaser out for Game 2.

Coco: Falls short on Vladimir in series against MVP

Name: Shin "Coco" Jin-yeong

Team: Longzhu

Update: Coco finished Longzhu's series defeat with a combine KDA of 3/4/17.

Analysis: Playing consistently in the series against MVP proved to be unsuccessful for Coco, as he was unable to bring his team a victory. He started off the series with a decent performance in a rather back and forth and sloppy Game 1. After failing to find himself a meaningful advantage in lane, he was relegated to trying to bring his team victories through teamfights. Landing decent ultimates, he was nearly able to do so. Unfortunately, as the game progressed, MVP's objective control reigned supreme, allowing them to pick up two Elder Dragon's which they used to close out the game in just short of an hour. Coco began struggling more in Game 2, once again failing to find a lane advantage on Vladimir against Ian's Anivia. As he fell short, the rest of his team seemed to struggle as well. His fatal mistake came late in the game after MVP was already ahead. Getting caught just as Elder Dragon spawned, he gave up a huge advantage that allowed MVP to close out the game and secure the series victory.

JUNE 27, 2016

Wraith: Samsung's catalyst to victory over Ever

Name: Kwon "Wraith" Ji-min

Team: Samsung

Update: Wraith's 3/2/23 KDA inspired Samsung to a 2-1 series win against ESC Ever.

Analysis: Subbed in for Game 2 for a struggling CoreJJ, Wraith was the change Samsung needed to take over the series. Wraith's Nami in Game 2 wasn't a play-making miracle machine, but Wraith's leadership and map play were crucial to Samsung's success. Wraith dominated the vision game with 71 wards placed and 28 wards cleared, both game-highs, as he earned a 1/0/10 KDA in Samsung's systematic dismantling of Ever. Game 3 found Wraith on Braum, where he continued his proactive shot calling. With a 2/2/13 KDA for 79 percent kill participation, Wraith was the spark of life that Samsung needed to avoid embarrassment against Ever, leading Samsung to a reverse sweep, 2-1 series victory.

Ruler: Safe and steady wins the series

Name: Park "Ruler" Jae-Hyuk

Team: Samsung

Update: Conservative play earned Ruler a 5/3/21 KDA in Samsung's 2-1 series win against ESC Ever.

Analysis: Ruler's Ezreal looked lost without support Wraith in Game 1, unable to scale into the late game without Ever controlling the entire map. While CoreJJ wasn't mechanically bad, Ruler was unable to win lane or the game with CoreJJ at his side, finishing with a 0/1/0 KDA. Ruler was reunited with Wraith in Game 2, taking control of Sivir in a one-sided affair. With a full team rotation to pick up first blood at seven minutes, Ruler was able to get ahead early, en route to a deathless 2/0/8 KDA. Ruler would play conservatively, farming safely to a game-high 524 CS, all while dealing 38,400 damage to enemy champions, the second highest total in the game behind Crown's LeBlanc. Game 3 was more or less a repeat of Game 2 for Ruler, again playing Sivir and again taking part in an early team rotation for first blood against Ever's bottom lane. Ruler again earned game-high CS honors with 457, and posted a 3/2/13 KDA for 84 percent kill participation in the 43 minute win.

Crown: Instrumental in series comeback

Name: Lee "Crown" Min-ho

Team: Samsung

Update: Crown carried Samsung to a 2-1 series win against ESC Ever with a 12/2/11 KDA.

Analysis: Crown's Viktor managed to pick up Samsung's only kill in Game 1, but that was Crown's sole accomplishment in a lackluster Game 1 performance. Without Wraith, Samsung looked lost, taking only one turret in the 42 minute loss. Game 2 found Crown on LeBlanc, where he found much more success, beginning with securing first blood for himself on an early seven-minute roam. Once ahead, Crown was unstoppable, dealing a game-high 41,900 damage to enemy champions as he posted a 6/0/3 KDA. Game 3 was remarkably similar to Game 2, with Crown's Viktor helping his team secure first blood pre-10 minutes through a team-wide rotation. Ever played passively throughout the game, allowing Samsung and Crown complete control of the map. Unhindered by Ever, Crown would deal a game-high 33,500 damage to Ever champions, as he earned a 5/1/8 KDA in a 43 minute Game 3 win.

Ambition: Consistency pays off in long series win

Name: Kang "Ambition" Chan-yong

Team: Samsung

Update: Ambition's team-centric play earned him a 5/7/21 KDA in Samsung's 2-1 series win against ESC.

Analysis: Ambition started the series on a sour note on Rek'Sai, as Samsung looked lost without Wraith. Ambition gave up first blood at 13 minutes trying to contest an Ever Drake, which put him far behind Bless and the rest of Ever. With Samsung playing scared, Ambition finished Game 1 with a poor 0/4/1 KDA. Ambition would dramatically improve in Game 2 on Gragas, earning a deathless 3/0/8 KDA for 85 percent kill participation. With Wraith back in the lineup, Samsung returned to their proactive shotcalling, rotating around the map and dominating the objective game in a 45-minute crushing. Ambition would continue to play Gragas in Game 3, and would again find success. Samsung dominated the game after another full team collapse onto Ever's bot lane before 10 minutes, controlling the map and choking Ever out of resources. Ambition's 2/3/12 KDA wasn't the most impressive in the win, but it was nonetheless effective.

CuVee: Dominates Crazy in series win

Name: Lee "CuVee" Seong-jin

Team: Samsung

Update: CuVee played well with a 8/6/15 KDA in Samsung's 2-1 series win against ESC Ever.

Analysis: CuVee's Irelia in Game 1 was lackluster, in the sense that CuVee was seemingly unable to do anything. Samsung looked out of sorts, playing passively and allowing Ever to take complete control of the map, as CuVee finished with a 0/3/0 KDA. Game 2 found CuVee on Shen, securing first blood with a full team-wide rotation into the botomt lane at seven minutes. With Ever unable to coordinate or gain any momentum, CuVee's Shen was oppressive, shutting down Ever advantages with well-timed ultimates. Despite giving up his team's only death, CuVee's 1/1/8 KDA helped carry Samsung to a Game 2 win. CuVee was given more carry duties in Game 3 on Renekton, where he blasted Crazy in lane. Solo-killing Crazy at 11 and 18 minutes, CuVee was a monster, dealing almost 20,000 damage to enemy champions en route to a 7/2/7 KDA for 74 percent kill participation.

Hakuho: Mediocre in series against Team SoloMid

Name: Nickolas "Hakuho" Surgent

Team: Team Envy

Update: Hakuho finished Team Envy's series loss to Team SoloMid on Sunday with a 0/3/5 KDA.

Analysis: Hakuho didn't have a great Game 1, as Team Envy weren't able to create much offense. They were put on the defensive early and failed to do much to stop Team SoloMid from rotating and keeping pressure on across the map. In Game 2, Hakuho laned with Seraph against Doublelift and Biofrost. The matchup was pretty one-sided, as the Team SoloMid duo lane pelted them with skillshots. Hakuho was able to heal some of the damage on Seraph, but all they really did was delay Team SoloMid from taking another turret. He finished Game 2 with a 0/1/3 KDA, which was one of the only positive KDA's on Team Envy. There was plenty of hype for Team Envy after their strong start to the season, but they have failed to perform well against the top tier teams. They will need a strong second half of the split for them to climb the standings.

LoD: Improved in Game 2, but not enough to stop Team SoloMid

Name: Benjamin "LoD" deMunck

Team: Team Envy

Update: LoD ended Team Envy's series loss to Team SoloMid on Sunday with a 2/4/2 KDA.

Analysis: LoD couldn't get things going on Ezreal in Game 1 against Team SoloMid. Team Envy struggled to break sieges and turn things around on Team SoloMid. LoD dealt out the second most damage to champions for Team Envy, but had no kills or assists to show for it. Game 2 went slightly better for LoD on Lucian as he finished with a 2/2/2 KDA and 100 percent kill participation. However, it still wasn't nearly enough to stop the top team in North America and force a Game 3. LoD will need to step up his play for Team Envy to maintain their spot in the standings.

Ninja: Damage carry not enough in series loss

Name: Noh "Ninja" Geon-Woo

Team: Team Envy

Update: Ninja finsihed Team Envy's series loss to Team SoloMid on Sunday with a 3/2/3 KDA.

Analysis: Ninja lost lane control early in Game 1, as Biofrost roamed early and chunked his health down. He kept things close in CS, but it didn't matter much as Team SoloMid rotated around the map, knocking down turrets and getting neutral objectives. Team Envy wasn't able to put up much of an offense, as Ninja's 2/1/0 KDA was the only positive KDA on the team. Game 2 didn't go much better for Ninja. He kept things close in lane against Bjergsen, but Team SoloMid's superior macro play got them the gold advantage late. In teamfights, Ninja dealt out plenty of damage but got little to show for it in terms of kills or assists. He finished Game 2 with 100 percent kill participation and the most damage dealt to champions for Team Envy, but it wasn't nearly enough to stop Team SoloMid from winning.

Procxin: Struggles in series loss

Name: Kim "Procxin" Seyoung

Team: Team Envy

Update: Procxin earned a 2/8/3 KDA in Team Envy's series loss to Team SoloMid on Sunday.

Analysis: Procxin wasn't able to get much done in Game 1 against Team SoloMid. While Team SoloMid rotated and pressured the map, Procxin could do little to aid his team. He participated in all but one of Team Envy's kills but they only managed a paltry three kills. Things got worse for him in Game 2 where he finished with the most deaths on Team Envy. He seemed to always be in risky situations, trying to jungle in territory that Team SoloMid had taken over, and was caught out many times. Procxin only managed to get one Dragon buff the entire series against Team SoloMid. He will need to pick up his play for Team Envy to have success against the top tier teams.

Seraph: Mediocre performance on Trundle in series loss

Name: Shin "Seraph" Wu-Yeong

Team: Team Envy

Update: Seraph earned a 0/7/5 KDA in Team Envy's series loss to Team SoloMid on Sunday.

Analysis: Seraph fell behind to Hauntzer in Game 1, but he kept things close by split pushing side lanes to catch up in CS. It didn't help out much, though, as Team SoloMid were dominating all across the map. Team Envy lacked abilities to get past Team SoloMid's frontline in teamfights and struggled to put up much of an offense. Seraph mainly served as cannon fodder, as he finished with the most deaths in Game 1. Game 2 didn't go much better for Seraph. The game started off with a lane swap and then Seraph and Hakuho decided to duo lane against Doublelift and Biofrost. It didn't work out well for Seraph, as he was constantly harassed by skillshots and had no way of returning the damage. When Team SoloMid grouped to teamfight, Seraph again was little more than cannon fodder. It was a rough series for Seraph overall, but it was against the top team in North America, so Team Envy shouldn't hang their heads too much.

Biofrost: No deaths in series sweep of Team Envy

Name: Vincent "Biofrost" Wang

Team: Team SoloMid

Update: Biofrost finished Team SoloMid's series sweep of Team Envy on Sunday with a 1/0/18 KDA.

Analysis: Biofrost roamed early in Game 1 to help Bjergsen take control of lane. It didn't set him back much since both teams were busy performing lane swaps. Team SoloMid had a great macro game against Team Envy, as they rotated around the map to keep the pressure on. Biofrost made great plays on Karma throughout the rotations, speeding up teammates to engage or getting Team Envy to flash with Focused Resolve. He had the highest kill participation in Game 1, having participated in all but one of Team SoloMid's kills. Things went so well for Biofrost on Karma in Game 1 that he chose her again in Game 2. He continued to help speed Team SoloMid into fights and draw out Team Envy summoner spells en route to a solid kill participation of 69 percent. He managed to finish the series without a death. There were a few occasions where Team SoloMid overstayed, but Biofrost got himself out of trouble thanks to the speed boost from Inspire. It's almost the halfway point of the summer split and Biofrost is currently leading North American supports in KDA and over assists.

Doublelift: Great in series sweep of Team Envy

Name: Yiliang "Doublelift" Peng

Team: Team SoloMid

Update: Doublelift ended Team SoloMid's series sweep of Team Envy on Sunday with a 7/2/7 KDA.

Analysis: Doublelift didn't have standard lanes to work with in Game 1, but did great when rotating with his teammates early. His only death in Game 1 came from overstaying while trying to push Nexus turrets. Game 2 again started with lane swaps, but instead of trading two turrets, both teams opted to only trade one. Doublelift and Biofrost ended up laning against Seraph and Hakuho. Things didn't go well for Seraph and Hakuho, as the Team SoloMid duo lane pelted them with skillshot after skillshot. The laning phase didn't last very long since Team SoloMid grouped and rotated their way to a nice lead. After their second Baron buff, there wasn't much Team Envy could do to stop Team SoloMid from sieging their way to a series sweep. Doublelift could have finished without a death in Game 2, but had poor positioning in a teamfight late as he was easy pickings for LoD. He has been putting together solid stats despite the kind of low numbers. There is one more series left in the first half of the split and Doublelift has the 3rd best KDA among North American AD Carries.

Bjergsen: Solid throughout series to keep win streak alive

Name: Soren "Bjergsen" Bjerg

Team: Team SoloMid

Update: Bjergsen finished Team SoloMid's series sweep of Team Envy on Sunday with a 8/2/10 KDA.

Analysis: Bjergsen had a solid Game 1 on Zilean, as he finished with a 2/0/6 KDA. He took lane control early after Biofrost roamed early and chunked down Ninja's health. Team SoloMid grouped and rotated well in the middle of the game. Bjergsen had some great double Time Bomb stuns during sieges that pushed Team Envy off of turrets. Team SoloMid continued their superior macro play in Game 2 on their way to a sweep of Team Envy. Bjergsen picked up a lot more kills in Game 2, but the aggression to get kills cost him some deaths late. Overall it was a great series for Team SoloMid, as they continue their undefeated streak.

Svenskeren: Great rotations throughout series sweep

Name: Dennis "Svenskeren" Johnsen

Team: Team SoloMid

Update: Svenskeren earned a 2/2/17 KDA in Team SoloMid's series sweep of Team Envy on Sunday.

Analysis: Svenskeren didn't have many ganking opportunities in the series, as both games started off with lane swaps. However, it didn't stop him from helping his team draw first blood in both games. As Rek'Sai, Svenskeren was able to fly across the map quickly to help keep the pressure on Team Envy while Team SoloMid dominated by knocking down turrets and picking up neutral objectives. Team Envy wasn't able to stop Team SoloMid since they only got one Dragon buff and the only turrets they knocked down came from lane swaps. In teamfights, Svenskeren was great at soaking up damage and protecting the damage dealers, picking up lots of assists in the process. He participated in 19 of Team SoloMid's 24 kills in the series.

Hauntzer: Damage carries in Game 2 of sweep

Name: Kevin "Hauntzer" Yarnell

Team: Team SoloMid

Update: Hauntzer earned a 6/1/13 KDA in Team SoloMid's series sweep of Team Envy on Sunday.

Analysis: Hauntzer counterpicked Seraph's Trundle with Irelia in Game 1. Lane swaps took away the laning phase, as both teams were rotating across the map from the start. Hauntzer initiated a turret dive to get first blood for Team SoloMid and was solid in the rest of the teamfights of Game 1. He participated in all but two of Team SoloMid's 11 kills in Game 1. In Game 2, Team SoloMid continued to out rotate and maintain map control over Team Envy. Hauntzer was unkillable on Swain, as he ran through Team Envy on his way to being Team SoloMid's top damage dealer. Team SoloMid has looked great so far this split and will likely finish the first half undefeated. Phoenix1 is the last team to stand in their way and they would need a miracle to hand Team SoloMid their first loss.

GimGoon: Unable to carry GT to a series win

Name: Han-saem "GimGoon" Kim

Team: Game Talents

Update: GimGoon posted a 7/5/6 KDA in GT's 0-2 series loss against I MAY.

Analysis: GimGoon's Irelia started Game 1 on a high note, as he helped secure first blood with a teleport flank at 13 minutes. While GimGoon would secure another kill for GT at 15 minutes, I MAY quickly took the game over, rotating as a full team to secure kills and objectives. GimGoon soon found himself without assassination targets, with BaeMe's Ryze able to one-shot him and Jinjiao's Jhin too well protected by I MAY to do any damage to him. With I MAY scaling into late game with a comfortable lead, GimGoon's 4/3/4 KDA and 100 percent kill participation wasn't enough to stop I MAY from winning in 33 minutes. GimGoon took Irelia again in Game 2, and, again, found early success on a teleport flank to help secure first blood for GT. Despite his early game lead, though, AmazingJ's Nautilus was still able to contribute to teamfights, and GimGoon again found himself without reliable assassination targets. With a 3/2/2 KDA and another 100 percent kill participation, GimGoon was unable to do anything to I MAY's bulky composition, as I MAY picked up a quick 27 minute win.

