What happened during day 1 of the Worlds 2023 Swiss Stage

Image credit: LoL Esports

Day one saw plenty of upsets in South Korea for Worlds 2023.

The first day of the Worlds 2023 Swiss Stage saw plenty of upsets take place in South Korea as two hometown LCK favourites dropped its opening matches. However, it was all smiles for the LPL as all four teams were able to secure key victories to put them one step closer to the Knockout Stage. As for both the LEC and LCS, only one team from each region was able to secure crucial victories to put them to the next round.

With the first day of the Swiss Stage now done and dusted, we move on to the next round as four more teams will take the next step towards qualifying for the Knockout Stage. As for the other four teams, a loss will put them in the elimination series this weekend whilst a win will see their fates hang in the balance.

Gen.GvsGAM Esports

Arguably one of the top three teams in the world right now, Gen.G Esports made short work of GAM Esports at only 22 minutes, which also ended up being the shortest match of the Swiss Stage so far. Gen.G kept GAM pinned back for most of the match and left them with only five kills to their name, two of which went to Trần "Kiaya" Duy Sang and Duy "Levi" Khánh Đỗ. The undisputed LCK champions showed just why they are one of the best this year with the likes of Wang-Ho "Peanut" Han, Jeong "Chovy" Ji-hoon, and Kim "Peyz" Su-hwan putting in the work to secure crucial kills across the map.

JD GamingvsTeam BDS

It was dubbed as the 'David vs Goliath' match-up given JD Gaming's role as one of the main contenders to lift the Summoner's Cup this year. As for Team BDS, their route from the Play-In Stage was not going to be easy and JDG was the hardest test it could have gotten. However, BDS would make JDG work for its victory with as the LEC fourth seed had no intention of taking the beating laying down. While BDS was able to limit the bloodshed to a minimum, JDG was clinical in its movement and playstyle to nullify most of what BDS could offer to take the win.

G2 EsportsvsDplus KIA

Both G2 Esports and Dplus KIA have faced each other numerous times at Worlds and this was the fourth meeting between the pair. Dplus had a 2-1 advantage over the last three meetings but it was G2 who came out on top today as Steven "hans sama" Liv proved to be the difference maker in the series. The niche Draven pick took Dplus by surprise as he was able to secure nine kills, two deaths, and four assists to go with his two double kills of the day. And while Dplus' lineup looked great on paper, it was the team's execution that did not work today.

NRG EsportsvsWeibo Gaming

In another 'East vs West' match-up that featured Weibo Gaming and NRG Esports, it was WBG that came out on top with a comfortable victory. And in a series where the only person to have lifted the Summoners Cup in Korea was playing, Kang "TheShy" Seung-lok played his part well in helping his team take the win. But it was his teammate Guang-Yu "Light" Wang who proved to be the difference on Kai'Sa with seven kills, four assists, and zero deaths.

FnaticvsLNG Esports

Fnatic remains as the only non-Eastern org team to win a world championship but it started its journey to being two-time champions in the worst possible way with a loss to LNG Esports. The LPL third seed showed just why it has a good a chance as any other to lift the Summoner's Cup with the likes of Lee "Scout" Ye-Chan hoping to pick up a second ring. His Azir during the match against Fnatic was one to watch for as he picked up 11 kills and seven assists with zero deaths; a perfect performance from him.

Bilibili GamingvsKT Rolster

The only 'LCK vs LPL' match of the day also happened to be the longest of the day, which went past 45 minutes. It was also the perfect match to end the first day of the Swiss Stage as both Bilibili Gaming and KT Rolster had a stronghold to the game at different moments of the match. KT had most of the early and mid-game sorted as BLG could only get a sniff in otherwise. But the late-game proved to be the difference for BLG as Zhao "Elk" Jia-Hao went to work with Xayah to secure a crucial triple kill and eventually, the game.

With day one of the Swiss Stage now sorted, we look ahead to the second round of matches, which are as follows:

Round 2 Upper Series