We’re inching closer and closer to the fated finals of the biggest esports event of 2020. The quarter-finals had one of the tensest series in a long time, with Fnatic almost managing the upset over tournament favorites Top Esports.
Of course, there were also some less exciting matches, especially with Gen.G and JDG not playing up to par as most had expected. Not to mention the domination which was Damwon who didn’t even give DRX a chance to breathe during their Bo5.
So now there are only four teams left, two more series to play and then we will get either a China vs Europe finals – for the third year in a row – or a China vs Korea final. We’ve taken a look into the four teams left and these are our pick’em predictions for the semi-finals.
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Suning vs Top Esports – Which Chinese Team Will Prevail?
The game is set to start off on Sunday at 11 AM CEST. Most would have predicted JDG in this situation and to see a re-match of the LPL Summer finals, but JDG hadn’t played their best all tournament and fell short to a surging Suning. Top Esports also gave their fans quite a scare, but thanks to Hung "Karsa" Hao-Hsuan going god mode, he will be able to meet his longtime friend, Hu "SwordArt" Shuo-Chieh. It is confirmed one of the ex-Flash Wolves will be on the final stage of the 2020 World Championship.
Who though? Top Esports showed great grit and determination and coming so close to losing 3-0 could only fire up the tournament favorites even more. Being able to achieve the first-ever reverse sweep in Worlds history just shows how mentally strong this team is.
Suning on the other hand has only looked better and better with each game. It looks as though they are growing with each experience and this could make the series quite interesting and very close. Will the stable and supportive jungle pressure of Karsa prevail or will Lê "SofM"Quang Duy and his speed running jungle play make the difference in the end?
We predict a very close series, but think that Top Esports will only thrive under the pressure and get the upper hand. SN 2-3 TES.
Damwon vs G2 – Will G2 Continue to Be Korea’s Kryptonite?
Both teams won their quarter-final 3-0 and breezed into the semi-finals. Last year these teams had met in the quarterfinals, with Damwon going down 3-1. Is this an indicator of how this series will go, though? Damwon surely isn’t the same team they were a year ago, having crushed the LCK.
G2 has learned to adapt to the world's meta quite quickly and are known to be the Korean killers. Their unpredictable playstyle and unique picks have thrown the stable LCK teams off, but Damwon seems to be the one Korean squad willing to play the same type of game. Not to mention that they do share a lot of the same champion pool.
G2 has more experience, having been in this situation before, which could help them through this semi-final, while Damwon does have the will to get revenge against the European first seed after their loss last year.
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Jang "Nuguri" Hagwon will have to show up big and show he can beat Martin "Wunder" Nordahl Hansen and Kim "Canyon" Geonbu will have to create the jungle difference they need. Midlane seems rather even, with Rasmus "Caps" Borregaard Winther playing out of his mind these days and just enjoying League of Legends more than any other player at the World Championship.
This is set to be quite the series. It will be tight if both teams show up to play. We do think that Damwon is slightly favored and therefore believe they will head on to the finals. DWG 3-2 G2.
Editor's Note: This assessment is subject to the knowing spirit of our German-Canadian LoL expert Sabrina. The rest of the EarlyGame crew will be sitting in our Munich office on Saturday at 12:00 CEST to cheer for G2! You can do it, boys!!!
We’re so excited for the semi-finals. Some of the greatest League of Legends matches have taken place before the finals, such as the legendary SKT vs Rox Tigers match in 2016 or the dramatic iG vs KT Rolster win in 2017. We can’t wait to see what will happen this weekend.
Who do you want to see in the finals? Let us know on Twitter and Facebook! For more news regarding League of Legends, like Morello leaving Riot, make sure to check back to EarlyGame.