WuShuang: Weak performance punished by I MAY

Name: Hai-Li "WuShuang" Wang

Team: Game Talents

Update: WuShuang got outclassed, earning a 2/6/7 in GT's 0-2 series loss against I MAY.

Analysis: WuShuang started Game 1 on the wrong foot, giving a free kill to BaeMe's Ryze in the mid lane immediately following GT's four-man rotation into bottom lane for first blood. WuShuang would be forced out of his jungle several times by Avoidless and I MAY, punished for his early deaths and GT's lack of initiation. Earning a 1/3/3 KDA, WuShuang could only watch as I MAY's scaling composition hit their power spikes and rolled through GT's base. WuShuang played Gragas in Game 2, and started on a high note, killing Road for first blood just four minutes into the game. Like Game 1, though, WuShuang would find himself out-jungled by Avoidless, who counterjungled WuShuang with impunity. Without any means of catching up after I MAY got ahead, WuShuang's 1/3/4 KDA and 100 percent kill participation was a consolation prize, as I MAY ended Game 2 in a lightning-quick Baron push at 27 minutes.

republiC: Poor laning leads to series loss

Name: Geun-tae "republiC" Bong

Team: Game Talents

Update: republiC suffered in GT's 0-2 series loss against I MAY, earning a poor 1/6/5 KDA.

Analysis: republiC got shut down throughout the series, unable to make any significant contributions to either game in GT's losing effort. Despite being allowed to play Vladimir in Game 1, republiC was bullied out of lane by BaeMe's Ryze, giving BaeMe a relatively free lane in which he could farm and scale into a late game monster. Unable to stick to I MAY's backline, republiC would have negligible impact in teamfights, earning a dismal 0/3/2 KDA for just 25 percent kill participation in the 33 minute loss. Game 2's draft was questionable, as republiC picked Viktor into Athena's blind-pick Kassadin. While republiC would get an assist credit on WuShuang's four-minute first blood, I MAY would send four members to kill republiC shortly afterwards, giving the kill to Athena. With Kassadin ahead, republiC played cautiously, almost scared to roam around the map and make plays for his team. As I MAY picked off GT members to secure objectives, republiC was unable to perform the way GT needed him to, earning a 1/3/3 KDA in the 27 minute loss.

PentaQ: Poor drafting leads to a poor performance

Name: Ming-Shu "PentaQ" Xu

Team: Game Talents

Update: PentaQ had a sub-par showing against I MAY, posting a 3/7/4 KDA in a 0-2 series loss.

Analysis: Poor PentaQ had a rough time against I MAY throughout the series, playing Lucian in both losses. Game 1 started off well enough for the GT AD carry, securing first blood onto I MAY's bottom lane at just 13 minutes into the game. Despite the early lead, however, PentaQ was unable to snowball his lead, with Jinjiao freezing bottom lane in front of his tier two turret and the rest of I MAY roaming around the map to secure kills. Once teamfights began, PentaQ's low attack range on Lucian was punished by I MAY, with AmazingJ's Nautilus landing several Dredge Lines onto PentaQ to secure easy kills for I MAY. Unable to carry GT, PentaQ's 3/4/2 KDA reflected his poor teamfighting as I MAY took Game 1. Game 2 began eerily similar to Game 1, with a TP flank from WuShuang to the bottom lane secured an I MAY first blood onto Road. Despite the early assist, though, PentaQ was again punished through lane freezes and I MAY's roaming death squad, this time equipped with a Kassadin. PentaQ was unable to get any meaningful damage in teamfights without getting caught and blown up by all of I MAY, earning a 0/3/2 KDA in the 27 minute loss.

Savoki: Punished with impunity in crushing loss

Name: Jin "Savoki" Hao

Team: Game Talents

Update: Savoki was punished throughout the series, ending with a 0/11/6 KDA in GT's 0-2 series loss.

Analysis: Savoki played the part of a sacrificial lamb in GT's loss, putting on two poor performances. In Game 1, Savoki's Braum might have helped secure first blood for his team, but he would soon find himself getting repeatedly picked off by I MAY. Savoki's woeful vision control allowed I MAY complete freedom around the map, as Savoki would try to make plays in unwinnable situations for GT. Trying too hard to put GT back into the game, Savoki finished Game 1 with a dismal 0/7/3 KDA. Looking to get back on track in Game 2 as Karma, Savoki would, again, help GT secure first blood from a team-wide rotation into bot lane. GT seemed out of ideas after that play, though, and defaulted to sending Savoki into enemy territory to try and make an aggressive play, only for Savoki to die. Savoki was a sitting duck against I MAY's highly mobile pick composition, earning a 0/4/3 KDA in a quick 27 minute loss.

Road: Consistent performance gives I MAY teamfighting edge

Name: Yun "Road" Han-gil

Team: I May

Update: Road posted a 3/5/22 KDA in I MAY's 2-0 series win against Game Talents.

Analysis: Despite early game miscues in both games, Road was able to help I MAY win through objective control and teamfighting prowess. Road's Thresh overextended in Game 1 after a lane swap tower trade, giving up first blood to Game Talents. Despite the early deaths, however, Road was still able to roam around the map with Avoidless, setting up picks to snowball I MAY's other lanes ahead. When it came to teamfighting, Road played his role as a utility/crowd control machine, locking GT members up for BaeMe and Jinjiao to pump damage into. He finished with a 2/3/14 KDA for 80 percent kill participation. Playing Thresh again in Game 2, Road gave up first blood to a teleport/full team roam at four minutes. Road would get revenge, though, when he joined Avoidless and AmazingJ in the mid lane to give Athena an easy kill onto republiC. Once Athena was ahead, Road was able to roam with impunity, controlling vision and helping Avoidless pick up kills across the map. Road was reliable in teamfights for the second game in a row, earning a 1/2/8 KDA as I MAY closed out Game 2 in just 27 minutes.

Jinjiao: Shines as I MAY crush Game Talents

Name: Xie "Jinjiao" JinShan

Team: I May

Update: Jinjiao played spectacularly, posting a 12/2/13 KDA in I MAY's 2-0 series win.

Analysis: Jinjiao played very well throughout the series, despite early mistakes in Game 1 on Jhin. Pushing too aggressively at 13 minutes, Jinjiao and Road were flanked by a teleporting WuShuang for first blood. Despite the early death, Jinjiao was able to freeze the bottom lane right in front of his turret, preventing PentaQ from snowballing his lead and allowing Jinjiao to farm into mid game teamfighting power. With powerful Curtain Calls, Jinjiao did massive damage to GT, while remaining almost untouched throughout fights. With superior objective control and teamfighting, I MAY looked very strong in the 33 minute win, with Jinjiao earning a 8/2/7 KDA for 75 percent kill participation. Game 2 was even better for Jinjiao, again on Jhin, despite Road giving up first blood at four minutes into the game. This time in a standard, 2-vs-2 lane, Jinjiao punished PentaQ, bullying him under his own turret. With an early CS lead, Jinjiao would come into the mid game as a huge damage threat. Protected by Road's Thresh, Jinjiao was able to focus on pumping out damage through Deadly Flourishes and Curtain Calls, dealing huge damage on his way towards earning a flawless 4/0/6 KDA. With a great performance in Game 2, Jinjiao helped carry I MAY to a lightning-quick 27 minute win.

Athena: Comes off the bench to carry game

Name: Ha-woon "Athena" Kang

Team: I May

Update: Athena carried I MAY with a 6/1/4 KDA in I MAY's Game 2 demolishing of Game Talents.

Analysis: Subbed in for BaeMe in Game 2, Athena blind-picked Kassadin in the draft, a risky move that went unpunished by GT. Gifted a kill at five minutes by a three man roam to mid lane, Athena was able to take over the lane against republiC's Viktor, who was forced to play passively under his own tower. Given all the space in the world to create plays for his team, Athena would roam around the map and pick up kills and objectives with relative ease. Hitting a huge power spike at 21 minutes, I MAY would win a four-for-zero teamfight on the back of Athena's damage and back-line assassinations, en route to Athena's 6/1/4 KDA. I MAY took an early Baron at 22 minutes, which led to a comfortable 27 minute win.

BaeMe: Dominating presence in Game 1 win

Name: Kang "BaeMe" Yang-hyun

Team: I May

Update: BaeMe's 5/1/12 KDA carried I MAY to a Game 1 against Game Talents.

Analysis: BaeMe was given a global permaban in Ryze, a mistake which cost Game Talents heavily. Able to secure a solo kill onto WuShuang at 13 minutes, and able to bully republiC's Vladimir out of lane multiple times, BaeMe quickly snowballed out of control, pumping out massive damage while locking GT down in teamfights and skirmishes. Earning a 5/1/12 KDA for 85 percent kill participation, BaeMe carried in teamfights, propelling I MAY to an easy 33 minute win. BaeMe did not play in Game 2.

Avoidless: Creates huge pressure in series win

Name: Fan "Avoidless" Jun Wei

Team: I May

Update: Avoidless outclassed WuShuang in the jungle, earning a 4/2/22 KDA in I MAY's 2-0 series win.

Analysis: Avoidless was on point throughout the series, dominating the jungle matchup and creating huge pressure for I MAY. Avoidless' Rek'Sai in Game 1 wouldn't take part in a kill until 16 minutes into the game, when all of I MAY collapsed onto GT's bot lane for an easy kill and Cloud Drake. From then on, Avoidless dominated both halves of the jungle, counterjunglnig WuShuang and denying him much-needed resources while giving I MAY consistent vision control. Able to dive onto GT's backline as a secondary initiator, Avoidless posted a 2/1/14 KDA in a solid 33 minute win. Taking control of Elise in Game 2, Avoidless took part in a four-man gank to give Athena an easy kill onto republiC. With GT's mid lane playing from behind, Avoidless was able to live in GT's jungle without fear of getting collapsed on, shutting WuShuang out of his own half of the map. With superior teamfighting and objective control, I MAY rolled to an easy 27 minute win, with Avoidless earning a 2/1/8 KDA.

AmazingJ: Crucial initiator in series win

Name: Sheik "AmazingJ" Wai Ho

Team: I May

Update: AmazingJ's consistency paid off, earning a 5/2/24 KDA in I MAY's 2-0 series win.

Analysis: AmazingJ had two solid performances on Nautilus against Game Talents. Game 1 saw AmazingJ gain an early advantage from a lane swap tower trade, able to get much needed farm and experience before GimGoon's Irelia could bully him out of lane. Despite giving up a kill at 15 minutes, AmazingJ played very well as a front line initiator for I MAY, landing several Dredge Lines onto high priority targets and using his Depth Charge to disrupt GT's backline. On the back of AmazingJ's 3/1/12 KDA for 75 percent kill participation, I MAY's teamfighting far outclassed GT's, as they took a 33 minute win. In Game 2, AmazingJ again found an early CS and experience lead, this time from GimGoon teleporting to bot lane at just four minutes into the game. Able to quickly shove his lane, AmazingJ successfully ganked mid, securing a kill for Athena's Kassadin. Once AmazingJ and I MAY got rolling, GT was powerless to stop them in teamfights or in objective pressure, as AmazingJ earned another solid 2/1/12 KDA for 93 percent kill participation.

kfo: Can't find his footing in series loss

Name: Park "kfo" Jeong-hun

Team: Echo Fox

Update: kfo finished 1/5/8 in Echo Fox's loss to Apex while his top lane opponent, Ray, dominated the match.

Analysis: kfo had a tough day against Team Apex, as not only did he underperform, his lane opponent Ray ran away with the match. In Game 1, kfo took Irelia in the first round of picks, leading to a Jax counterpick from Ray. With the lanes swapped, Apex focused on getting additional farm to Ray while Echo Fox fed their creeps to Keith, leaving kfo in a CS deficit. kfo stayed behind all game, never quite able to exert as much deadly force in a teamfight and keep Apex from running away with it. In Game 2, kfo switched to Shen with the first overall pick, letting Ray respond with his comfort pick Fiora. This time, kfo came out of the lane swap with the advantage, but still struggled to make as much of an impact when it came to the teamfighting phase. Overall, kfo didn't really perform badly, but with his jungler struggling and his lane opponent carrying the match, kfo looked that much worse by comparison.

Xpecial: Takes the hits for his team as Apex knocks off Echo Fox

Name: Alex "Xpecial" Chu

Team: Apex Gaming

Update: Xpecial earned a 2/4/18 KDA in Apex's win against Echo Fox after throwing himself into harm's way.

Analysis: Xpecial played a pair of excellent Braum games in the series against Echo Fox, frequently making the tough calls to get his team early advantages. In Game 1, Xpecial went into the opposing jungle to gank Hard's Olaf at level 1, knowing that the viking has a tendency to jungle at low health in the early game. This gave Apex an early kill and set back Echo Fox's jungler, who was never really able to recover. In Game 2, Xpecial didn't have quite as flashy an impact, but he did manage to stay involved on 13 of his team's 14 kills as Apex cruised to another easy victory. Across both games, Apex also looked more comfortable in the lane swap game, knowing that they needed to feed additional CS to Ray's top lane carries and generally controlling the flow of the tower exchanges to their advantage, and at least some of that should be attributed to Xpecial's shotcalling.

Apollo: Racks up the assists in sweep of Echo Fox

Name: Apollo "Apollo" Price

Team: Apex Gaming

Update: Apollo finished with a KDA of 2/1/21 during Apex's series win against Echo Fox.

Analysis: Apollo didn't manage all that many kills in the series against Echo Fox, but that was mostly because Ray refused to leave any lying around for anyone else. In Game 1, Apollo took Ezreal into a lane swap and let Ray's Jax take most of the farm, putting him a little behind the opposing ADC Keith. It ended up not mattering, as Ray's Jax snowballed his lane advantage and ran roughshod over Echo Fox for the rest of the game. In Game 2, Apollo went back to Ezreal and again let Ray's Fiora take most of the CS in lane. The game never ended up being close, as Apex's ShrimP completely controlled both jungles and gave his team a tremendous overall advantage. While Apollo's 2/1/21 line was light on actual executions, he did participate in 23 of his team's 28 kills across the series and did exactly what was needed of him to win.

Keane: Holds his own in mid as Apex tops Echo Fox

Name: Lae-Young "Keane" Jang

Team: Apex Gaming

Update: Keane finished Apex's series win over Echo Fox with a 8/3/8 KDA while the rest of his team ran away with the match.

Analysis: If it's possible to manage a quiet 8/3/8 series, that is what Keane did against Echo Fox on Sunday. In Game 1, Keane took Vladimir up against Froggen's Azir and managed to stay safe in lane, even though he ended up with a notable CS disadvantage. Still, Keane got himself built up enough to be a devastating threat during teamfights and ended up at 4/0/3, though most of the highlight reel went to Ray's 6/0/5 Jax. In Game 2, Keane took Karma into the mid lane and had a worse time against Froggen's Viktor, including one early death in lane. Still, Keane recovered while the rest of his team dominated, leading to a 4/3/5 performance and a win for his team. Keane again held his own in lane against a very talented midlaner in Froggen, and even though he wasn't the driving force behind Apex's victories, he played more than well enough to help them along the way.

ShrimP: Controls the match during Apex's win over Echo Fox

Name: Lee "ShrimP" Byeong-hoon

Team: Apex Gaming

Update: ShrimP finished Apex's 2-0 win over Apex with a 5/4/14 KDA, including a dominating buff control performance in Game 2.

Analysis: ShrimP had an excellent series against Echo Fox, even though the statistical highlights may have gone to his other lanes. In Game 1, ShrimP was able to take advantage of an early death on the opposing jungler Hard, letting ShrimP take a huge CS lead and exert much more lane pressure. This let ShrimP get his entire team ahead, leading to a zero death games from both his top and mid laners as Apex routed Echo Fox. Game 2 was ShrimP's real masterpiece, though, as he took Nidalee up against Hard's Hecarim. ShrimP was able to take 13 of the first 16 buffs on the map, setting Hard so far behind that he could never recover. In both matches, ShrimP was able to not just be the more threatening jungler, but also neutralize his opponent, letting his team push their advantages from relative safety. The 5/4/14 KDA ShrimP managed was nice, but not at all indicative of how much he owned this match.

Ray: Gets huge in Apex's victory over Echo Fox

Name: Jeon "Ray" Ji-won

Team: Apex Gaming

Update: Ray put up a spotless 11/0/11 KDA during Apex's sweep of Echo Fox with brutal bruiser play.

