The comeback is real for Dplus KIA after it sent GAM Esports home from Worlds 2023.
It has not been the best of tournaments for Dplus KIA but their League of Legends World Championship run is still alive after they eliminated GAM Esports earlier today. Despite dropping the first two games of the Swiss Stage, Dplus have slowly clawed itself back into contention for the Knockout Stage, having defeated Team BDS in the previous round. Dplus will now get a day's rest before their final best-of-three series this Sunday, October 29.
And unfortunately, we will now bid farewell to GAM, who have done the minor regions proud for how far the team have gone at Worlds 2023. The undisputed VCS champions have had one of its best runs to date, which started with a loss against LOUD in the Play-In Stage before turning it around. GAM was also responsible for sending Team Liquid home, who had some of the biggest names in the game under its roster.
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GAM EsportsGAM have not had the best of runs during the Swiss Stage, which also included Gen.G Esports and Fnatic. Their second match-up against another LCK side ended in defeat once more as Dplus ensured they would not go any further. The first game of the series was a clean and clinical performance from Dplus, who managed to keep GAM quiet for the majority of the match and left them with just a single kill. One of the remaining reigning world champions, HyeokGyu “Deft” Kim had a stellar game on Kai'Sa with six kills and three assists while also getting the most out of his farm time.
The second match was slightly better from GAM, who managed to get themselves involved in the game more. However, that also gave Dplus the chance to play to their strengths as well. Dplus took an early game lead despite GAM getting the first blood but aside from that and a handful of kills, it was a one-sided game for the LCK side. They held GAM to five kills in the second match and this time, it was only Heo “ShowMaker” Su who ended the game with perfect KDA at 6/0/9. This included a quadra kill just 15 minutes into the game as his Ahri overcame a GAM onslaught to take down four while at a disadvantage.
Kim “Kellin” Heong-gyu's Rell was one exceptional standout in the support role during the series with his Rell in the second game getting 19 assists to go with a sole death. Deft also had another great game, this time with Sivir as he managed to secure nine kills alongside nine assists and just one death. Both Kim "Canna" Chang-dong and Kim “Canyon” Geon-bu had great games on Rumble and Lee Sin respectively, showing great team fight initiations and chemistry to have the upper hand in almost every single skirmish.
That win will give Dplus one more best-of-three series to go to determine if they will make it to the Knockout Stage. In all four of its past Worlds appearances, Dplus have never not made it to the Knockout Stage and they will be hoping to keep that run alive this season.
