Royal Never Give Up slowed down the DAN Gaming hype train on Thursday to open up Week 4 of the League of Legends Pro League, earning a 2-0 sweep in cross-group play in Shanghai.
Royal Never Give Up (4-2, 9-6 match record) came into Game 1 with something to prove against the LPL rookies of DAN Gaming, taking a strong poke/pick composition. DAN Gaming got the action going early on with a nine-minute Infernal Drake, but RNG quickly responded with first blood in a 2-for-0 exchange. Seemingly unafraid of the vaunted RNG squad, DAN Gaming (4-2, 8-4 match record) came right at RNG with a 5-vs-5 fight in the bottom lane 12 minutes in to take an extended 4-for-3 teamfight win. RNG wasn't content to let DAN run away, however, picking up a quick 3-for-1 teamfight before the game settled into a lull, with almost 20 minutes going by without a single kill from either side. At the 32-minute mark, however, the dam broke for RNG, as support Shi "Ming" Sen-Ming's Thresh landed hooks with impunity to give his team a 4-for-0 teamfight win. RNG used that window to take down the Baron and, with the Baron buff in tow, march right into DAN's base to secure the 36-minute Game 1 win.
RNG came into Game 2 with an aggressive siege/pick composition, putting immense pressure on the top lane to get Yan "LetMe" Jun-Ze's Kled ahead with first blood at 10 minutes. Not only did RNG's top lane priority put Letme ahead, but it also activated mid laner Li "Xiaohu" Yuan-Hao's LeBlanc. After picking on the top lane for a couple of kills, Xiaohu became a terrifying side-lane duelist, shutting down DAN's splitpushing threat. DAN tried to engage a few teamfights but couldn't get past jungler Liu "Mlxg" Shi-Yu's Gragas, who picked up MVP honors with an 1/4/11 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) for 86 percent kill participation. Spiraling out of control after a 24-minute Baron kill, RNG had DAN against the ropes, prompting it to attempt a desperation Baron rush at 32 minutes. Unfortunately, Mlxg came up with a big Baron steal, allowing a splitpushing Letme to simply end the game with a massive minion wave in 32 minutes to complete the 2-0 sweep.
DAN Gaming next faces OMG on Saturday at 8 a.m. ET, while Royal Never Give Up prepares for a huge clash against EDward Gaming at 8 a.m. ET on Sunday.