Analysis: Ray looked spectacular against Echo Fox, putting up an 11/0/11 KDA and completely dominating both games. In Game 1, Ray's Jax received the bulk of the CS in the early lane swap, letting him build an early Trinity Force and Frozen Mallet. That combo allowed him to land on Echo Fox with devastating burst, then stick to them because of the consistent slows. He had a number of highlight kills this game, though one of the best might have been soloing kfo's Irelia in lane to get his second kill and secure his dominance for the rest of the round. In Game 2, kfo shifted his pick to Shen, so Ray went to a different top lane carry in Fiora. Ray put up another beauty in Game 2, finishing 5/0/6, but he felt like much less of the story of this game. Much of Ray's dominance came indirectly from his jungler, ShrimP, completely controlling the buffs in both jungles all game, allowing Ray to farm without the real threat of an opposing gank.

Big: Gets bursted out as Echo Fox is defeated by Apex

Name: Terry "Big" Chuong

Team: Echo Fox

Update: Big ended Echo Fox's series loss to Apex with a 0/9/10 KDA after being the victim of multiple assassinations by Apex's Ray.

Analysis: Big spent the series against Team Apex as Ray's primary victim, falling nine times across two games in very bloody fashion. In Game 1, Big took Karma as a support, hoping to speed up Hard's Olaf and kfo's Irelia into an uncontrollable wrecking ball. However, after Hard was killed in his jungle at level 1 and Echo Fox's indecision left them on the short end of a lane swap, Echo Fox's plan never had a chance to come to fruition. Instead, Big spent much of the game getting hopped and bopped by Ray's Jax, usually finding himself dead before he could manage to react. In Game 2, Big switched to Nami with basically the same result: Hard fell behind early, Apex had a slightly better lane swap and Ray's Fiora spent the rest of the game diving on Big and making him explode. Big's choice to run two squishy ranged supports wound up hurting Echo Fox a lot here, as Ray's diving, high damage top laners were able to neutralize Big before he could add his utility to late game fights.

Keith: Can't make an impact as Echo Fox falls to APex

Name: Yuri "Keith" Jew

Team: Echo Fox

Update: Keith went 3/3/6 in Echo Fox's loss to Apex.

Analysis: In spite of a focus on building him up during lane swaps, Echo Fox's Keith was still unable to develop into a real threat against Team Apex. In Game 1, Keith's Lucian was given most of the CS during his team's lane swap, letting him take an early advantage over Apex's Apollo. However, Apex had been pushing their farm towards their top laner Ray, who then used his Jax to completely dominate Echo Fox and win the game. In Game 2, Keith switched things up and took Jhin, who did not receive the bulk of the lane swapped CS. Keith actually managed to stay out of trouble for most of this game, but with his jungler Hard getting heavily counterjungled and Ray again developing into a deadly threat for Apex, there was little Keith could do to swing the game back in his team's favor. In spite of the loss, Keith didn't look bad this series - he just wasn't good enough to pull his team back up from an early disadvantage.

Froggen: Strong teamfighting not enough to find a win for Echo Fox

Name: Henrik "Froggen" Hansen

Team: Echo Fox

Update: Froggen finished Echo Fox's loss to Apex with a 5/4/4 KDA with strong teamfighting, but it wasn't enough.

Analysis: Even though the rest of his team struggled mightily against Team Apex, Froggen managed to have a decent day for himself. In Game 1, Froggen's Azir went just 1/2/2, but he did manage to get a considerable CS lead in lane and largely protect himself from Ray's rampaging Jax. In Game 2, Froggen moved onto Viktor and nabbed first blood on the way to a 4/2/2 KDA on the game. Unfortunately, Team Apex had complete control of both jungles and Ray had another excellent game on Fiora, so the team disadvantages were just too much for Froggen to swing the game. Froggen dealt 48 percent of Echo Fox's total damage to champions in this series, which is indicative both of their focus on getting Froggen to carry status and the inability of the rest of the team to meet him there.

Hard: Gets pushed out of his own jungle in loss to Apex

Name: Anthony "Hard" Barkhovtsev

Team: Echo Fox

Update: The Echo Fox jungler finished 2/7/6 in Echo Fox's loss to Apex, and was only able to take 3 of the first 16 buffs in Game 2.

Analysis: Hard ended up on the wrong side of a ton of jungle pressure against Team Apex, leading to a disappointing pair of games. In Game 1, Hard took Olaf into the jungle and was picked off at level 1 by an invasion from Apex's bottom lane. It was a smart call to pressure Olaf, who tends to jungle at low health in the early game, and Hard was never really able to come back from that early deficit and develop into a durable threat. Still, Game 2 went even worse for Hard, as he picked Hecarim immediately after Apex had selected Karma. Not only did this leave the demon horse without his speed-boosting buddy, Hard was then counterjungled heavily by Shrimp's Nidalee. Echo Fox's jungler would up only taking three of the game's first 16 buffs, after which Apex had secured such an advantage that they controlled the map for the remainder of the game. With Hard reduced to a non-factor in both games, Echo Fox struggled to keep up in their lanes and fell to Apex easily.

JUNE 26, 2016

KeY: Unable to inspire Ever to a victory

Name: Han-gi "KeY" Kim

Team: Ever

Update: KeY earned a lackluster 1/10/15 KDA in ESC Ever's 1-2 series loss against Samsung.

Analysis: KeY's performance was reflective of Ever's performance as a whole: solid in victory, impactless in defeat. The mercurial support had a good showing in Game 1 as Alistar, combining with LokeN's Kalista to start several fights and secure crucial picks. KeY's 0/1/7 KDA for 70 percent would be his best performance of the evening, though, as Samsung would return to fielding Wraith at support, which seemed to give them the spark of life they needed to dominate Ever. KeY's Braum was practically useless in Game 2, which saw KeY give up first blood to a full team rotation from Samsung. With Samsung ahead early, KeY was unable to give Ever any momentum, finishing Game 2 with a 0/3/1 KDA. KeY's lack of vision control continued to hurt Ever, as he was out-warded in every game of the series. Game 3 saw KeY return to his Alistar pick, but his Game 1 success wouldn't return with it. With Samsung again out-rotating Ever in the early game to secure a gold lead, KeY was unable to find any reliable initiation, earning a 1/6/7 KDA in the defeat.

LoKeN: Looks good in disappointing defeat

Name: Lee "LoKeN" Dong-Wook

Team: Ever

Update: LoKeN shined with a 6/2/11 KDA in ESC Ever's 1-2 series loss against Samsung.

Analysis: As with most of Ever's losses, LoKeN had a decent statistical performance. LoKeN's Kalista was instrumental to their Game 1 win, using Fate's Call to fling KeY's Alistar into teamfights en route to earning a 4/0/4 KDA. Game 2 on Ezreal was less than stellar, however, as LoKeN and KeY got collapsed on by all of Samsung, with KeY giving up first blood at seven minutes, continuing the trend of Ever's bottom lane getting caught out of position in the early game. As the game progressed, Ever's late game scaling composition was unable to deal with Samsung's early power, with LoKeN posting a subdued 0/2/1 KDA, as Samsung bullied Ever around the map on their way to a 45-minute win. Game 3 found LoKeN on Jhin, where he earned a great-looking 2/0/6 KDA for 80 percent kill participation. Despite the deathless game, however, LoKeN was unable to carry Ever to a win, as Samsung would bully Ever around the map following an early team-wide rotation for the second game in a row. With a mounting gold deficit, and no reliable initiation tools, Ever was helpless as Samsung took Game 3 in 43 minutes.

Tempt: Streaky performance unable to carry Ever

Name: Kang "Tempt" Myung-Gu

Team: Ever

Update: Tempt's inconsistency earned him a 7/6/9 KDA in ESC Ever's 1-2 series loss against Samsung.

Analysis: Tempt's performance varied wildly throughout the series, beginning with an impressive showing on Varus in Game 1. With Samsung in disarray, Tempt was able to deal a staggering 29,700 damage to enemy champions, almost as much as Ruler and Crown combined, as Tempt poked Samsung into submission. Unable to do seemingly anything, Samsung crumbled as Tempt posted a 4/0/5 KDA for 90 percent kill participation in a dominating Game 1. In contrast, Tempt had a staggering inability to make any sort of impact in Game 2 on Azir. With Samsung rotating around the map, Ever was put on the defensive for the entire game, with Tempt earning a measly 1/2/0 KDA. Game 3 found Tempt on Ryze, but was unable to become a late-game carry. With Samsung taking a commanding early lead, Tempt was unable to get the gold he needed to become a major threat, only posting a 2/4/4 KDA as Ever lost 1-2 in a reverse sweep.

Bless: Bullied throughout the series

Name: Choi "Bless" Hyeon-woong

Team: Ever

Update: Bless's poor performance earned him a 2/9/12 KDA in ESC Ever's 1-2 series loss against Samsung.

Analysis: Game 1 would be the highlight of Bless' evening, as Bless took control of Gragas in Ever's sole win. Without Wraith, Samsung looked lost across the map, allowing Bless and Ever to dominate Game 1, only giving up one kill in over 40 minutes of play. Through early skirmishes, Bless' 1/0/5 KDA helped power Ever to a Game 1 win, but his fortunes would change with Samsung's support. Bless played Rek'Sai in Game 2, where he had significantly less of an impact. Bless would die several times inside of 15 minutes, en route to a poor 0/5/1 KDA, as Samsung grabbed control early and finished in a strong showing. Game 3 saw Bless play Elise, but a four-for-zero teamfight for Samsung at eight minutes stopped any hopes of a comeback from Ever. Bless' 1/4/6 KDA fared better in Game 3, but was nowhere near enough to stop Samsung from dominating the map and taking a 2-1 series win.

Crazy: Outclassed by CuVee in series loss

Name: Jah-hee "Crazy" Kim

Team: Ever

Update: Crazy posted a 5/6/11 KDA in ESC Ever's 1-2 series loss against Samsung.

Analysis: Crazy had a rough night against CuVee, despite a good showing in Game 1 on Shen. With CuVee using a sub-optimal build, maxing Hiten Style and rushing a Stinger against a Shen, Crazy was able to comfortably farm and scale into the mid game, where he was a huge front-line initiator for Ever. Crazy finished Game 1 with a 1/0/8 KDA for 90 percent kill participation, but he would not enjoy his success for long. Game 2 found Crazy on Swain, where he was unable to carry Ever to any degree of success. After Samsung five-man dove Ever's bottom lane at seven minutes, the game was firmly out of Ever's control, with Crazy's 23,300 damage to enemy champions unable to swing the game in Ever's favor. Crazy returned to Irelia in Game 3, but was countered by CuVee's Renekton, who started the game with a double kill after a four-for-zero fight at eight minutes. Samsung's map pressure was too high for Ever and Crazy, who earned a 4/5/2 KDA in the loss.

TrAce: Given a warning for "unsportsmanlike conduct"

Name: Yeo "TrAce" Chang-dong

Team: Jin Air Green Wings

Update: TrAce was given a warning by Riot Games for his "unsportsmanlike conduct" during Jin Air Green Wings' match against MVP on June 20, reports Emily Rand of theScore.

Analysis: During JAGs match against MVP last Monday, TrAce disconnected from the match as his team's Nexus was being destroyed. Riot Games cited rules 9.1.1 (Unfair Play) and 9.1.1.8 (intentional Disconnection or Deliberate Leaving of Game) in handing out the warning to the team. Should anyone on the team receive another warning, they will be subject to a deduction of points, which would affect their standing in the LCK.

Xpecial: Can't find a way to bring Apex a victory

Name: Alex "Xpecial" Chu

Team: Apex Gaming

Update: Xpecial put forth a consistently so-so performance in both games, ending the series 0/9/16.

Analysis: Xpecial was at least reliable in the matchup against Team Liquid, going 0/5/8 and 0/4/8 in a pair of losing efforts. In Game 1, Xpecial took Braum up against the Karma and Ashe lane of Team Liquid. While Xpecial didn't play poorly, he also was unable to prevent Fabbbyyy's Enchanted Crystal Arrows from consistently picking off their targets, even though that is one of the major advantages of taking Braum against Ashe. In Game 2, Xpecial switched to Karma with the first pick to prevent Liquid's Matt from having another excellent game on the champion. The Karma pick again worked fine for Apex, as Apollo's Jhin was better-protected in Game 2 and managed to not die quite as much. Still, neither effort was enough to find the W for Apex.

Apollo: Jhin play threatens Team Liquid

Name: Apollo "Apollo" Price

Team: Apex Gaming

Update: Even with a strong showing in Game 2, Apollo still finished with a 5/6/14 in the series loss to Team Liquid.

Analysis: Apollo looked better in Game 2 than he did in Game 1, but it still wasn't enough for Apex to find a different result. In Game 1, Apollo took Ezreal, probably hoping the added mobility would give him a chance to survive against Liquid's Olaf and Karma picks. Unfortunately, Apollo found himself outfarmed in lane and then victimized by the very strong jungle and mid play from Dardoch and Fenix, ending the game with a disappointing 1/4/9. In Game 2, with no Olaf or Karma to face off against, Apollo switched to Jhin and had a much better time. Even with a slow start, Apollo was able to Curtain Call his way back into relevance, eventually picking up a handful of kills in losing teamfights on his way to a 4/2/9 KDA. Unfortunately, Fenix and the rest of Liquid were simply too far ahead at this point, and Apex simply didn't have the health to withstand Leblanc's firepower.

Keane: Puts on an impressive showing in Apex's series loss

Name: Lae-Young "Keane" Jang

Team: Apex Gaming

Update: Keane looked great in spite of the series loss to Team Liquid, finishing 9/2/10 in the series.

Analysis: Even though Apex's series against Team Liquid left little for Apex to cheer about, Keane's performance in both games was a potential positive note. In Game 1, Keane took his Zilean up against Fenix's Viktor. Although Keane was unable to keep Fenix in check during roaming and teamfighting, Keane did manage to keep up with the steadily more beastly Viktor in lane without dying. Keane finished Game 1 at 5/0/5, showing again that his Zilean can be a real threat. In Game 2, Keane switched his pick to Twisted Fate, and again had a decent game while Fenix had an amazing one on the other side of the lane. Keane finished this game 4/2/5, though there were a few card-switching misplays over the course of the round. Still, Keane's individual numbers may be great, but if he can't do more to keep his lane opponent from going off on the rest of his team, that effort may be for naught.

ShrimP: Struggles on Rek'Sai in series loss

Name: Lee "ShrimP" Byeong-hoon

Team: Apex Gaming

Update: ShrimP's Rek'Sai failed to impress, going 3/11/13 in the loss to Liquid.

Analysis: ShrimP took Rek'Sai in both games against Team Liquid, but ended up with similarly negative results each time. In Game 1, ShrimP did help execute an early five-man, double teleport gank against Team Liquid's bottom lane, but it was pretty much all downhill from there. Liquid's Dardoch was busy taking a huge lead on Olaf, and ShrimP's Rek'Sai just couldn't offer the same kind of pressure for his team. In Game 2, ShrimP got off to a better start, going 1/0/2 before getting picked off twice by Fenix's LeBlanc. That was just foreshadowing things to come, as Fenix continued to snowball out of control on the assassin and ShrimP never became the tanky threat that Rek'sai needs to be.

Ray: Top lane Swain not enough to overcome Team Liquid

Name: Jeon "Ray" Ji-won

Team: Apex Gaming

Update: Ray's Swain had moments of brilliance, but still finished the series loss to Team Liquid with a 4/10/11.

Analysis: Ray's Swain did look better than his 4/10/11 KDA, but he couldn't execute on a few narrow misses or narrow escapes. In Game 1, Ray took Swain up against Lourlo's Shen and managed to nab three early assists through Teleports and team coordination. Even after he was victimized by a tower dive, Roy was always in the middle of teamfights as a dangerous and difficult-to-slay presence. Unfortunately, Fenix and Dardoch from Team Liquid were both amassing solid leads by this point, and Ray's constant, slow threat was unable to compete with their immediate burst. In Game 2, Ray took Swain again into Lourlo's Trundle, and had a much rougher game. Even with a CS lead, Roy was unable to escape from a long chase-down solo kill by Lourlo, and he simply couldn't develop fast enough to increase his own survivability.

Matt: Support play helps take down Apex

Name: Matthew "Matt" Elento

Team: Team Liquid

Update: Matt racked up the assists in a short series win against Apex, finishing 0/5/30.

