Meanwhile DK and FlyQuest will continue to fight for a spot at the Knockout Stage.
It’s the second week of the Swiss Stage at the League of Legends World Championship 2024, with some of the top contenders continuing to battle it out in Round 4 of the Swiss Stage, for a spot at the Knockout Stage on Thursday (10 October).
After two intense matchups, it was Top Esports and Hanwha Life Esports that emerged victorious, with Top Esports defeating DPlus KIA with a 2-0 sweep and Hanwha Life outplaying FlyQuest 2-1.
All four teams were huge contenders for a spot in the quarterfinals, with a 2-1 record at the end of Swiss Stage’s first week, after Gen.G and LNG Esports who have both already qualified for the Knockout Stage.
Here’s how both matchups went:
Top Esports crush DPlus KIA 2-0
In Game 1, Top Esports wasted no time asserting dominance. TES's Aurora was a force to be reckoned with, and Yu "JackeyLove" Wen-Bo’s Ashe was on point, raining down long-range arrows that landed crucial picks for the Chinese team.
By the 32-minute mark, with a commanding 15-4 kill lead, Top Esports stormed into DK’s base and smashed the Nexus, securing the first game in a statement win.
Game 2 was another showcase of TES’s coordination. Aurora was once again the thorn in DK’s side, making it difficult for Heo “Showmaker” Su's Yone, who struggled to find an opening against Aurora's oppressive crowd control.
Despite a brief comeback from DK in the mid-game, where they seized the gold lead, TES capitalised on DK’s overstep in the mid lane.
A clean team wipe and Baron secured allowed TES to close out the game in a 36-minute slugfest with a 26-15 kill lead, securing the 2-0 series sweep.
Hanwha Life Esports edge out FlyQuest 2-1
In their first game against FlyQuest, Hanwha Life Esports took control early, dominating the laning phase and securing kills that put them firmly ahead. FlyQuest couldn't find a way back into the game, and HLE methodically closed out the game for a clean win.
But Game 2 was a different story, as FlyQuest shook things up with a surprising Nunu & Willump jungle pick—a champion unseen in pro play since their rework in 2018.
At first, it seemed like business as usual, with HLE dominating the early game. However, FlyQuest’s risky strategy paid off, as Gabriël "Bwipo" Rau’s Olaf synergised perfectly with Kacper "Inspired" Słoma’s Nunu, making for an impressive Top-Jungle duo.
FlyQuest found their win conditions and turned the game on its head, overpowering the LCK first seed. They took full control of the mid and late game, giving HLE no chance to recover. After a 37-minute battle, FlyQuest dismantled HLE’s base with a massive 10,000 gold lead and a 24-14 kill score.
With both teams on matchpoint, both teams tried to push their advantage throughout the match, with Hanwha Life Esports coming out on top. Park "Viper" Do-hyeon on Xayah went aggressive, taking early kills against FlyQuest and denying the North American first seed opportunities to outplay HLE.
In a 30-minute encounter with a 14-8 kill lead, Hanwha Life destroyed the FlyQuest base to win the third game and the series 2-1 and secure their spot at the Knockout stage.
Both Top Esports and Hanwha Life have qualified for the quarterfinals, and are in good positions to continue their journey to winning Worlds this year.
Meanwhile, with a 2-2 standing in the Swiss Stage, both DPlus KIA and FlyQuest will continue to fight for a spot at the quarterfinals. They will need to win their next game to qualify for the next stage of the competition and avoid elimination.
