Two LPL giants did not disappoint in a quarterfinals series that went down to the wire. In the heated Worlds knockout clash, EDward Gaming (EDG) clawed their way to a victory over rivals Royal Never Give Up (RNG), 3-2. For the first time in six years, EDG book a trip to the League of Legends World Championship semifinals. They now represent China's final remaining bid at taking the crown this 2021.
Worlds Quarterfinals: EDG 3-2 RNG
RNG strike first
If viewers had watched the first game alone, they might have expected EDG to tumble over soon enough. (Our predictions were right about the series going 3-2 in EDG's favor, though.) RNG handily delivered a defeat to China's champions in convincing fashion, winning lanes and taking control of the map.
In the 30-minute victory, the jungle matchup grew especially lopsided in RNG's favor. Yan “Wei” Yang-Wei put up a 4/2/7 performance on Xin Zhao, amassing a 3.5k gold lead over his counterpart in Zhao “JieJie” Li-Jie. While not the sole liability, EDG's jungler gave up five deaths that game on Jarvan and was two levels behind Wei by the end of the match.
RNG's focal point, Li “Xiaohu” Yuan-Hao also got ahead early in his Irelia versus Jayce lane. He went up two levels over opponent Li “Flandre” Xuan-Jun, but it'd be hard to blame the EDG top laner when he was drafted a losing matchup. Meanwhile, in the mid lane, Yuan “Cryin” Cheng-Wei executed remarkably on Ryze, ending with a 4/0/7 KDA.
Win lane, win game (also, ban Yuumi)
In the second game, the LPL's top seed bounced right back with a sub-30-minute win of their own. This time, EDG played to their strengths in the bot lane. They locked in a near overpowered duo in Ezreal and Yuumi for Park “Viper” Do-hyeon and Tian “Meiko” Ye, allowing them to push early and snowball their advantage.
By saving the top lane pick, Flandre got his hands on Graves in a favorable matchup against Xiaohu's Jayce. In the 35-kill bloodbath, EDG's top laner ended with an 8/3/6 KDA, enabled by JieJie's much improved showing on Olaf. Lee “Scout” Ye-chan snatched away Ryze from Cryin, who brandished a not-so-effective Annie, marking the champion's first-ever appearance at an international tournament.
But the MVP that game probably has to go to Yuumi. As annoying as the champion may be to some fans, there's no denying how effective of a pick it is, especially in the hands of Meiko. Just take the last fight as a clear example. Ezreal and Olaf were already down, and it was up to Xiaohu to stave off EDG's support and top laner, who were already at the nexus turrets.
The Jayce already killed Scout and was looking to burst down Flandre. Xiaohu got his opposite number very low, but Yuumi detached from Graves and helped take down the Jayce. Meiko, who ended with 17 assists, attached back and buffed up Graves with shields and attack-speed, allowing the the duo to wrap up the match and tie the series at 1-1.
Olaf axe carves out EDG win
The third game was less lopsided than the first two, though RNG made it seem closer than it actually was. They kept the kills close, with the final scoreline being 16-15 in EDG's favor. However, EDG built enough of an advantage by securing the towers and four drakes.
Locking in Graves again, Flandre couldn't replicate his game two performance as Xiaohu countered with a Lucian pick. But that didn't matter too much because the Olaf jungle pick continued to pay dividends for EDG, with JieJie going 4/1/7. Their bot lane also again selected the two-on-two that had the early push through Aphelios and Lulu.
The match really broke open for EDG at around the 30-minute mark. RNG postured around the baron pit and crucially had the positional advantage. Chen “GALA” Wei's Miss Fortune ult chunked out Olaf early, but he popped the Ragnarok to stay alive. By then, RNG had already done all the hard work, getting the baron low—to 30 health—allowing JieJie to flash in and steal it. While it took another seven minutes to destroy the base, the baron steal proved a game-defining moment for EDG.
RNG refuse to concede
Of course, RNG would not go down without a fight. In game four, the team exacted their revenge in another 30-minute victory. The Graves pick did not work out thrice in a row for Flandre, as Xiaohu put up a monstrous 4/0/7 performance on Kennen. Xin Zhao also struggled all throughout the series, with Wei losing on it in games two and three, and JieJie suffering a similar fate in game four.
Running it back with Annie, Cryin showed a much better performance, going 4/1/12. The Jarvan knock up, followed by Tibbers and Cataclysm combo sealed the fate of Meiko in a fight behind the dragon pit. With Yuumi out of the picture early, RNG chased down the rest of EDG, cleaning up Graves and Xin Zhao. With the opposing jungler down and no chance of a steal this time, RNG went on to secure the baron.
EDG's bot lane could not turn the tide in their favor, as RNG picked away the Aphelios-Lulu duo. They racked up a sizable gold advantage and level lead, as did the rest of the team. Off the baron push, RNG marched into the opponents' base and told the broadcast team to queue up Silver Scrapes.
EDG break Worlds curse
In the do-or-die match, EDG learned from their mistakes and made sure to pick the stronger lanes. They went back to what had always been working for them: Ezreal and Yuumi. JieJie also pickpocketed the Jarvan who gave them so much trouble in game four.
In the early game, both teams traded blow for blow, with RNG even grabbing the early kill lead. But EDG responded quickly, countering an attempted gank in the bot lane. JieJie flashed to find the knock up on the opposing jungler, allowing Ezreal to dish out the damage. A few moments later, RNG punched back as Wei and Cryin's Lee Sin-Orianna duo chased down JieJie for a kill in the top river. EDG's bot lane roamed towards the mid lane, however, and secured a kill back alongside Scout.
Around 15 minutes into the match, however, EDG found a fantastic fight in the bot lane after Flandre pushed out top. The Graves teleported to a ward in a lane brush, flanking RNG's bot lane. The rest of the EDG squad also came to help out, while RNG also responded by teleporting in—making it a full five-on-five.
JieJie masterfully wielded Jarvan, knocking up RNG's support first then using that to reach and engage on GALA. Meiko also unleashed the Yuumi ult to root the opposing AD Carry, who then promptly got deleted off the map. Xiaohu and Cryin tried to wrestle back, but the ball-carrying Gwen found nobody at all and the shockwave whiffed.
Scout kited away on Ryze, allowing Yuumi to dash over to him and heal him up to save his life. Flandre and Viper to ripped through the rest of RNG, making it a four-for-nothing fight. Even Orianna, who looked to sneak away through the river, was chased down for the unofficial ace.
From there, EDG had the game—and the series—firmly in their grasp. They pushed the advantage to take drakes, towers, and eventually the baron at the 25-minute mark, guaranteeing it by first killing off Lee Sin. With clean macro and side lane pressure, China's top seed pushed their way through mid lane and onto the nexus, taking a few more kills for good measure.
Finally, EDG broke their Worlds curse, claiming a spot at the semifinal round after six failed attempts in the past years. They now await the results of the Cloud9-Gen.G matchup slated for Monday.
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