Analysis: Matt managed to stay incredibly involved with his team in the series against Apex, assisting on 19 of 20 kills in Game 1 and 79 percent of the kills across the series. In Game 1, Matt used Karma excellently, helping to both protect Fabbbyyy's immobile Ashe and speed up Dardoch's brutally strong Olaf. Karma's shields, along with Lourlo's Shen, were able to limit Team Liquid's casualties while enabling the whole team to always follow up on Fabbbyyy's Enchanted Crystal Arrow hits. In Game 2, Matt switched to Nami and had a comparatively worse go of it, "only" managing to go 0/3/11. Matt landed his bubbles, including one excellent play against Keane in the mid lane where he perfectly timed the bubble to chain right after Fabbbyyy's Enchanted Crystal Arrow wore off, locking down Twisted Fate under his turret and setting up the kill.

fabbbyyy: Arrows can't miss as Team Liquid tops Apex

Name: Jovani "fabbbyyy" Guillen

Team: Team Liquid

Update: fabbbyyy's Enchanted Crystal Arrows were on point during a 8/6/19 effort against Apex.

Analysis: fabbbyyy played Ashe both games of this series, and with the way he was landing his ultimate, he may never need to play anything else. In Game 1, fabbbyyy took Ashe up against Apollo's Ezreal and fell to an early five-man, double teleport gank by Apex. Still, fabbbyyy was able to come back through a CS advantage and a number of on-point Enchanted Crystal Arrows that set up the rest of his team for easy picks and advantageous teamfights. Game 2 was much of the same story, as fabbbyyy took Ashe against Apollo's Jhin and again earned a slight CS lead, followed by a number of on-point stuns to set his team up for victory. fabbbyyy ended up contributing to 71 percent of his team's kills over the series, but the utility of his devastatingly accurate Ashe ultimates might have even done more to cause the win than the statistics suggest.

Fenix: Has an explosive series as Team Liquid beats Apex

Name: Kim "Fenix" Jae-hoon

Team: Team Liquid

Update: Fenix went for the threat against Apex, finishing 19/5/11 in the series win.

Analysis: With Azir banned in both games, Fenix had to stretch his champion pool a little to face down Apex, but there was little to complain about in the result. In Game 1, Fenix took Viktor up against Keane's Zilean. With his lane opponent playing very well on a safe champion, Fenix simply looked elsewhere for his kills, going 5/1/3 before 24 minutes. He would finish the round with a 9/3/7 KDA, including multiple teamfights that were decided by the combination of Fenix and Dardoch's Olaf simply picking a target and deleting them off the Rift. In Game 2, Fenix picked an early LeBlanc to go against Keane's Twisted Fate. Fenix played aggressively all game, again racking up five kills before the 30-minute mark and ending the game with a 10/2/4 KDA. Though Fenix was not able to hold his lane opponent down in this game, he was more than able to contribute through teamfighting and roaming, putting up a beauty of a performance in Team Liquid's win.

Dardoch: Impresses on Olaf in series win

Name: Joshua "Dardoch" Hartnett

Team: Team Liquid

Update: Dardoch finished 7/3/22 during this win over Apex in large part due to a near unkillable Olaf in Game 1.

Analysis: Dardoch played an excellent pair of games against Apex, but his highlight definitely came in the first game on Olaf. Dardoch got off to an early start and never let up, landing Undertow after Undertow en route to a 5/1/12 KDA. His ability to ignore CC and directly attack Apex's back line also helped Fenix collect kills on Viktor and ensure that they had the advantage in almost every teamfight. In Game 2, Dardoch switched to Nidalee even though no bans changed on Apex's side, and his impact was a little harder to feel. While still playing effectively, Dardoch did not get off to the same kind of huge lead and had to settle for a more modest 2/2/10 KDA. Still, Dardoch again combined well with Fenix, helping to add a little burst to any target the Leblanc went after and set his midlaner up for another huge game.

Lourlo: Tanks Team Liquid to victory over Apex

Name: Samson "Lourlo" Jackson

Team: Team Liquid

Update: Lourlo had an excellent 4/2/23 KDA during the series win over Apex.

Analysis: Lourlo's top lane tanks looked excellent as Team Liquid bested Apex in a not particularly close series. In Game 1, Lourlo took Shen into the top lane against Ray's Swain and found himself racking up the assists. Lourlo was able to follow Ray's teleports around the map with his own ultimate and stay involved in teamfights, landing several clutch taunts across multiple members of Apex. In Game 2, Ray stuck to Swain and Lourlo switched his pick to Trundle, giving him a little more offensive firepower. Lourlo solidly bested Ray in lane this time around, even making a very long solo kill against the Swain by chasing him almost all the way to the second turret. Lourlo looked solid throughout the series in both the laning phase and team fighting.

V: Struggles to find his footing in loss to I MAY

Name: Bao "V" Bogdan

Team: NewBee

Update: V posted a weak 3/8/9 KDA in Newbee's loss to I MAY.

Analysis: V's play in the top lane was heavily overshadowed by his counterpart on I May, AmazingJ. In Game 1, V took Lissandra up against AmazingJ's Trundle and was the only member of Newbee to start slowly. With Dade and Swift running roughshod over the rest of the map, it didn't look like V's difficulties against AmazingJ would have a chance to matter. But as I May turned the game around, it was largely due to the Trundle becoming unkillable while V was left struggling to make an impact. In Game 2, V put up a better statistical game on Maokai, but was again outshined, as AmazingJ took his Irelia around the map, snatching up kills and controlling the game. While V's play could have been better, it looked even worse in comparison to his lane opponent.

Swift: Swift looked solid on Rek'Sai early in Game 1, but dropped the ball late and never recovered.

Name: Bael "Swift" Da-Hoon

Team: NewBee

Update: Swift finished Newbee's loss to I MAY with a 7/12/15 KDA.

Analysis: Swift opened up the series with a first pick Rek'Sai in Game 1, starting off with a strong, hyperaggressive early game that resulted in a huge lead for the rest of his team, especially Dade. However, as the game progressed, that aggression caught up to Swift, first in the form of a failed Baron fight and then again in a series of deep dives that ended up solidifying I May's comeback. In Game 2, I May snatched away the Rek'Sai with their first pick, pushing Swift onto Graves. Swift never looked comfortable this game, as all of I May rode Rek'Sai's pressure to an early lead, allowing them to neutralize Swift's Graves in any teamfights.

Dade: Azir looks great, but can't find win for Newbee in series loss

Name: Bae "Dade" Eo-Jin

Team: NewBee

Update: Dade put up a 7/9/13 KDA in NewBee's sweep at the hands of I MAY

Analysis: Dade's Azir looked incredibly strong in Game 1, as he jumped out to a huge lead with the help of Swift's jungle pressure on Rek'Sai. NewBee was unable to hold onto the lead, however, and a couple ill-fated teamfights left Dade without a team to protect him while he dealt his damage. In Game 2, Dade chose to switch to Viktor even though Azir was still available, leading to a much worse game. Things started off bad at level 1 when a full on 5-vs-4 teamfight broke out in the jungle near NewBee's bottom lane. In order to help in the teamfight, Dade skilled up his Gravity Field, offering CC, but no damage. It seemed like a good idea for a short teamfight where the CC might be more impactful, but as I MAY dragged out the engagement, Dade was left unable to do any real damage as two of his teammates died off, creating a deficit from which NewBee would never recover.

HappyY: Starts strong, but can't help Newbee win

Name: Yu "HappyY" Rui

Team: NewBee

Update: HappyY's earned a 6/8/10 KDA in Newbee's series loss to I MAY.

Analysis: HappyY got off to a roaring start in Game 1, pairing his Jhin with MorZB's Thresh to pick up a pair of early kills off of hooks. HappyY also made excellent use of his Curtain Calls, slowing down distant enemies as the rest of his team dove aggressively between turrets. However, Newbee's aggression did eventually catch up with them, leading to a late game collapse that left HappyY's Jhin unprotected in teamfights and unable to convert his dominant stat line into a win. In Game 2, HappyY switched over to Sivir, but a level 1 engagement in the jungle left him down a kill and without a support to start the game. HappyY was able to hang with his lane opponent for a while, but I MAY were able to accrue advantages elsewhere on the map and take the easy second victory over Newbee.

MorZB: Hooks are on point, but not enough as Newbee is swept by I MAY

Name: Zhang "MorZB" Hong-Wei

Team: NewBee

Update: MorZB finished Newbee's loss to I MAY with a 1/9/13 KDA.

Analysis: MorZB's Thresh looked excellent in Game 1, starting off his ADC HappyY with a pair of kills that were set up by clutch hooks from MorZB. However, his support play was not enough to keep his team in the game, as a few questionably aggressive decisions from his top laner and jungler eventually put I MAY back into contention. In Game 2, MorZB changed to Bard and found himself on the wrong end of a level 1 engagement, dying in a full teamfight before minions had reached their lanes. Mor didn't look bad on Bard necessarily, but I MAY was able to snowball their early lead into an insurmountable advantage, resulting in a disappointing 0/5/3 KDA for the Newbee support.

AmazingJ: Tanky top laners key in comeback for I May

Name: Sheik "AmazingJ" Wai Ho

Team: I May

Update: AmazingJ finished 11/3/11 and helped drive I MAY to a devastating win.

Analysis: AmazingJ lived up to his name in I MAY's win over NewBee, serving as the driving force behind both an unlikely comeback and a straightforward stomp. In Game 1, AmazingJ took Trundle into the top lane against V's Lissandra and managed to be the only member of his team to really come out ahead during the laning phase. Even though Dade and HappyY were both extremely deadly from their early game leads, I MAY was able to use AmazingJ as a meat shield, first having him draw fire during a crucial Baron teamfight, and then letting AmazingJ just chase down the enemy carries while Jinjao's Sivir rained AOE damage down from behind. Game 2 was a much simpler affair, as AmazingJ took Irelia up against V's Maokai. AmazingJ used his teleport at level 1 to secure a kill, the first of many on the way to a 7/1/2 KDA and a series win for I MAY.

Avoidless: Strong showing in Game 2 helps close out series win

Name: Fan "Avoidless" Jun Wei

Team: I May

Update: Avoidless finished 10/4/14, as I MAY came back to take the series from Newbee.

Analysis: Avoidless looked good in Game 1 on Hecarim, but then reminded everyone how great he is on Rek'Sai in Game 2. During the first game, Avoidless used Hecarim's mobility to prey on the enemy jungler's aggression, catching Swift's Rek'Sai out and doing what he could to keep NewBee's early game lead in check. Even with Dade and HappyY going off for NewBee, I MAY was able to stay composed, swing a few teamfights in their favor and snatch away the win in spite of some stellar KDA numbers from the opposing carries. In Game 2, Avoidless picked Rek'Sai at the first available moment and never looked back, ending the game with a 7/1/6 KDA and completely dominating the flow of the game.

BaeMe: Starts slow but ends strong in series win

Name: Kang "BaeMe" Yang-hyun

Team: I May

Update: BaeMe finished 5/3/7 in I MAY's win over Newbee after a rough start against Dade's Azir.

Analysis: BaeMe played just one game of this match for I MAY, but he made it count with a 5/3/9 KDA in the opening game. BaeMe got off to a bit of a rough start as Dade's Azir snagged kills left and right to amass a huge lead. However, BaeMe was able to come alive in late game teamfights, stunning key targets and assassinating others en route to a come-from-behind I MAY victory. Even though Dade finished the round with a much more impressive stat line, BaeMe worked with his team to set up the picks they needed and still came out with some respectable numbers for himself.

Athena: Comes in for Game 2 and helps I May rout Newbee

Name: Ha-woon "Athena" Kang

Team: I May

Update: Athena comes in for Game 2 of I MAY's series win over Newbee and put up an excellent 5/1/9 KDA on Twisted Fate.

Analysis: After a tense Game 1 where I MAY snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat, their other mid laner Athena came in to play... exactly the same thing. In Game 2, Athena picked Twisted Fate again, proving that the player swap had absolutely nothing to do with a composition change. However, his lane opponent Dade switched from his dominant Azir to a Viktor, which proved to be a much easier target for Athena in lane. Athena spent most of the game just racking up the assists, but by the end he had still managed to accrue a 3/1/9 KDA and a victory for I MAY.

Jinjiao: Shines on Jhin as I May defeats Newbee

Name: Xie "Jinjiao" JinShan

Team: I May

Update: Jinjiao looked unbelievable all game long, finishing 14/4/14 as I MAY ran away with the series to take down NewBee.

Analysis: Jinjiao looked excellent in both games of this series, playing for late game success in the first round and early game dominance in the second. In Game 1, Jinjiao's Sivir had trouble making an early impact as the rest of his team fell to pressure from Dade's Azir and Swift's diving Rek'Sai. But as the game progressed and I MAY's front line was able to build up their durability, Jinjiao was able to hang around in teamfights with impunity, raining down AOE damage across the entire opposing team. In Game 2, Jinjiao picked up an early kill on Jhin during a level 1 teamfight and never looked back, finishing the game 5/0/11 after a series of murderous Curtain Calls set up numerous kills and snowballed I MAY to victory.

Road: Braum play helps drive I May to victory over Newbee

Name: Yun "Road" Han-gil

Team: I May

Update: Road died eight times in Game 1, but came back with an excellent 1/8/26 KDA in the deciding game to take down Newbee.

Analysis: Road's Braum did not look terribly impressive in Game 1, racking up eight deaths as he constantly found himself the focus of a pair of beefy opposing carries. However, Road must have been doing something right as a distraction, because his own team was able to swing a few of those later fights in their favor and eventually snatch the victory away from their opponents. In Game 2, Road showed no fear by going back to Braum a second time, and he was rewarded with a much cleaner statline. Riding the momentum of two huge kills in a level 1 teamfight, Road and I MAY were able to snowball their advantages to a 2-0 victory and a 1/1/17 KDA for Road.

Matt: Roughed up throughout series loss

Name: Matthew "Matt" Elento

Team: Team Liquid

Update: Matt finished Team Liquid's series loss to Immortals on Saturday with a 2/7/4 KDA.

Analysis: Matt participated in all but one of Team Liquid's kills in the series, but they only managed to get seven in the whole series. Immortals dominated in the series from start to finish. Matt and Fabbbyyy kept things close during the laning phases of game, but weren't able to do well once the game transitioned into teamfighting. In Game 1, Matt landed some of Braum's Glacial Fissures, but they were more defensive than offensive. In Game 2, Matt missed a lot of Bard's Tempered Fates, but Team Liquid was already too far behind for them to make much of an impact on the game anyway. There was very little Team Liquid could do against Immortals, as they only put up seven kills and knocked down one turret the entire series.

fabbbyyy: Only positive KDA on Team Liquid in series loss

Name: Jovani "fabbbyyy" Guillen

Team: Team Liquid

Update: Fabbbyyy earned a 3/4/2 KDA in Team Liquid's series loss to Immortals on Saturday.

Analysis: Fabbbyyy kept the lane matchup fairly even against WildTurtle, but fell behind in the second half of both games of the series. He and Team Liquid weren't able to put together a winning teamfight, as Immortals stomped their way to a series sweep. So while WildTurtle was picking up kills and assists, Fabbbyyy was lucky if he walked away from the fights with an assist. Fabbbyyy hit some good Enchanted Crystal Arrows when he got kills or assists, but it wasn't nearly enough to help turn the tide against Immortals.

Fenix: Struggled throughout series loss

Name: Kim "Fenix" Jae-hoon

Team: Team Liquid

Update: Fenix ended Team Liquid's series loss to Immortals on Saturday with a 1/10/3 KDA.

Analysis: Fenix kept the mid lane match up close early in Game 1, but fell behind late. He and teammates set up a great pick on Reignover, but it was one of Team Liquid's only successful offensive maneuvers in the series. Fenix struggled to make any sort of assassination plays on LeBlanc for the rest of Game 1. In Game 2, he went with more of a support mage in the mid lane as he chose Karma. Fenix kept the laning phase close, but fell behind in the second half. He was an easy target in teamfights, as he finished with the most deaths on Team Liquid in Game 2. Overall not a great series for Fenix and Team Liquid, and their Week 5 matchups aren't going to be any easier.

Dardoch: No kills in series against Immortals

Name: Joshua "Dardoch" Hartnett

Team: Team Liquid

Update: Dardoch earned a 0/7/6 KDA in Team Liquid's series loss to Immortals on Saturday.

Analysis: Dardoch helped Lourlo get first blood in Game 1, but stuck around with low health afterwards, which allowed Huni enough time to teleport flank for an easy double kill. He wasn't able to get much else done in Game 1, as he finished with a 0/2/2 KDA. Game 2 wouldn't go much better for him since he finished with a 0/5/4 KDA. Dardoch seemed to be slow in reacting to Immortals rotations across the map and couldn't help his team knock down a turret or get any neutral objectives in Game 2. He finished Game 2 with the most deaths, but most of his deaths came with an assist, which earned him 100 percent kill participation. He finished the series having participated in all but one of Team Liquid's kills, but they only managed seven kills.

Lourlo: Early aggression punished in lane throughout series

Name: Samson "Lourlo" Jackson

Team: Team Liquid

Update: Lourlo earned a 1/7/4 KDA in Team Liquid's series loss to Immortals on Saturday.

