This will mark the organization’s first appearance at Worlds.
Suning dismantled LGD 3-0 today in the LPL Regional Finals to lock in their spot at the 2020 League of Legends World Championship as China’s third seed.
One of the most hyped-up junglers in the LPL stepped up today to earn the right to play at Worlds. SofM popped off on Olaf, Lee Sin, and Lillia with dominant performances in all three games. His objective control coupled with his aggressive playstyle allowed Suning to steamroll through LGD’s defenses.
The series began with a godlike Lee Sin performance from SofM. He carried his team through the early game and secured multiple objectives to easily transition into the mid game. Once his team secured the Ocean Dragon Soul, it was lights out for LGD, who fell one by one to lose the first match.
Following that one-sided game, LGD tried to go for their Skarner pocket pick, but it was easily countered by Suning. They failed to make good use of it, especially when Suning players bought their Quicksilver Sashes to get rid of Skarner’s ultimate. Game two was another easy win for Suning and they moved one win away from securing a Worlds spot.
In the final game, LGD acquired an early lead but were unable to maintain it. Suning recovered their gold lead in the mid game and punished each mistake by LGD before finishing off the Nexus and the series.
With this sweep of LGD, Suning, an organization that was founded in December 2016, will make its Worlds debut this year. The team began the LSPL Spring Split 2017 season with a dominant performance, securing second place in the regular season with a 17-5 record. This allowed them to qualify for the 2017 LPL Summer Split.
From there, the team had its ups and downs, reaching the top four in one split and then dropping to the middle of the standings in the next split. They kept fluctuating for a couple of splits until now. They had a dominant season, securing fourth place in the 2020 LPL Summer Split with a 12-4 record. Even though they didn’t go all the way in the playoffs and secure an LPL title, they still managed to achieve something this year: a shot at the title of world champions.
LGD will have another chance to make it to Worlds. They’ll face the winner of FunPlus Phoenix vs. Invictus Gaming for China’s last slot in this year’s World Championship. Tune in on Sunday, Aug. 30 at 4:30am CT to see who will claim the region’s final seed for Worlds 2020.
