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Cloud9 and Golden Guardians lead the way in LCS Summer Split playoffs

Things are starting to heat up in the LCS Summer Split playoffs.

The road to Worlds 2023 starts now in North America as the final eight teams get ready for the LCS Summer Split playoffs. No team was safe during the chaotic group stage setting in the LCS with the likes of Cloud9 and Golden Guardians taking first and second respectively afer C9 won the tiebreaker for the top spot.

They're closely followed by Evil Geniuses in third, Team Liquid in fourth, NRG at fifth, and TSM at sixth. Dignitas and 100 Thieves make up the top eight teams that made it to the next round. Much like the tiebreaker for first place, it was Dignitas who came out on top in the tiebreaker, giving them an edge over 100 Thieves.

With C9 and GG taking first and second, they obtained an automatic bye to the upper bracket semifinals where they will await the winners from the quarterfinals. GG will face the winners between Team Liquid and NRG while C9 will go up against either NRG or Evil Geniuses. As for 100T and Dignitas, they will play the losers of the upper bracket quarterfinals.

However, one team that did not make it past the group stage was FlyQuest, who just a few months prior topped the group stage in the LCS Spring Split. They wound up at third and narrowly missed out on a spot to the Mid-Season Invitational. Many expected FlyQuest to mount a challenge for Worlds 2023 in the summer but it has not worked out for the team at all, which does not bode well for the future of its star-studded squad.

 

LCS Summer Split Playoffs - Schedule

All matches in the playoffs will be a double-elimination, best-of-five format to dertermine the four teams that will represent the LCS at Worlds 2023. The top three teams will head to Worlds on a direct invite to the Swiss Stage. As for the team that finished in fourth, they will be part of the Worlds Wildcard Qualifier against the LEC team that finished in fourth to determine the final slot in the Play-In Stage of the international tournament.

EG and TSM will be the first quarterfinal series to take place later today at 5.00 am UTC+8 with the winner going on to face C9 while the loser will drop down to face Dignitas. Liquid will go up against NRG on July 29 at the same time with the winner moving on to face Golden Guardians while the loser faces 100 Thieves in the lower bracket.

This is also NRG's first outing in the playoffs after the organisation acquired Counter-Logic Gaming's LCS slot in April this year. And despite this being the org's reintroduction into the LCS in the middle of the season, for them to qualify to the playoffs on its first try is nothing short of exemplary and a solid foundation to build on in future years.

With C9 and GG being the two LCS teams that went to MSI, it's not very surprising to see them both being the teams to beat in the region. TSM and Team Liquid have also done fairly well to improve on its overall performances after both teams failed to make it past the group stage in the spring. But it was Dignitas who had shown the greatest improvement.

After finishing last in the spring, they managed to finish at seventh in the summer, which also includes a crucial win over a stacked 100 Thieves roster in the tiebreaker. This will also be Dignitas' first feature in the playoffs since 2021 after missing out entirely last season.

The games are expected to go on for the next three weeks with the LCS Championship weekend taking place on August 19 & 20 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Author
Teh "GravityWillFall" Wi-LiamA failed pro-am gamer turned into a filthy casual with an unhealthy obsession for keyboards and sneakers.

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