Analysis: Lourlo had a good start to Game 1 when he picked up first blood on Huni. However, he stuck around in lane too long after allowing Huni to teleport flank and pick up an easy kill. Lourlo began to fall behind in lane after and never recovered. He wasn't able to make much of an impact during teamfights and was mainly cannon fodder, as he ended Game 1 with the most deaths. Game 2 wasn't any better for Lourlo, as he finished without a kill. Lourlo made good trades with Huni early and had lane control early, but overstayed during a tower dive which got Huni some kills. It was all Huni needed to take control of the matchup and Lourlo wasn't able to recover. He participated in all but one of Team Liquid's four kills, but finished without a kill himself.

Adrian: Deathless in series sweep

Name: Adrian "Adrian" Ma

Team: Immortals

Update: Adrian ended Immortals' series sweep of Team Liquid on Saturday with a 0/0/15 KDA.

Analysis: Adrian had a solid series against Team Liquid. He and WildTurtle had slow starts in lane, but started to get gold advantages when they joined up for teamfights. Soraka made it through picks and bans for Adrian in Game 1, but was banned in Game 2. Regardless of the champion, Adrian was still great at peeling and protecting teammates in fights. Adrian and WildTurtle finished the series without dying, a streak they look to continue against Apex Gaming next week.

WildTurtle: No deaths in series sweep of Team Liquid

Name: Jason "WildTurtle" Tran

Team: Immortals

Update: WildTurtle earned a 11/0/9 KDA in Immortals' series sweep of Team Liquid on Saturday.

Analysis: WildTurtle had slow starts to both games of the series, but had good second halves. He stayed even with Fabbbyyy in lane, but was able to pull away later in the games when he grouped and made a killing in teamfights. Game 2 was WildTurtle's best game of the series, as he earned a 9/0/3 KDA on Ezreal and dealt the second most damage to champions on Immortals. He was great at poking down Team Liquid and then chasing them down with Arcane Shift or sniping them with Trueshot Barrage. WildTurtle and Immortals look to finish the first half of the Summer Split strong when they face off against Apex Gaming next week.

Pobelter: Big plays in Game 1 against Team Liquid

Name: Eugene "Pobelter" Park

Team: Immortals

Update: Pobelter ended Immortals' series sweep of Team Liquid on Saturday with a 9/3/17 KDA.

Analysis: Pobelter was superb in Game 1 on Azir, as he finished with a 6/0/5 KDA. He made a great flash play to cut off Team Liquid's escape with Emperor's Divide, which resulted in an ace. The ace allowed Immortals to cement their lead en route to victory. Pobelter was the Immortals' top damage dealer in Game 1. Team Liquid seemed to focus on Pobelter early in the teamfights of Game 2, which resulted in Pobelter getting all of his deaths in the series. He still made pretty good contributions to teamfights, as he finished with the highest kill participation on Immortals. Team Liquid struggled to mount much of an offense in Game 2 and weren't able to knock down any turrets or get any neutral objectives.

Reignover: Ganks for every lane in sweep of Team Liquid

Name: Kim "Reignover" Yeu-Jin

Team: Immortals

Update: Reignover earned a 5/2/20 KDA in Immortals' sweep of Team Liquid on Saturday.

Analysis: Reignover had a great Game 1 against Team Liquid. He baited Lourlo and Dardoch to stay in lane with low health, allowing Huni to teleport flank and pick up a double kill. He had more successful ganks for mid lane and bottom lane to help Immortals snowball a team gold advantage for the rest of the game. Game 2 wasn't much different for Reignover, as he continued to make great fight engages and picked up lots of assists on Immortals' way to victory. Immortals really dominated Game 2, as Team Liquid wasn't able to knock down a turret or get any neutral objectives. Reignover is having a great split so far, as he leads all North American junglers in kills and assists.

Huni: Clean Game 2 in sweep of Team Liquid

Name: Heo "Huni" Seung-Hoon

Team: Immortals

Update: Huni earned a 10/2/15 KDA in Immortals' sweep of Team Liquid on Saturday.

Analysis: In Game 1, Huni gave up first blood, but teleported back into lane immediately to pick up an easy double kill. After the double kill, Huni farmed a lead in lane that Lourlo wasn't able to recover from. Huni only had one other death in Game 1 and it came when Immortals aced Team Liquid. After a great teleport flank by Huni, Immortals were able to take a teamfight before they finished off Team Liquid. It was an early double kill in Game 2 that kickstarted Huni's gold lead over Lourlo. Huni was great in teamfights, as he led Immortals in damage dealt to champions in Game 2. After Huni scared Team Liquid off Baron, Immortals were able to get the buff then push to finish the series.

CoreJJ: Subbed out after lackluster opening game

Name: Jo "CoreJJ" Yong-in

Team: Samsung

Update: CoreJJ failed to impress with his 0/1/ KDA in Samsung's 2-1 series win against ESC Ever.

Analysis: CoreJJ's performance on Bard wasn't necessarily "bad," but it was damning in Samsung's only loss against ESC Ever in Game 1. Samsung looked lost at times, playing passively and conceding objectives to Ever when they could've contested. CoreJJ's mechanical play was average and, despite his game-high 72 wards placed, he wasn't able to control vision for Samsung, as he finished Game 1 with a 0/1/1 KDA. CoreJJ would not play in Games 2 or 3.

Hakuho: Brings out Braum in Envy's 0-2 series loss

Name: Nickolas "Hakuho" Surgent

Team: Team Envy

Update: Hakuho earned a 1/5/4 KDA in Team Envy's losing series on Saturday.

Analysis: Hakuho went down with his team, ending with a KDA ratio of one and a kill participation of 71 percent. Despite the fact that Team Envy earned no kills in Game 1, Hakuho was one of the most useful members. His lane aggression pushed Sneaky and Smoothie back, helping LoD to his CS lead and giving himself a large gold lead above Smoothie. In the one big teamfight, after LoD had been hit by Sneaky's arrow, Hakuho laid down an absolutely beautiful ultimate that knocked up almost every member of Cloud9 and set them up to be chunked by the rest of Envy's damage. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to kill, and Impact's Shen ultimate came in to protect Jensen, starting the massacre for Cloud9. If there had been more immediate damage from Envy's lineup, or if Seraph had been in position to join, the fight may have been completely turned around. In Game 2, Hakuho lost some of that accuracy, laying down a disappointing ultimate in the first dragon fight that entirely missed Cloud9. He had some success tanking, catching hooks and absorbing arrows that otherwise might have meant an initiation into a C9 teamfight. Hakuho wasn't always there, however, and Cloud9 caught priority targets enough times that they rolled through teamfights and took the game handily.

LoD: Caught out by C9 in Envy's 0-2 loss

Name: Benjamin "LoD" deMunck

Team: Team Envy

Update: LoD ended Envy's series loss to Cloud9 at 2/4/4 KDA.

Analysis: LoD was one of the strongest performers on Team Envy through their loss, coming out with a 1.5 KDA ratio and an 86 percent kill participation. In Game 1, he gained a significant CS lead over Sneaky, pushing him around in lane and driving both him and Smoothie back with the fear of an all-in. Although he didn't have the same global impact that Sneaky managed to have with Ashe arrows, LoD did secure the bottom lane pressure needed for Envy to have almost complete Dragon control, even if that didn't end up helping them very much. His main error was getting caught by the Ashe arrow to start the first teamfight, it gave Cloud9 the space to jump on him and kill him, along with most of his team. In Game 2 there was a similar story, as LoD was winning the lane handily, helped along by catching Sneaky out before minions spawned and almost killing him. It forced Bunny Fufuu to begin with his lantern, and LoD pushed his advantage, gaining a CS lead and a kill in an eventual two-for-one. The issue arose once again when LoD was caught in his jungle by a Thresh hook when he and Procxin hung around knowing C9 was still there. The hook led to LoD's death and the beginning of Cloud9's pressure advantage that they pushed all the way until the end of the game.

Ninja: Disappointing performance next to C9's Jensen

Name: Noh "Ninja" Geon-Woo

Team: Team Envy

Update: Ninja earned only a 1/6/4 KDA in their loss to Cloud9.

Analysis: Ninja couldn't stand up to Jensen in the mid lane, finishing with a 0.83 KDA ratio and a 71 percent kill participation. In Game 1, Ninja's Karma was just outplayed, getting killed in an easy gank early on and dropping about 30 CS behind his opponent. More gold on the enemy Cassiopeia meant scarier teamfights for Envy, and by the time the first and only one occurred, Ninja barely contributed any damage. Ninja's purpose on the Karma was to empower the Lucian and Swain, and with Seraph unable to get into fights and LoD being caught out by CC, the entire composition fell apart, leaving Envy open to be picked apart by C9's superior damage. In Game 2 things began better, with Ninja getting the early gank kill on Jensen instead of the other way around. This led to an early gold and pressure lead that later fell apart because Cloud9's initiation was just so much stronger than Envy's. Ninja got caught multiple times at the beginning of a fight by a Thresh hook or an Elise cocoon, and C9 wasted no time piling on and erasing him from the equation. He was unable to flank or deal damage in the fights without being stun-locked and killed. In addition, Ninja's choice of mid lane Ezreal created an all AD composition, and although it gave them a little bit of early game strength, it was not worth the amount that Envy was completely shut down by full tank builds, further minimizing what little damage they managed to do in fights.

Procxin: Barely contributes in Envy's loss to Cloud9

Name: Kim "Procxin" Seyoung

Team: Team Envy

Update: Team Envy dropped 0-2 to Cloud9, Procxin goes 0/7/3 KDA.

Analysis: Procxin had a very tough series, ending with a disappointing KDA of 0.43 and a matching kill participation of 43 percent. The series began poorly for Procxin in Game 1, where despite the fact that he was outfarming Meteos, he could not make an impact on any of the side lanes. Meteos used his wards and his tremor sense to constantly find Procxin out in the jungle, sometimes chunking him down very far and sometimes warning his teammates to play safer when Procxin was trying to set up a gank. Despite his repeated trips to top lane, it was Meteos who ended up getting a kill onto Seraph, and Procxin mistimed his smite on Rift Herald and gave the buff over to C9 as well as losing multiple members in the following fight. Everywhere he went, he was simply outmaneuvered. In Game 2 ,he finally succeeded in his gank attempts, earning first blood for his mid laner and finding Sneaky in the bottom lane. Once the teamfight phase started to roll back into Cloud9's favor, however, Procxin could not find his way in. He was an unreliable initiator and a poor damage source, which was not enough to keep Cloud9 from rolling over Envy to a 2-0 victory.

Seraph: Unable to best Impact in the 1-vs-1

Name: Shin "Seraph" Wu-Yeong

Team: Team Envy

Update: Seraph finished Team Envy's 0-2 series with a 3/6/1 KDA.

Analysis: In Game 1, Seraph confidently picked Swain into Impact's Shen, believing that the counterpick would be enough for him to win lane and snowball the game for Team Envy. Unfortunately, Seraph failed to bully Impact at all, going even in both CS and damage trades and even falling a bit behind at times. His multiple attempts to gank with Procxin all failed, but he himself died to a return visit from Meteos while pushed up without flash. In the first, and only major teamfight, Impact used his Shen ultimate to get in the middle of Team Envy, but no one on Seraph's team dropped a ward for him to teleport to, so he was forced to walk up the river. In the end, he didn't even arrive until it was too late, and Cloud9 easily won the 5-vs-4 teamfight. Seraph's Game 2 went better, where he earned the majority of kills on his team despite the fact that he fell behind Impact in CS. He had some strong ultimates with Hecarim, killing Jensen early and finding him again in a bottom lane fight, but sometimes it was so telegraphed that C9 could play around it, such as when Jensen caught him in the Cassiopeia ultimate and killed him before he could pull off his combo. He did have some success split-pushing, using the Cloud Drakes his team picked up and Hecarim's natural speed to out-rotate C9 and destroy their turrets, but it just wasn't enough to stand up to Cloud9's teamfighting prowess.

Bunny FuFuu: Secures victory for C9 with a nearly perfect game

Name: Michael "Bunny FuFuu" Kurylo

Team: Cloud9

Update: Bunny Fufuu finished Game 2 against Team Envy with an almost perfect 1/0/13 KDA.

Analysis: Bunny Fufuu continues to be a monster on Thresh, earning a KDA ratio of 14 and ending up only one kill or assist away from a perfect 100 percent kill participation. Bunny Fufuu hit Thresh hooks on Saturday like Team Envy had magnets in them, finding LoD blind in the jungle and Ninja multiple times to start a teamfight. He was forced to start with lantern after a very aggressive level one jungle battle almost killed Sneaky, but they kept up in lane despite it, trading kills and roaming with their team. Bunny showed a lot of game sense, as he was able to save Sneaky multiple times by hanging back away from the danger and placing his lantern perfectly. His chain catch on LoD in the jungle on the backside of the first teamfight was really what began the snowball for C9, giving them back the map pressure they had lost with their rocky start. In the rest of the teamfights, when Bunny hadn't gotten the initial hook to start the fight off, he was always ready and prepared to land it on an enemy who had just been hit with either a cocoon or an Ashe arrow, layering his CC expertly with the rest of his team and giving them an overwhelming amount of time to pick off trapped Envy members.

Smoothie: Strong performance helps C9 earn their second 2-0

Name: Andy "Smoothie" Ta

Team: Cloud9

Update: Smoothie went 1/0/10 in C9's Game 1 win against Team Envy on Saturday.

Analysis: Smoothie had a bit of a rough laning phase along with his AD Carry, as their fear of the kill potential of a Lucian and Braum duo kept them from actively harassing and so Smoothie didn't earn nearly as much gold off his Spellthief's Edge as Hakuho was earning from his Relic Shield. Despite this, Smoothie was present in his team's map movements, giving a little bit of movement speed to Jensen to help him secure first blood, and bubbling Hakuho out of the first teamfight so that the damage from the rest of C9 could get through to LoD and Ninja. With such a short, low teamfighting game, Smoothie wasn't needed much, but he was there at the end, bubbling an enemy right after Sneaky hit them with an arrow and throwing in the wave at the end of the CC chain to allow C9 to pick up the kills and push their advantage into Envy's base. Smoothie, even though he was denied his usual Karma pick, still managed to earn a KDA ratio of 11 and a kill participation of 85 percent.

Sneaky: Pulls out a penta kill in Cloud9's decisive win over Team Envy

Name: Zachary "Sneaky" Scuderi

Team: Cloud9

Update: Sneaky ended with a combined KDA of 12/1/13 in C9's series win against Team Envy.

Analysis: Sneaky is always a top performer on C9, and Saturday's series against Envy was no exception. He ended with a KDA of 25 and a series kill participation of 89 percent, including a perfect 100 percent kill participation in Game 2. In Game 1, Sneaky fell behind LoD in CS and gold, but did not let that stop him from having a huge impact on his team. His first cross-map arrow nailed Procxin as he fled from Meteos, securing an extra kill for C9, and his second perfectly picked LoD out of his surrounding team. That initiation gave C9 the target to blow up, and without their main damage source, Envy could not stand up to the CC onslaught. The accuracy of arrow placement continued into Game 2, acting as the initiation for a lot of teamfights or just extending the stun duration from an already-landed cocoon or Thresh hook. The communication that C9 was demonstrated not only in the immediate convergence on a stunned target, but also in the patience and teamwork that went into making sure that only one CC layer was applied at a time. This communication was truly staggering and it gave C9 the teamfight edge that carried them through their rough early game. To top it all off, Sneaky's placement in the last teamfight coupled with Envy's desperation to kill the bigger damage threat of Jensen allowed C9's AD Carry to pick up a game winning penta kill, allowing Sneaky to end the game with a padded stat line and a great deal of style.

Jensen: Brings success to the Cassiopeia pick

Name: Nicolaj "Jensen" Jensen

Team: Cloud9

Update: Jensen carried Cloud9 to their second 2-0 with a 8/2/17 KDA.

Analysis: Jensen played Cassiopeia in both games on Saturday and after his performance, it would not be surprising to see it drawing bans in the future. In Game 1, he ended with a KDA of 11 and a kill participation of 85 percent. He got first blood on Ninja after a confident gank from Meteos and used that advantage to swell his gold lead for the entire laning phase, spending most of the phase up by about 30 CS. Although his roaming was not very successful, the one time he tried to gank the top lane, Envy just took a free Dragon. His sheer aggression pushed Ninja out of lane so much that he had to waste his teleport over and over again just to get back to farming. Jensen effectively destroyed Ninja's ability to create any global pressure. In both games Jensen's ultimates were on point, in Game 2 he stopped the charging Hecarim in his path, both saving his team and enabling them to win the teamfight that pulled them back into the lead after a rough early game. His ultimate was just another layer of CC on top of Elise, Thresh, Ashe and Irelia all at once, allowing the perfectly coordinated C9 to pick off any Envy member at their leisure, and continue the fight from there. In Game 2, his KDA dropped to seven due to it no longer being a deathless game, but his kill participation rose even higher, to an impressive 93 percent.

