In the biggest upset of the LoL EWC, Top Esports have handed Gen.G their first loss since the MSI, eliminating them in the first stage of the competition.
It’s another clash of giants at the League of Legends Esports World Cup Quarterfinals, with a matchup between LCK first seed, and reigning Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) champions Gen.G Esports (Gen.G) and LPL second seed, Top Esports (TES) on Friday (5 July).
And, in an unexpected turn of events, Top Esports defeated Gen.G in a dominant 2-0 upset sweep, eliminating the MSI champions from the EWC.
Gen.G entered the tournament as the heavy favourites, having triumphed over the 2023 World Champions, T1, in the LCK Spring Finals and secured their first MSI title last May. Remaining undefeated since the MSI, Gen.G were poised to be the team to fear in this tournament.
Meanwhile, Top Esports entered the competition as the LPL's second seed, with much to prove following their unexpected early exit from the MSI Playoffs. Despite a roster filled with LoL World Champions, they suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of G2 Esports. Now seeking redemption, Top Esports were looking to advance to the semifinals and get a chance to prove themselves at the EWC.
Here's how the matches went:
In the first game, Gen.G went for scaling champions for their lineup while Top Esports prioritised champions with damage and mobility in the drafting face. Both teams maintained equal footing throughout the early and mid-game, trading map objectives and kills, and slowly scaling their champions.
However, Gen.G found a small lead after a fight at the Baron, by taking the Baron, and winning the successive team fights later on.
However, Top Esports outplayed the South Korean powerhouse at the Dragon pit, securing the Dragon, and cleaning up Gen.G in the river, allowing them to make their way to the Baron and secure and surpassing Gen.G’s gold lead.
With a fed Tristana and the Baron buff on their backs, the LPL second seed pushed forward and attempted to crack open Gen.G’s base.
It was Bai “369” Jia-Hao’s Mordekaiser and Jian “Crème” Lin’s Tristana that made all the difference in the final team fight that sealed Gen.G’s fate in the first game. After a 33-minute encounter, TES destroyed Gen.G’s Nexus to win the first game.
Top Esports had the upper hand in the drafting phase of the second game, going for heavy crowd control and heavy damage; taking Rumble in the top lane, Sejuani in the Jungle, Corki mid, and Ashe and Braum in the bottom lane.
Top Esports quickly overpowered Gen.G throughout the game, gaining momentum and a sizeable gold and item lead against the South Korean juggernauts.
Winning team fight after team fight, TES continued to dominate the game and outplay Gen.G, taking most of the map objectives. And after a 35-minute encounter, Top Esports crushed Gen.G’s Nexus to pull off the biggest upset of the tournament so far.
Top Esports will face the winners of the matchup between G2 Esports and FlyQuest in the semifinals on Saturday (6 July).
Meanwhile, Gen.G bowed out of the competition in 5th-8th place, with their EWC key crushed.
You can follow all the action at our LoL Esports World Cup tournament page.
Check out the League of Legends Esports World Cup Survival Guide here to know more about the competition. If you're curious to find out which teams to root for at the EWC, click here.
