G2's started the final day of their group stage with only a slim hope of making it through. Despite a win over RNG, it was the Chinese team alongside Samsung that made it to the next stage.
Starting the day on 1-2, G2 was looking to channel a little bit of Fnatic’s magic and a successful early gank by Trick’s Sejuani was exactly what the doctor ordered. MLXG answered back, but a four-man roam to the bottom lane grabbed two kills and first tower gold for G2, putting them 3k ahead. Trick was everywhere, catching out his jungle opponent and taking down the rift herald to keep his team in the ascendancy. Baron went down 21 minutes in and G2 ended the game in under half an hour, looking dominant.
Samsung still needed a win or two to make the next stage of the tournament, but they actually conceded first blood to Fenerbahce’s mid lane Kassadin. As the game wore on, though, Korean class started to show through. Four unanswered towers fell in favour of Samsung while Ambition’s Kha’zix picked up four kills and assist. They continued to run rings round their Turkish opposition from that point on, and claimed a predictable victory.
A win for G2 over Samsung, though unlikely, would put them in a great position to reach the next stage. A win for Samsung would guarantee them a spot, but it was Perkz on Ryze that picked up first blood after G2 had enough of Ambition’s jungle invasions. Samsung equalised the gold via first tower gold and took a decisive lead after winning a 3-0 team fight 25 minutes in. A lengthy technical pause did nothing to slow Samsung’s momentum and a kill on Zven meant baron for the Koreans. G2 clung on for deal live, surviving a second baron-empowered assault on their base, but elder drake put the final nail in this game’s coffin and G2 were reliant on a highly unlikely Fenerbahce win over RNG.
Uzi lit up the crowd when he locked in Vayne against Fenerbahce and despite being put into a supposedly losing lane, he was 2/0/1 with superior CS as the first towers started to fall. RNG was putting on a clinic, pushing down an inhibitor just 21 minutes into the game, while Uzi picked up his fourth kill. A baron followed, as did the victory for RNG, who booked their ticket to the quarter-finals.
That win for RNG put paid to G2’s slim hope of making it out of groups, but a win over Fenerbahce would leave them at 3-3 with some pride intact. Perkz made good on his promise to play Yasuo but despite picking up first blood, it was FB that had the better of the early game, going up 4-1 in kills and securing an infernal drake. G2 took the lead with first tower gold but neither team was able to put their stamp on the game until FB took down baron, 28 minutes in. Towers then fell left and right, putting the Turks up 7k gold by the time the buff wore off. G2 held their base with a successful, though, and even a second baron wasn’t enough for FB to end the game. G2 then had enough room to take an elder drake but was forced away from the third baron and lost all of their inhibitors. Fenerbahce still couldn’t finish and G2 was able to punish it, winning back-to-back team fights to claim a 3-3 record.
RNG and Samsung closed out group C, fighting for first seed. A botched tower dive from RNG was the first talking point, putting Samsung up 2-1 in kills and ahead by a few hundred gold. MLXG’s Lee Sin was able to setup a second kill for his team, leading to a cloud drake and first tower gold, but it was traded back immediately and the game was dead even. Samsung opened up a small gold lead with two more kills, but RNG opened up with map with all three outer tower going down. It seemed to be anyone’s game until RNG won a 2-1 team fight and took down another tower. A baron rush and another couple of kills meant Samsung’s mid lane inhibitor was down at the 29 minute mark. RNG claimed the number one seed moments later, with the baron buff still encircling their champions.