Meteos: Omnipresent for Cloud9

Name: William "Meteos" Hartman

Team: Cloud9

Update: Meteos went 3/1/20 in Cloud9's perfect victory over Team Envy.

Analysis: Meteos was an essential part of C9's success on Saturday, getting a KDA ratio of 23 and a kill participation of 82 percent. In Game 1, Procxin could not accomplish anything without Meteos knowing, through Meteos' aggressive ward placement and constant roaming into the enemy jungle. This not only made C9's laners safer, it also enabled Meteos to set up multiple ganks. His first gank both earned a kill for Jensen's Cassiopeia and allowed Meteos to rotate down to the bottom lane and get a good amount of damage on the outer turret. Meteos also had a successful gank in the top lane, furthering Impact's lead in what should have been a losing matchup. He was confident in his own abilities, securing the Rift Herald despite three Envy members showing up to try and stop him and in the end flashing at Ninja aggressively to pick up three kills on the back end. In Game 2, Meteos had less ganks, but traded it for amazing contributions in the teamfighting phase. His cocoons were expertly timed, catching out Ninja for an engage or following up just on the backside of an Ashe arrow to give C9 time to collapse. Despite the fact that it is not a generally reliable engage tool, Meteos' cocoons were consistent enough that his team was always ready to jump on whatever target he caught.

Impact: Dominates Seraph in Saturday's win over Envy

Name: Jung "Impact" Eon-yeong

Team: Cloud9

Update: Impact ends Cloud9's 2-0 victory over Envy with a 3/3/15 KDA.

Analysis: Impact played a beautiful series, ending with only a 64 percent kill participation, but a KDA ratio of six. In Game 1, Seraph picked Swain into Impact's Shen specifically to beat Impact in lane, but despite the ill-favored matchup, Impact still excelled. He kept up in CS and was even in trade damage and, together with Meteos, he even killed the Swain. In the first major teamfight, all of C9's backline was heavily chunked by Graves and Karma's burst, but Impact popped his ultimate on Jensen, giving him the health to go back in for damage. As soon as he arrived, he flashed forward and caught two men in his taunt, securing the rest of the kills of the fight for his team. In Game 2, Impact again kept the upper hand in his lane matchup, driving Seraph's Hecarim back whenever he could. Although Impact tended to be the first to go down in teamfights, it was only because he was being aggressive on the frontline, making picks or diving forward to continue the stun from Ashe or Thresh, and giving the rest of C9 the time they needed to DPS the target down.

Kobbe: Potent carry in tie against Origen

Name: Kasper "Kobbe" Kobberup

Team: Splyce

Update: Kobbe finished Splyce's tie with Origen with a 10/5/8 KDA.

Analysis: Kobbe once showed that he was capable of being the carry that Splyce need during their victory over Origen in Game 1, where his teamfighting proved to be the critical factor that propelled his team to victory. The Splyce bottom lane found themselves enjoying a lead right out of the gates, when sOAZ overstayed his welcome in Game 1's laneswap and died at the hands of Kobbe for first blood. It was a lead that would ensure that, despite a gank which took out Mikyx later on in the lane, Kobbe would still leave the laning phase the victor. He quickly prospered on the back of his team's potent crowd control and the disruptive efforts of Sencux that more or less removed PowerofEvil from every teamfight one way or another. Without any long range answers to Kobbe, Origen could do nothing to stop him from systematically killing everything that ended up in his sights, and Splyce would take the game on the back of numerous teamfight wins. Game 2 would see him reverse roles with xPeke, as he took Ezreal into his Lucian. Unfortunately, this game proved to be a much less forgiving one for Kobbe, as PowerofEvil would find an early first blood onto Trashy that made him a pure menace, and the game quickly fell apart from there, even more rapidly than Game 1 had. While Splyce still had many good engagements, without the same damage that Lucian had granted him, Kobbe simply wasn't able to clean up the way he had in Game 1. Without their most vital carry able to take over fights for them, Splyce quickly fell apart and Origen had no difficulty taking Game 2 and tying up the series.

Trashy: Teamfight menace in series against Origen

Name: Jonas "Trashy" Andersen

Team: Splyce

Update: Trashy earned a 7/3/15 KDA during Splyce's tie with Origen.

Analysis: Trashy has consistently proven two things over his tenure with Splyce: that he'll never outpressure enemy junglers in the early game, and that few of those same junglers can match his teamfight efficacy. This series proved that to a T, as at the start of both games he was nearly invisible. He didn't manage a successful gank in the first 10 minutes of either game, and was forced to cede pressure to Amazing in both. In the second, he even died outright to Amazing at level 4, when he facechecked a bush that the Origen jungler had been hiding in. Game 1, however was not decided in the early game, as Origen utterly failed to leverage their pressure advantage into any kind of gold lead, largely thanks to the excellent farming of Trashy, who had a leg up on Amazing throughout the entire series. In teamfights, he played bodyguard to Kobbe's Lucian, augmenting his attack speed with Primal Surge and happily shredding anyone who saw fit to go near the Splyce ADC. Thanks to the backline disruption that Wunder brought to the game the strategy proved effective, and Splyce took the game off their superior teamfighting. The second game proved a much more impossible hole to dive out of, however, as while Trashy did find the lion's share of his team's kills, they were largely clean up kills, as PowerofEvil's Syndra took advantage of his predictable initiation to constantly frustrate his attempts to get into range. Eventually Trashy would die outright in the attempt, and from there Origen steamrolled every fight on their way to the tie.

Hybrid: Uncharacteristically weak Bard performance puts team in peril

Name: Glenn "Hybrid" Doonenbal

Team: Origen

Update: Hybrid earned a 0/4/22 KDA during Origen's tie with Splyce.

Analysis: Hybrid certainly did not have the series of his career against Splyce. After weeks of targeted bans, Splyce proved to be the first team to relent and let Hybrid have his pick of the support pool. Not surprisingly, he went for Bard in both games, his best champion historically. During the early game of each game, that would seem to have been a reasonable pick, as his ability to roam the map and apply pressure where necessary while still proving to be a force in the bottom lane was impressive to say the least. Past that, though, he looked much more unstable, as if he hadn't played the champion for some time. Both games saw him perform rather weakly in teamfights, as he would rarely connect with Tempered Fate, the most critical skill in Bard's kit at that point. Worse, during one of the few times that he hit any target whatsoever, that target was an overextended xPeke, who died instantly afterwards and gave one of their few teamfight victories in Game 2. While Origen would eventually tie the series, it had little to do with Hybrid, and much more to do with the exceptional work of PowerofEvil and Amazing in Game 2.

Wunder: Harried endlessly in tie against Origen

Name: Martin "Wunder" Hansen

Team: Splyce

Update: Wunder earned a 6/8/13 KDA during Splyce's tie against Origen.

Analysis: Wunder got the shortest end of the stick possible against Origen, as they made it their mission to make him as utterly miserable as possible. He was the recipient of endless ganks in lane, with even Hybrid and PowerofEvil getting in on the action pretty early on. Despite all of this, his Gnar was the centerpiece of both games, as his crowd control was pivotal for Splyce's efforts to take teamfight wins. In Game 1, he was a huge force in despite how far behind sOAZ he ended up falling thanks to Origen's attempts to prop up their top laner. While his 1-vs-1 against the Jax was when they all in fought to the death, his pressure in lane and in teamfighting couldn't have been further from that. He got both the side lane inner turrets with his relentless pushing, and his GNAR!!!'s in teamfights singled out PowerofEvil for quick kills nearly every time. While the game started off looking like a certain victory for Origen, it quickly turned into a decisive win for Splyce, as Wunder's dive attempts gave Kobbe plenty of time to rip Origen apart. Game 2 wouldn't end so ideally, but the start would be just as miserable for Wunder. An early dive from both Amazing and then PowerofEvil once again set him behind, but this time sOAZ had the tool to keep him down in teamfights as well: Subjugate. With his resistances shredded, Wunder often died before he could have any impact whatsoever in teamfights, and without his contributions Splyce couldn't manage another miraculous comeback and were defeated, tying up the series.

xPeke: Characteristic weak performance demands carrying from team

Name: Enrique "xPeke" Cedeno Martinez

Team: Origen

Update: xPeke finished Origen's tie against Splyce with a 9/5/11 KDA.

Analysis: xPeke put in a pretty uninspiring performance against Splyce, as his combination of poor positioning and laning again worked against Origen and made the series much more difficult to tie up than it likely should have been. Throughout Game 1, his Mystic Shots might as well have been a pea shooter, as he fell behind Kobbe early despite ganks from his team, and he only ever managed to connect on the fairly tanky Wunder. To make matters worse, he bought into the emerging trend of taking Trinity Force on Ezreal over the standard Frostborn Gauntlet, ensuring that the only thing he brought to the table was damage. Considering he rather spectacularly failed at doing enough of that to be relevant, it was no surprise when Splyce managed to take every teamfight of the game, largely off the back of Kobbe's much more impressive damage output and similar maneuverability. For the second game, then, Origen decided to switch the ADC picks and take the Lucian that Kobbe had so devastated them with Game 1. Unfortunately, giving an ADC who's primary weakness is teamfight positioning a short ranged ADC turned out to be a rather significant mistake, as Splyce would win back-to-back teamfights by catching xPeke out and killing him. In one of those cases it wasn't even Splyce themselves who caught Peke, but was xPeke himself, as he wandered straight into a Tempered Fate meant for Splyce and found himself the sole player trapped in the stasis it created. Sencux wasted no time in putting a Time Bomb stun right above where Peke would reemerge, which took him out immediately. While Peke would find plenty of kills to pad his KDA, they were mostly low impact kills that were easy to get once the fight was already decided in favor of his team. Origen would take the win and tie the series, but it was no thanks to their ADC.

PowerOfEvil: Takes Syndra to the Rift once more and lives up to his reputation

Name: Tristan "PowerOfEvil" Schrage

Team: Origen

Update: PowerofEvil earned a 10/6/10 KDA during Origen's tie with Splyce.

Analysis: PowerofEvil had a series with the strong ups and downs we've come to expect from a player that seems to resolutely flee from consistency at every turn. In Game 1, he eschewed literally every bit of common knowledge about how to build Azir and opted for the most bizarre item build for the champion that has ever graced the Rift. He completely ignored attack speed in favor of a combination of pure CDR and AP, and never even constructed the Nashor's Tooth and Rylai's that are the consistent mainstays of Azir's item build. Unlike his Runeglaive Orianna from 2015, this divergence from the standard build set went horribly. While he certainly succeeded in bullying Sencux early, his lack of any form of defense allowed the Splyce mid laner to casually obliterate him in the later fights. Without the persistent damage of their hypercarry mid laner to fall back on, Origen lost every single teamfight of the game and were taken out in short order. Game 2 would see another odd divergence from the standard mid lane metagame by PowerofEvil when he locked his famous Syndra, but this gambit would pay off spectacularly. Despite facing a counterpick in Sencux's Zilean, PowerofEvil quickly took control of the game, shoving mid lane constantly in order to find gank opportunities around the map. He took down Wunder off an easy tower dive and used the gold to fuel a snowball that would end up taking the game for Origen. The game looked a bit shaky for a while - Wunder's Gnar had a couple of teamfights where he stunlocked PowerofEvil to allow his team to take him out before he could do much of anything. In the end, PowerofEvil's damage and crowd control turned out to be too much for Splyce to handle, and Origen would end the series in a tie after taking Game 2.

Amazing: Endless ganks give Origen a consistent early lead

Name: Maurice "Amazing" Stuckenschneider

Team: Origen

Update: Amazing earned a 4/5/19 KDA during Origen's tie with Splyce.

Analysis: Amazing was the catalyst behind all of Origen's early game success over the series, but not much else. His lack of teamfight presence was felt rather strongly, as the Origen jungler has normally been noted for his ability to control fights, and without it, Origen looked extremely shaky when they took Splyce head on. In Game 1, it was his relentless pressure around sOAZ that got his Jax snowballed into the mid game, but that gambit proved to not pay off when sOAZ managed to accomplish exactly nothing in any of the game's big fights, leading to OG's loss. For Game 2, Amazing opted into a different strategy early, and rather than attacking Splyce's lanes, he attacked their jungle, taking Trashy's head early on in a level 4 invade thanks to help from PowerofEvil. From there he reprised his top lane ganking, once again taking Wunder down with no response from Splyce. While his teamfighting would again be unimpressive - he mostly just followed up on stuns from PowerofEvil with Cocoons of his own - it wouldn't be needed as Origen leveraged their incredibly strong mid laner to take the win and tie up the series.

sOAZ: Constant support from team has mixed results

Name: Paul "sOAZ" Boyer

Team: Origen

Update: sOAZ earned a 5/5/15 KDA during Origen's tie with Splyce.

Analysis: sOAZ got handed his lane by his teammates, there's really no way around it. Both games saw him take early deficits against Wunder, but those deficits would be quickly erased due to an unending barrage of ganks that Origen would level against Wunder, giving sOAZ every opportunity to carry. The fact that he didn't manage to really accomplish that in either game makes this strategy questionable on the whole. He started off Game 1 about as well-positioned as possible. While he did give up first blood after overextending in the lane swap, he still managed to hold a CS advantage on Wunder early on, a gap that would only widen after Amazing endlessly ganked for him. His lead would all but go to waste, though, as his KDA belies his actual usefulness in the game. All of his kills came off the back of picks or fights that Origen were overwhelmingly favored in, while in every teamfight of the game he more or less just ran around impotently until getting stunned and killed by Concussive Blows. Splyce would take the game entirely off their teamfight performance, and sOAz was a very glaring weakpoint for Origen in said fights. Game 2 would end in a victory for OG, but that was more the doing of sOAZ's team, not SOAZ himself. While he did get some early TP ganks that certainly helped his team get the early lead they enjoyed, his primary contribution to teamfights was simply Subjugating Wunderwear, who notably did far more in the teamfights with far less gold. The only fights that sOAZ looked particularly strong in were fights that were already all but won before he joined them, making OG's new strategy of camping for sOAZ at all costs somewhat questionable in hindsight.

Hauntzer: Dives forward in TSM's narrow victory over Echo Fox

Name: Kevin "Hauntzer" Yarnell

Team: Team SoloMid

Update: Hauntzer earned a 4/7/16 KDA in Team SoloMid's 2-1 series on Saturday.

Analysis: Hauntzer is a very personally skilled player, but his confidence and aggression almost got the best of him against Echo Fox. He ended with a KDA of only 2.86 and a kill participation of only 65 percent. In Game 1, Hauntzer got off to an early start, getting a quick assist by catching Hard out with his team and using this aggression to win his lane and roam into the jungle with his team. He didn't respect the counterpick Shen, however, and ended up losing their damage trades. After TSM's risky Baron attempt went south, Hauntzer and his team didn't hang back, waiting for an opportunity and defending, but instead went out in small groups, trying to take on individual Fox members. Forgetting the instant protection Shen could provide, Hauntzer tried to pick off Cassiopeia and only ended up falling behind even more. Although, in the end Hauntzer had the strength and ability to duel kfo, it was too late, as TSM was outmaneuvered and taken down. In Game 2, TSM played the same exact composition, but learned from their mistakes. Hauntzer played safer and was aggressive in his forward positioning and tower rotations instead of going for kills. His flanking helped earn TSM picks that afforded them a much safer Baron and the eventual win. In Game 3, Hauntzer picked up Swain and impressively denied Echo Fox a strong early game by managing to escape multiple ganks by the skin of his teeth. Although the match was a close one in the end, Hauntzer and TSM's greater team coordination gave them the edge, continuing their win streak.

Svenskeren: Caught out by Echo Fox in 2-1 series win

Name: Dennis "Svenskeren" Johnsen

Team: Team SoloMid

Update: Team SoloMid's jungler Svenskeren ended their series win over Echo Fox with a 4/8/17 KDA.

