Kingzone 1, bbq Olivers 0
Kingzone DragonX bumped itself up into second place in the 2018 League of Legends Champions Korea Summer Split when it obliterated the bbq Olivers in one of the least competitive 2-0 series of the year.
To say that bbq never had a chance would be disingenuous, as the side has shown signs of boxing above its weight in recent memory -- a fact which the Afreeca Freecs realized at its own peril two weeks ago. While the now confirmed 10th place team in the LCK was still a long way from being a "good" team, they were well on its way towards mediocrity, which would be a firm improvement for a team that has looked completely hopeless for the majority of the Summer Split.
All of that improvement didn't count for anything against Kingzone, however, which came out in rare form. Recent weeks have raised questions about just how strong Kingzone truly are, and a painful demonstration like this does much to improve the perceived strength of the team. Kingzone didn't waste a minute once it was on the Rift -- it took over both games within the first five minutes and prosecuted each game to its conclusion before the thirty-minute mark.
Credit for Kingzone's blistering pace falls almost entirely at the feet of Han "Peanut" Wang-he, a player who has been in and out of the lineup all throughout the split. His Camille and Zac both got involved in the lanes early and often, a fact that made certain Bbq laners -- most notably Kim "Crazy" Jae-hee, who's Jayce in Game 1 was completely shut down -- look completely out of their depth. While Peanut didn't receive either game's MVP personally, each game saw the lane that he most heavily focused his attention on go on to take the honor as Kingzone casually wiped out the Olivers.
Kingzone's final match of the split will come at 4:00 a.m. ET on Thursday against SK Telecom T1. Meanwhile, the bbq Olivers will face off against Griffin in its final match at 7:00 a.m. ET on Wednesday.
Hanwha Life 1, Afreeca Freecs 0
Hanwha Life Esports pushed itself into pole position for one of the last playoffs spots in the 2018 League of Legends Champions Korea Summer Split on Sunday when it defeated Afreeca Freecs at the end of a 2-1 series.
A number of calculated risks by both teams made the series a joy to watch, as both teams came ready to play their hearts out. Neither team had yet to secure a guaranteed playoff berth, and each was looking at the other, along with Kingzone DragonX, as the primary competitor for the few remaining slots.
While it was Hanwha Life who carried the day, it didn't do so in particularly dominant fashion. Game 1 was, for the most part, a touch and go affair that showcased the shortcomings in Hanwha Life's decision-making matrix, as it struggled to make real headway in a game that should have been a routine victory thanks to how far ahead Kwon "Sangyoon" Sang-yun's Kai'sa started off the game. The Nexus did fall for Afreeca, but Hanwha looked less like victors and more like survivors as Afreeca gave the side a real run for its money around the Baron pit.
Game 2 was, however, as decisive a game as one could ask for -- for the Freecs. KurO's Vel'koz absolutely tore apart Hanwha's ill-conceived attempts to punish him, and Afreeca rode his 7/0/2 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) to an easy victory where Hanwha had no real agency.
The Freecs threw the ball right back to Hanwha Life when Game 3 rolled around, though. An absurdly risky draft that seemed all-in on the early game turned out to be the Freecs' undoing, as a series of smart calls by the side of Hanwha Life put it ahead in gold and dragons against a composition that needed a massive lead in both to be competitive. While the game technically lasted nearly 40-minutes, there was never any question as to whether Hanwha Life would win, as Afreeca's tankless composition hadn't a prayer against the three Infernal Drakes that Hanwha Life managed to pick up, giving Hanwha the series and a certain road to the playoffs.
Hanwha Life Esports plays its final, now irrelevant, match against KT Rolster at 7:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday. Afreeca Freecs will face off against the Jin Air Green Wings in a match that will decide its playoff fate at 4:00 a.m. ET on Wednesday, August 8th.