At the LoL Worlds 2019, there was a true highlight match between SKT1 and Royal Never Give Up (RNG). These are two teams at the top of the world in League of Legends. Both teams showed great form. The shocker lasted over 42 minutes and was extremely close.
What a match it was! It was the second group match for both teams in the “Death Group C” at the LoL Worlds 2019 in Berlin:
- SKT1 are the Korean champs – they had already made short work of Fnatic in the first game
- Royal Never Give Up is a strong team from China , featuring the legendary ADC “Uzi”, who is considered one of the best players in the world. They also won their opening match.
Both teams are among the best in LoL. This is a matchup that could also be seen in a semi-final or final.
The Key Plays in the Match
How did the match go? SKT1 appears changed at this Worlds, as dotesports notes. Korean play has historically involved wearing down the opponent and methodically choking them out.
SKT1 dictated the game, choosing their team fights and managing to win them with superior play. The laning phase was relatively calm, but the mid-game and late-game decisions defined the games of League of Legends. However, with this style, Korea failed at the Worlds 2018.
The more aggressive “Solo Queue” style of the Chinese and Europeans triumphed. Here, players seek early decisions, relying on ganks and ambushes to turn small successes into significant advantages, allowing them to “snowball” the game, growing like an avalanche to overpower the opponent.
SKT1 showed in their match against Royal Never Give Up that they have adapted to this style in modern LoL. SKT1 now appears significantly more aggressive.
The action began as early as 7 minutes. When Faker hit level 6 with Twisted Fate, SKT1 started putting pressure on.
They initiated a team fight on the bot lane. But RNG immediately demonstrated that they were not pushovers, and the fight escalated to a 5vs5.
Faker was the first to die, giving Uzi the first blood on Xayah. But SKT1 also secured some kills. The first fight ended in a 3:3 stalemate, and both teams had to retreat.
Faker’s Escape Earns Audience Applause
A spectacular play was Faker’s escape.
Faker was the only one from SKT1 still alive, while 3 opponents from RNG remained at 18:38 minutes.
They wanted to capture Faker on Twisted Fate. But Faker dodged multiple skill shots and escaped to the base.
A spectacular play that was met with applause from the audience in Berlin.
Surprise Attack Decides the Match
How did the match end? In the final minutes, there was a “backdoor” play. This is when the opponent arrives too late to their own funeral.
Three players from SKT1, Faker, Khan, and Teddy, unexpectedly teleport into RNG’s base and tear down the Nexus before they could react and teleport back.
That was a stunt that made SKT1 quite happy at that moment, as seen in the players’ reactions.
Uzi and Faker Shine – Clid Takes the MVP Title
The Korean site Inven declared Clid from SKT1 as the player of the match on Gragas. The jungler was able to exert constant pressure on opponents with the feared explosive barrel – that’s Gragas.
- Faker finished the match with 5/5/8 on Twisted Fate
- Uzi achieved 11/5/8 on Xayah.
Overall, RNG had a slight advantage at 23:18 – but SKT1 won the match nonetheless.
What’s next? In the groups, each team will play 6 matches. Each team has now completed their first 2 matches:
- SKT1 leads with 2-0.
- Fnatic and RNG both sit at 1-1.
- Clutch Gaming is already weak at 0-2.
The best 2 teams will advance. The rematch between RNG and SKT1 will take place on October 19.