Analysis: Svenskeren's Game 1 was disappointing to say the least. He earned first blood off a mistake by Hard and translated that into a ton of map pressure, probably more than he should have been able to take. TSM and Sven especially always play like they're winning, driving into the enemy's jungle with multi-man squads and starting up aggressive teamfights. However, even after Sven was caught out and killed by Echo Fox for his positioning, he did not adjust his play, continuing to move forward into the enemy team and often dying for it, dropping six times in Game 1. He eventually came into his role as a tank, blocking Jhin's ultimate for his team, but by then it was really too late. Svenskeren came back big in Game 2, really setting off TSM's snowball with a beautiful counter gank top lane that netted two kills. He limited his aggressive positioning to when he had his team there to back him up, but still managed to counter jungle and lay forward wards. Game 3 was his best scoreline, but Svenskeren did not earn or assist with any early kills. Despite the fact that TSM was down in kills, Svenskeren's warding and control over the enemy jungle gave TSM the knowledge to effectively rotate, earning a gold lead just from towers and map control. In the fights that did break out, Hauntzer had a strong showing in the last one, incapacitating Echo Fox long enough that Bjergsen could take on multiple members, evening out what should have been a lost fight.

Bjergsen: Leads TSM to their 7th consecutive win

Name: Soren "Bjergsen" Bjerg

Team: Team SoloMid

Update: TSM continued their win streak on Saturday with mid laner Bjergsen going 12/4/12 KDA.

Analysis: Bjergsen played Azir straight for all three games, and with his mechanical skills there was no reason not to. He ended with a solid KDA ratio of six and a 77 percent kill participation. In Game 1, his personal play continued to be on point, but the shot calling we usually see from TSM was not there. They threw away their early advantage trying to go for a sneaky early Baron, and refused to peel off it even when all five Fox members were there stopping them. This hard-headed play continued with Bjergsen bringing Hauntzer and Doublelift back into the pit to try and stop the attempt 3-vs-5. They were overaggressive and overconfident, and ended up giving up four additional kills plus the Baron, destroying their gold lead. Bjergsen recovered in the base defense, getting a two-man ultimate on Froggen and Keith, and earning a gorgeous triple kill into a Baron. Again, however, his aggressive calls came back to bite him, as Bjergsen and TSM abandoned their exposed Nexus to try and rush a Baron, losing the game without even a fight. In Game 2, TSM finally exhibited some patience and control, playing the same team composition to much greater success. In the low kill game, Bjergsen focused on gaining map pressure, and eventually won a teamfight that allowed a much safer Baron and eventually the game. The third match was similar to the first; Bjergsen and TSM didn't go for kills, but for turrets and map advantages. Once the fighting broke out, however, Bjergsen performed excellently as always, securing the match for TSM. Despite their eventual win, however, this match should show Bjergsen that TSM isn't as invincible as they may feel.

Doublelift: Outrotates Keith in win over Echo Fox

Name: Yiliang "Doublelift" Peng

Team: Team SoloMid

Update: Doublelift ended Team SoloMid's win over Echo Fox with an 11/7/9 KDA.

Analysis: Doublelift had some missteps in TSM's series against Echo Fox, finishing with a 2.86 KDA and a 65 percent kill participation. He started off laning phase strong in Game 1 after earning an assist from Hard misplaying the lane swap, and translated it into Dragon control and a gold advantage. This was thrown away when TSM went for an early Baron with all of Echo Fox alive and were chased off. Doublelift joined Hauntzer and Bjergsen in returning to the pit while Fox was attempting to take Baron, and Doublelift mispositioned himself at the very front, walking brazenly into the entire enemy team as if he could win the 1-vs-5, but instead getting the rest of his team killed and losing Baron and eventually the game. Game 2 was much better for Doublelift, as he again got an early advantage through an incredibly well played counter gank by Svenskeren which picked up two kills. Instead of going for any overly aggressive moves, TSM found the picks and teamfight kills before going for a safe Baron, after they had gained a gold and pressure advantage from their map movements. Doublelift still had some issues of overaggression, pushing all the way to the top inhibitor by himself. He managed to get a solo kill, but only because TSM was there and ready to collapse and protect him that the fight ended as an even four-for-four instead of an Echo Fox win. Game 3 was bloodless for TSM for a long time. They gained their advantage off of Doublelift, who had gotten enough damage on the bottom lane turret that TSM handily won the split pushing race and gained Dragon control. In the end, when the game could have tilted either way, Doublelift found Hard in the jungle and took him down, giving TSM a safe Baron and the win.

Biofrost: Performs strongly in the face of disaster on Saturday.

Name: Vincent "Biofrost" Wang

Team: Team SoloMid

Update: Biofrost earned a 0/4/23 KDA in TSM's 2-1 win over Echo Fox.

Analysis: Biofrost is always an asset to his team, and performed excellently throughout the series, even in the Game 1 loss. Nami, while not strictly passive, is not the most aggressive support to choose from. Biofrost managed to always be around, though, participating in 11 out of his team's 12 kills. His most impressive moment was during the base defense, when his ultimate acted as the initiation, catching multiple Fox members trying to flee and giving Bjergsen the opening to catch both Froggen and Keith on the back-end. After that, Fox was overly-cautious about trying to engage with TSM, or walking too close to them, which almost gave TSM the window they needed to come back into the game, but they threw it away with a poor Baron call that exposed their Nexus. Biofrost had an almost perfect Game 2, missing out on two kills, but was the only member of his team to never die. He caught Big in a bubble during Svenskeren's counter gank up top, helping his team get two kills and begin the snowball that ran them through the rest of the game. In Game 3, Biofrost left his usual Nami and played Karma. Although he didn't participate as heavily in kills and fighting, his movement speed was essential to the rotational game TSM was playing, winning in gold from destroying towers even though Fox was ahead in kills. It was this gold advantage that gave them the pressure and items to win the late game teamfights, when they arrived.

kfo: Strong performance despite loss to TSM

Name: Park "kfo" Jeong-hun

Team: Echo Fox

Update: kfo ended Fox's series loss on Saturday with a 5/7/15 KDA.

Analysis: kfo looked very impressive next to Hauntzer in Game 1, winning the damage trades and push war despite Hauntzer's early assist and huge minion lead. He only had a 60 percent kill participation, but when he was in teamfights, his play was tight, leading the charge on Doublelift when he tried to poke them out in the Baron pit and dodging around Bjergsen's Emperor's Divide to get another taunt and kill for Froggen. Securing that Baron and those kills were what ended up winning the game for Fox, and kfo helped make sure that it happened. Directly afterward, as well, when TSM desperately tried to gank Cassiopeia in the bottom lane, kfo had an easy Shen ultimate in, helping Froggen secure the eventual triple kill right before the Baron push. kfo ended with a better scoreline in Game 2, as he ended with a KDA ratio of five and participated in five out of six of Fox's kills. Unfortunately that wasn't enough to make his Jax the snowballing threat Echo Fox needed him to be, and he often was out of position, over a jungle wall or split pushing while TSM was winning a teamfight or taking a much greater objective than what kfo was securing. This poor communication was their downfall in Game 2, and that continued into Game 3 where, despite early kills Fox just could not match TSM's map rotations and turret pressure. In the end it was an incredibly close game, but Fox was unable to match TSM's team cohesion, and so were taken down.

Hard: Not where he should be in loss to TSM

Name: Anthony "Hard" Barkhovtsev

Team: Echo Fox

Update: Echo Fox's Hard went 7/6/15 KDA in their 1-2 loss on Saturday.

Analysis: Hard ended with a surprisingly solid 3.67 KDA and 73 percent kill participation, considering his rocky start. In Game 1, Hard took an unnecessary risk, waiting in the top lane brush for a greedy, extra-quick lane swap. He was caught without flash by four members of TSM, however, giving them the early lead that is always so dangerous. Hard was pushed around in his jungle by Svenskeren for most of the game, but ended up roaming together with Big to catch the Rek'sai out multiple times in bindings, getting good harass and occasional kills when the team was in position. He wasn't a huge help on Olaf during the turret sieges or when Fox brazenly rushed the Nexus and was aced, but in the end when they beat TSM back to their own Nexus, Olaf was the perfect champion to ignore the crowd control TSM tried to throw down and secure the win. In Game 2, Hard got off to another poor start, trying to go aggressive with a lane gank for Karma and Sivir, none of whom have very good CC. They were all incapacitated at once by Biofrost's well-placed wave and Svenskeren came in for the counter gank, ruining Hard's momentum while boosting TSM's own. Hard never recovered from that, though he did manage to keep his jungle relatively safe from Svenskeren's counter jungling with well timed smites. In Game 3, Hard had a much better scoreline, ending with a KDA ratio of eight and a kill participation of 89 percent. Despite these strong numbers and Hard's successful ganks, it was TSM's greater map pressure and turret kills that gave them control over the game. In the end, it was Hard's own mispositioning, alone in his own jungle and caught out by all of TSM that gave away the Baron and the game.

Froggen: Almost takes down top-ranked TSM

Name: Henrik "Froggen" Hansen

Team: Echo Fox

Update: Froggen ended Echo Fox's incredibly close 1-2 loss with a 13/8/10 KDA.

Analysis: Froggen was a monster on Cassiopeia, picking the champion in all three games and even managing to out-CS Bjergsen's Azir with the pressure it afforded him. His kill participation was very impressive, at 77 percent, but his high death toll brought his KDA ratio down to only 2.88. In Game 1, Froggen really got to shine when Echo Fox caught TSM out trying to sneak an early Baron. He looped around the back of the pit and caught Biofrost, who had tried to flash away. Then, when Doublelift came back to try and stop Fox's Baron attempt, Froggen laid down a nice ultimate, killing him and also managed to avoid Bjergsen's ultimate at the same time to finish him off too, securing a safe Baron and a gold lead for his team. Just after the Baron kill, Froggen took two members of TSM on, getting the Shen ultimate from kfo and using it to pick up an easy triple kill on TSM's desperation attack. In Games 2 and 3, Froggen continued his high skill play, but Echo Fox's team coordination was lacking. Bjergsen was making plays in other lanes, and TSM was translating their map pressure into objectives. When TSM was pushing on the bottom lane inhibitor, Froggen had a perfect flash ultimate that caught four, giving Echo Fox four kills basically for free, but Echo Fox couldn't translate those kills into any kind of map objectives, so as soon as TSM returned, it was still Fox on the defensive, and Froggen couldn't always land ultimates and have his team there to follow up.

Keith: Pushed around by Doublelift in 1-2 series

Name: Yuri "Keith" Jew

Team: Echo Fox

Update: Keith earned a 3/5/13 KDA in Echo Fox's series loss to Team SoloMid.

Analysis: Keith started off the series strong, but fell apart later on in the day. Ending with a 3.2 KDA ratio and an only 53 percent kill participation, Keith fell behind Doublelift in both CS and pressure in lane. Despite these disadvantages, his moment to shine, in Game 1, was his beautiful Jhin ultimate across TSM while they tried to sneak the Baron. He hit Svenskeren, the most important member of TSM, while challenging Baron, and killed him before the rest of Fox could even get in range to begin the fight. A member down and taking Baron damage, TSM had to abandon the objective. This hesitation allowed Echo Fox both a Baron and a delayed Ace off of Keith's pick on TSM's jungler. Afterwards, he kept TSM at bay with his poke, catching Bjergsen multiple times until he was forced back and landing every single hit of his ultimate on Svenskeren, leaving the tank at half health and unable to continue being aggressive. Keith's Game 2 did not go as well. He fell far behind in lane early on from multiple successive ganks by Svenskeren. He didn't die, but it kept him from his farming and from pushing down TSM's turret until much later. His Sivir wave clear was important because Fox spent most of the game on the back foot, trying to defend against inhibitor turret sieges by 20 minutes, but although Keith helped stall, it was never enough to turn the momentum back on TSM. Keith had a better showing in Game 3, again with Jhin, his ultimates were always on point and able to push TSM back from objectives. Unfortunately the Jhin was not a very effective turret killer, and TSM forced Fox into a rush game, beating them in rotations and trades to keep a gold lead. Keith's low mobility played well into the hands of TSM, who ran circles around Echo Fox until they found the picks, the kills and the game.

Big: Coordinates well with Echo Fox in loss to TSM

Name: Terry "Big" Chuong

Team: Echo Fox

Update: Big went 2/5/17 KDA in Echo Fox's 1-2 series on Saturday.

Analysis: Big had a decent series, despite Echo Fox's eventual loss to Team SoloMid. He finished with a 3.8 KDA ratio and a 63 percent kill participation. Big's main contribution in Game 1 was helping Hard and turning Svenskeren's aggression back on his own head. After Hard gave up first blood to Sven, TSM's jungler was constantly on the aggressive, trying to catch Hard out in his own jungle. Big began roaming with him, constantly catching the overaggressive Sven with bindings and harassing him down, keeping him from accomplishing anything and occasionally killing him if there were enough Fox members around. This helped Fox make up for TSM's gold and pressure advantage and be close enough that the Baron fight swung their way. In Game 2, Big started off poorly, dying to Svenskeren's counter gank and being forced out by TSM's aggression. In the end, Fox never made up for the loss of pressure, and there wasn't much Big's Karma could contribute to the very one-sided siege. In Game 3, Big lost the Karma pick to TSM and went with Zyra instead. Although he used his ultimate and damage to secure a couple of kills, TSM better utilized the Karma pick up for speed in rotations and turret taking, gaining map advantages that Big's kills never translated into. In the end, it was a lack of goal orientation that left Echo Fox scrambling to build map pressure.

Smeb: Two impressive games on two different styles of champions

Name: Song "Smeb" Kyung-ho

Team: ROX Tigers

Update: Smeb finished ROX's dominating series over Afreeca with a combined KDA of 10/3/21.

Analysis: Smeb looked extremely impressive in ROX's series victory, playing two different styles in the series to great success. Showing his proficiency on both tanks and carries, he lead his team to a convincing victory. He started off the series on Shen, finding an early lead with his team, turning around a 4-vs-5 teamfight to help his team pick up four kills. With the lead, he was able to quickly scale up and pressure ikssu. The mid game was rather slow for Smeb as he simply pushed his opponent away in the top lane while his team claimed objectives of their own. As the team was ahead, they had an easy time forcing fights that went in their favor. Joining his team with his ultimate, he taunted key members to pick up kills in back-to-back fights. His ultimate not only kept his team alive in the process, but it also cuts off escape routes. After winning back-to-back fights, he grouped with his team to grab Baron and win a final fight to close out the game. With Game 1 in the bag, Smeb switched styles completely in Game 2, opting for Rumble into ikssu's Trundle. He fell behind early in a sloppy tower dive against ikssu. Despite falling behind, he didn't let it affect him, bouncing back by roaming and assisting in finding kills. He found his mark during the mid game, picking up kills every couple of minutes to bring his team back into the game. His performance became truly impressive in a big teamfight win at 25 minutes, earning his team four kills in response to a single kill for Afreeca. Once back in the game, he dominated another fight at Baron with a strong ultimate to set his team up for success and an ace. Picking up Baron off the back of it, they were able to close the game out shortly after, securing the series sweep.

Peanut: Aggressive play pays off against Afreeca

Name: Yoon "Peanut" Wang-ho

Team: ROX Tigers

Update: Peanut earned an impressive series KDA of 12/3/17 to take down Afreeca.

Analysis: Known as one of the more impressive junglers with an aggressive playstyle, Peanut was given his ideal champion in Game 1. Allowed to pick Nidalee, he showed his prowess on the champion, earning an extremely early advantage for his team by dominating a 4-vs-5 teamfight despite a numbers disadvantage. He continued to have ease in the game, finding solo kills as well as continuously winning fights to propel his team even further ahead. He had one mistake, getting aggressive for a kill and dying as a result, but his earlier play more than made up for it. Able to win back-to-back fights and secure Baron and multiple dragons, he led his team to a swift victory in Game 1. Although he wasn't allowed Nidalee in Game 2, he had yet another impressive performance. His Rek'Sai found early advantages to once again propel his team forward. Finding every dragon and Baron in the game, his objective control was once again unrivaled by Afreeca. This allowed his team to close out the victory, once again in a convincing fashion. His impressive play not only net him a strong KDA, but allowed his team to secure the series sweep over their opponents.

KurO: Supportive play nets victory over Afreeca Freecs

Name: Lee "KurO" Seo-haeng

Team: ROX Tigers

Update: KurO finished ROX's series victory with a combined KDA of 5/5/26.

Analysis: Although KurO didn't dominate the series by picking up solo kills or making flashy plays, he was crucial in his team's victory. He started off Game 1 with an impressive performance on Karma. Although he didn't find a massive lead early in lane, he was able to group with his team to dominate a teamfight and secure an early advantage. Mainly supporting his team in the victory, his shields and crowd control were crucial to keeping his team ahead. As fights continued to break out, he locked down important targets to peel for his team and pick up one-sided victories. Using these victories to their advantage, ROX was able to claim dragons and a Baron to close out the game in 34 minutes. KurO kept his strong performance up in Game 2 on Lissandra. Up against Mickey's LeBlanc, it seemed as though he may not be able to easily win the game. KurO had a tough early game, falling behind when Mickey roamed to pick up an early kill and then traded one-for-one in an early engagement. KurO was seemingly unfazed, waiting until teamfights to bring his team back into the game. This proved to be the correct move, locking down enemy carries to not only pick up further kills for his team, but also keep his carries alive. The story of the game was KurO locking down key members in fights and allowing his team to pick up more uncontested objectives and close out the game to secure the series victory.

