Two days in and fans are learning quite a bit already. This may be one of the most even Worlds that has ever been seen. It seems that almost every group is open for just about anyone to take. There are clearly some favorites like G2, RNG and SKT. But, that does not mean that they are infallible either. So with that in mind, here are the biggest takeaways from Day 2 of Group Stage.
A World Championship Preview…Hopefully
When SKT and RNG were put in the same group many people were very much looking forward to their two guaranteed matches. Faker vs. Uzi, a tale as old as time. Without a doubt, this game was everything fans were hoping for and more. Back and forth with every player making their presence felt at different points in the game. Then Faker and crew just outplaying RNG in terms of moving around the map to take the win. The hope will be that these teams meet up somewhere along the way again outside of their one remaining Group Stage game, maybe even in the finals.
Fnatic Might Be in Trouble
Yes they got their first win, but it was pretty far from a clean win. In their two games thus far, Fnatic have looked shakey in nearly every phase of the game. They are being out-drafted and outplayed in most areas. At times Broxah looks lost, Bwipo continues to die unnecessarily and Rekkles is not able to do Rekkles things. The Garen and Yuumi may have worked at the end of the Clutch game but overall it has looked extremely exploitable. Hopefully, Fnatic have learned from their first two games and step it up, otherwise in a group that features SKT and RNG their time at Worlds may be cut short.
Invictus Gaming Have Gotten Out of Their Slump
Between losing to Team Liquid at MSI and barely scratching their way into Worlds, many wondered if Invictus might have lost their edge. Well after two hard-fought wins, it seems that the 2018 World Champions are back. In their win against Team Liquid, they fought well and Rookie looked particularly strong. This is not to discredit TL as they looked as though they could pull it out at different points. That said Invictus Gaming are now 2-0 and have an opportunity to be the first to make it out of Group D.
Map Mobility is Key
So far there have been a number of teams not running more than one teleport, normally in the top lane. Those teams have been struggling as they are getting beat hard in the side lanes. Faker and SKT won their game because they had more teleports than RNG and Twisted Fate has been a contested pick throughout most games so far. Expect to see more teams noticing this and taking their advantages where they can.
G2 are a Favorites for a Reason
Because of western struggles for so many years, people wondered if teams like G2 were for real after their incredible year. Well, it seems as though that answer is yes. G2 took down Griffin while playing a totally different style than LEC fans are used to. They played slow and collective as that was what was needed in that matchup. This makes G2 absolutely terrifying. Not only can they play a plethora of champions but they don’t have to be aggro all the time either. If they are able to play complete counters against every team because of their flexibility then there is no reason that they shouldn’t be a favorite to win it all.
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