The conclusion of the North American League Championship Series brought high volumes of drama with the playoff bracket taking shape. The two teams in question, Team Envy and Apex Gaming, entered the final day needing a victory. Both teams were head-to-head for the sixth and seventh spots in the standings.
Of the two teams, Team Envy's matchup against Echo Fox was the easiest path to victory. If there was anything to follow on the last day of the summer split, it was this dominating performance.
The fallen
Counter Logic Gaming, the team in Apex Gaming's way for a higher seed, was in need of a momentum boost into the playoffs. At the same time, Apex Gaming needed a victory to avoid the dreaded seventh position in the standings. What came out of it was an engagement that came down to the wire. Apex Gaming's desperation showed up in the final game of the series, as the team used a powerful Baron power spike to avalanche CLG. Unfortunately for CLG fans, Apex Gaming powered through and took the set, 2-1.
Team Liquid needed confidence and momentum. The matchup against Cloud9 was the best remedy for both. Unfortunately, Cloud9 not only took down the set, it did it convincingly in a 2-0 sweep. Team Liquid needed to figure out what the blueprint was for success, but the last week of the NA LCS didn't work out any of the issues.
Rising to the occasion
Cloud9 finished the summer split with a legitimate claim as the dark horse of the North American region. The team crushed through fringe contenders like Team Liquid and Team Envy and beat the teams that it needed to beat like Echo Fox and Phoenix1. It would not be a shock if C9 somehow managed to run the gauntlet and claim the top spot during playoffs.