PraY: Shows up big in victory over Afreeca

Name: Kim "PraY" Jong-in

Team: ROX Tigers

Update: Playing both Ezreal and Jhin, PraY earned a series KDA of 13/3/18.

Analysis: Known for his impressive play on Ezreal, PraY was right at home in Game 1 of the series. Up against Sangyoon's Lucian, the team opted to laneswap in Game 1 to allow PraY to scale up. Allowing him to scale was the right move, as he exploded in teamfights. Up against Afreeca's rather strong teamfight composition, it allowed him to kite backwards and bring his team victories when Afreeca overextended. Once his team had an advantage, he was allowed to run with it. Picking up back-to-back teamfight wins, his team was propelled ahead of Afreeca and able to claim uncontested objectives. With sole control of the game, PraY closed out Game 1 in just 34 minutes. Switching things up in Game 2, he brought out Jhin to once again claim victory. Although he was unable to find a lead in lane, he was quite strong in the mid game. Earning his only death of the game 17 minutes in after a teamfight, his performance was extremely strong. Similarly to the game before, he assisted his team in picking up uncontested dragons and a Baron once again. Even on an immobile champion such as Jhin, he had no trouble kiting the extremely aggressive composition of Afreeca. Dealing massive damage, his ultimates helped earn convincing teamfights. On top of that, his accuracy was superb, allowing him to root enemies and slow them to set his team up for greatness. After winning several fights, he grouped with his team to secure the victory in the game. His impressive performance in Game 2 earned him MVP, participating in 73 percent of his team's kills to close out the series.

GorillA: Protects carries to secure series victory

Name: Kang "GorillA" Beom-hyeon

Team: ROX Tigers

Update: GorillA played Braum twice against Afreeca to earn a series KDA of 1/6/25.

Analysis: Although GorillA played a support not known for making plays, he was able to make a large impact to secure his team's victory in the series. In Game 1, he enabled his team from early on in the game, stunning several members of Afreeca in an early fight to secure a delayed ace for his team in a 4-vs-5 fight. With the early lead, he earned extremely early vision control, contributing to his team's dominant objective control in the game. As a result, they didn't give up a single dragon, claiming them for themselves to propel their advantage. He continued to remain effective in teamfights, locking down the enemy and landing crucial ultimates to help close out the game in just 34 minutes. He kept up his impressive performance well into Game 2, once again securing an early advantage for his team. He didn't hesitate in fights, allowing him to land ultimates on multiple members of Afreeca to bring his team another early lead. His crowd control worked wonders in conjunction with PraY's ultimate and root, bringing his team early victories through impressive fights. Shutting down Afreeca's aggressive composition, he allowed his team to kite them and win back-to-back fights. With the fights won, he facilitated his team picking up every dragon and Baron to secure a Game 2 victory and close out the series in convincing fashion.

ikssu: Unable to keep up with Smeb in series defeat

Name: Joen "ikssu" Ik-soo

Team: afreeca Freecs

Update: ikssu failed to live up to expectations set earlier in the week, earning a series KDA of 4/8/12.

Analysis: After Afreeca's utter domination of SKT earlier this week, ikssu had high expectations of him for his match against ROX. Unfortunately, he was unable to live up to the hype, falling to Smeb in both games. Failing to find a lead in lane in Game 1 on Trundle, he struggled to create much of an impact for his team. As Smeb began without any consequences, ikssu tried to participate in fights to earn his team some sort of advantage. This didn't work, as Smeb simply pushed his lane harder and then used his ultimate to join fights. Afreeca continually fell behind in Game 1, and ikssu wasn't able to do much of anything, leading to a loss. Game 2 was eerily similar, as ikssu once again was unable to do anything. Despite Smeb falling behind early on, he allowed the opponent to find his way back into the game without any sort of contention. As the game developed into constant teamfights, ikssu was only able to zone some members of ROX with his pillar, falling further behind as a result. Unable to find his way back into the game, he fell victim to ROX's impressive use of ultimates to secure victories in back-to-back fights. With their huge lead, ROX quickly closed out the game to secure the series victory.

LirA: No match for Peanut in series defeat

Name: Nam "LirA" Tae-yoo

Team: afreeca Freecs

Update: LirA earned a series KDA of 5/6/9 in Afreeca's defeat against ROX.

Analysis: Although LirA had a rather strong performance against ROX, he was ultimately unable to close out either game for his team. He started off Game 1 on Rek'Sai with a rather unfortunate dive against ROX to start off the game, as Afreeca gave up five kills and only earned one of their own. Once behind, LirA had an extremely tough time finding kills and objectives. Being forced to concede every dragon, it gave ROX the positioning they needed to begin to choke out the game. Despite nearly coming back, LirA was forced to concede a Baron that sealed Afreeca's fate in Game 1. After the defeat, LirA opted for Graves in Game 2. He had a much better time in the early game, finding an advantage for himself and Mickey, but it was all downhill from there. ROX responded by creating many picks for themselves and once again controlling neutral objectives. Afreeca had no way back into the game and was forced to play on the back foot. Falling behind as the game went on, LirA struggled to bring his team back, falling victim to the now fed PraY and Smeb. Unable to secure a single dragon or Baron in the Game 2 defeat, LirA's objective control left much to be desired as Afreeca lost the series 0-2.

Impact: Controls top lane in series win over NRG

Name: Jung "Impact" Eon-yeong

Team: Cloud9

Update: Impact finished Cloud9's series sweep of NRG with a 5/3/8 KDA.

Analysis: Impact went with Lissandra in the top lane to matchup with the Trundle from Quas in Game 1. He may have been slightly down in CS to Quas in the early going of this game, but he managed to take down the NRG top laner in a quick skirmish in the NRG jungle. This was just one example that perfectly demonstrated the might of Impact in the top lane matchup of Game 1. At no point did Quas seem to have any traction in lane against Impact during the 26-minute C9 win. Impact stuck with Lissandra for Game 2 and once again owned Quas' Trundle from the start. By the time the game rolled around to 20 minutes, he had a full two level lead over the NRG top laner. He had a big play towards the end where be basically singlehandedly took down KiWiKiD to start a teamfight that allowed C9 to grab Baron right after. That Baron then allowed C9 to take the game just a few minutes later.

Meteos: Gains insane map control in Game 1 of series win

Name: William "Meteos" Hartman

Team: Cloud9

Update: Meteos finished Cloud9's series win over NRG with a 5/1/10 KDA.

Analysis: Meteos used Kindred in the jungle, despite the fact that the champion has been seeing less and less use over the Split. He started things off with an aggressive play to clear out a jungle camp that belonged to Santorin. It was a greedy play since he had no vision of the NRG jungler, but it paid off in the end to give Meteos a good lead in the farming stage of the game. Meteos would continue making plays like this one all game long to really control the map during C9's easy win over NRG. Meteos switched over to Rek'Sai in Game 2 of this series and didn't have the same early presence that he did in Game 1. Despite his not having the huge presence of Game 1, he was able to really help his team to a good sized lead in the early and mid game. He participated in all of C9's first five kills to keep NRG marginalized in this series. Throughout the rest of the game, he still just managed to help his team keep a good lead by chipping in during teamfights.

Jensen: Dominates mid lane in a big way to take down NRG

Name: Nicolaj "Jensen" Jensen

Team: Cloud9

Update: Jensen ended Cloud9's series sweep of NRG with a KDA of 7/0/8.

Analysis: Jensen was able to first pick Vladimir in the opening game of this series against NRG. To start out the game, he did what all good Vladimir players do: win the battle in lane. From the start, Jensen had a noticeable lead using the Crimson Reaper. He ended up snowballing this lead in lane to huge lead for his team overall. GBM was unable to do anything to match the might of Jensen in the mid lane, which allowed C9 to dominate this game. Jensen grabbed LeBlanc for Game 2 and got off to a great start. Not only did he pick up the first blood on GBM, but he also managed to force four Flashes and seven overall summoner spells from NRG, as they ran around the map trying to kill him. He followed this up by just dominating the mid lane completely, even getting himself a 1,300 gold lead over GBM at one point. There was nothing at all that GBM could do to combat the impact that Jensen had in this lane all game long. It was this massive lead in the mid lane that allowed C9 to take Game 2 to secure the series sweep.

Sneaky: Gets out to a good lead in bottom lane in win over NRG

Name: Zachary "Sneaky" Scuderi

Team: Cloud9

Update: Sneaky ended Cloud9's series win over NRG with a 6/1/8 KDA.

Analysis: Sneaky grabbed Sivir for the bottom lane in the opening game of this series. He picked up the first blood on ohq when C9 dove on the top lane turret early on in the game. He used that early kill to start gaining a good sized CS and gold lead on ohq as things moved into the mid game. He used this lead to completely win the bottom lane matchup, which pushed C9 to this easy win. Sneaky used Jhin for Game 2 and made quite the impact from the start. He used his Curtain Calls to perfectly zone NRG and chip away their health to set up kills for his teammate. His main role in this game was simply to lend a hand in teamfights, rather then picking up a large amount of kills. He did that wonderfully, as C9 won teamfight after teamfight to take Game 2 and the series sweep.

Bunny FuFuu: Blocks plenty of damage with Braum in win over NRG

Name: Michael "Bunny FuFuu" Kurylo

Team: Cloud9

Update: Bunny FuFuu earned a 0/1/7 KDA in Game 2 of Cloud9's series sweep of NRG.

Analysis: Bunny FuFuu subbed in for Smoothie in the second game of this series and also went with Braum. He made his presence known early when he ran over to the river to use his Unstoppable to shield Jensen from the onslaught of NRG members who were furiously trying to take down the mid laner. He would do more of this over the course of this game, as he just shielded his teammates in fights to give C9 a good lead in many teamfights. With both supports putting on nice performances in this series, it is unlikely that C9 will cease their support rotation anytime soon.

Smoothie: Does what he needs to in win over NRG

Name: Andy "Smoothie" Ta

Team: Cloud9

Update: Smoothie finished Game 1 of Cloud9's series win over NRG with a 0/0/5 KDA.

Analysis: Smoothie was given the starting nod in this series and took Braum onto the Rift. He used the Freljord perfectly to help his team secure the win in this opening game. He was able to constantly tank damage to give his team a boost in teamfights. While he didn't do anything spectacular, it really wasn't needed as his jungler, Meteos, made plenty of plays in the spectacular department. He also placed a game-high 35 wards to give his team plenty of vision all over the map. Despite the respectable performance, C9 continued their support rotation by putting Bunny FuFuu in for Game 2.

Quas: Does nothing at all in top lane during loss

Name: Diego "Quas" Ruiz

Team: NRG eSports

Update: Quas ended NRG's series loss to Cloud9 with a 1/5/4 KDA.

Analysis: Quas used Trundle in the top lane of Game 1 and initiated an early lane swap. The lane swap was able to push Quas to an early lead in that top lane against Impact's Lissandra. Despite that early lead, he was the second NRG member to get taken out, as he was killed by Impact during a teamfight in NRG's jungle 14 minutes into the game. His inability to keep up with Impact in this game was enough to set NRG back by just enough to lose the game. Quas stuck with Trundle for Game 2 to try and salvage the poor game that he had in Game 1. Unfortunately for him and NRG, his play in Game 2 was essentially an extension of his Game 1 play. He didn't manage to pick up any kills at all in this game and ended up being down by almost 100 CS for most of this game. The deficit that he faced in the top lane once against set NRG pretty far back in this game.

Santorin: Unable to match jungling prowess of Meteos

Name: Lucas "Santorin" Tao Kilmer Larsen

Team: NRG eSports

Update: Santroin ended NRG's series sweep at the hands of Cloud9 with a KDA of 3/1/3.

Analysis: Santorin went with Elise in the jungle to go up against the Kindred from Meteos in Game 1. He was unable to match the presence of Meteos in the early stages of this game. Meteos was all over the map clearing out jungle camps to get control over the map. This early disadvantage was punctuated by Meteos soloing the Mountain Drake 12 minutes into the game. His Elise just looked out of sorts all game long, as he could not create any sort of map presence at any point. Santorin opted with a Gragas pick for the second game of this series. He was able to gain more traction in this game, as he actually held a good sized CS lead over Meteos at the start of this game. He used that lead to even take a full level's lead over the C9 jungler. He wasn't able to do anything with that lead, though. He did get two kills in the game, but they both came in the early game. He never gained the kind of map control that Meteos did in Game 1, which meant that NRG couldn't gain any traction in this game.

GBM: Constantly bullied in lane during loss to Cloud9

Name: Lee "GBM" Chang-suk

Team: NRG eSports

Update: GBM earned a 1/7/4 KDA in NRG's series sweep to Cloud9.

Analysis: GBM went with the seldom used Anivia in the mid lane to take on the Vladimir from Jensen in the first game of the series. As the game drew on, GBM started to fall further and further behind in the mid lane. It was very hard for him to keep up with the pressure that Jensen was putting out. He tried to use his egg at one point to prevent certain death, but it failed, as Meteos popped out the jungle to solo kill the NRG mid laner. GBM handily lost the mid lane battle, as NRG were pretty much dismantled by C9 in this game. GBM switched strategies a bit for Game 2 and picked Viktor for the mid lane. It seems as though that strategy involved dying quite a bit, as he was taken out by Jensen for first blood just three minutes into the game. He once again was not able to do much of anything in the mid lane against Jensen, who at one point had a 1,300 gold lead on GBM. He died a game-high five times in Game 2, as dying seemed to be the only thing he was good at in this game. If NRG hopes to gain any traction this split, GBM will need to pick up his play.

Ohq: Unable to carry team in loss to Cloud9

Name: Oh "Ohq" Gyu-min

Team: NRG eSports

Update: Ohq finished NRG's series loss to Cloud9 with a KDA of 2/6/2.

Analysis: Ohq grabbed Caitlyn for himself in the opening game of the series. He got off to a shaky start, as he was taken down for first blood by Sneaky when three members of C9 dove on the top lane turret early on. With the death, his descent into mediocrity during this game began. He started to fall behind in terms of CS and gold, which set his team back in the laning phase. It was just one more area in which NRG was behind in this game, as they were taken out easily in Game 1. Ohq, perhaps not pleased with his performance on Caitlyn in Game 1, switched over to Lucian for Game 2 of this series. The switch seemed to be working early on since he was able to keep a bit of a CS lead over Sneaky over the first 15 minutes of the game. That CS lead did not last long, though, as he ended up falling behind as the game drew on. Not only that, but he didn't have much of an impact in teamfights, either. He was just the vastly inferior ADC in this series.

KiWiKiD: Can't support his team during dismantling by Cloud9

Name: Alan "KiWiKiD" Nguyen

Team: NRG eSports

Update: KiWiKiD finished NRG's series sweep at the hands of Cloud9 with a 0/4/4 KDA.

Analysis: KiWiKiD used Karma in Game 1 to try and give his team an advantage with her speed up abilities and shields. Those support abilities would not be enough to save his team in this game, though. He actually ended up being a bit of a liability to his team, as he was immediately eliminated from teamfights just as soon as they started throughout this game. KiWiKiD grabbed Zyra for the final game of this series and again could not do much to support his team. He was down in level to Bunny FuFuu in that bottom lane, as he was completely ineffective all game long.

Mickey: Inconsistency leads to defeat against ROX

Name: Sun "Mickey" Yong-min

Team: afreeca Freecs

Update: Mickey finished Afreeca's series defeat with a combined KDA of 7/14/6.

Analysis: After dominating Faker and upsetting SK Telecom earlier in the week, Mickey and the rest of Afreeca had high expectations against ROX. Unfortunately, Mickey was unable to secure a win against the team. Being given Vladimir in Game 1, he should have been able to dominate the lane. This was not the case, as he struggled to find an opening. His ability to do much took a hit as Afreeca failed an early tower dive to give up five kills to ROX and only earning one of their own. He continued to struggle to find an advantage throughout the rest of the game. Although he was able to find some kills for himself, the rest of his team struggled around him, resulting in a rough mid game. As the game progressed, ROX simply propelled their advantage forward to close out the game in convincing fashion. Game 2 saw the other side of Mickey, and not the good side. After picking up an early kill on LeBlanc, he started having a rather poor performance. Playing aggressively, he gave up kills time and again to give ROX an even bigger advantage. Unable to do anything in fights, he continued to fall behind and put his team at a poor position. As the game progressed, he was unable to do anything, giving up the Game 2 victory to ROX while dying nine times in the process.