The EU LCS Claim Victory at Rift Rivals

The exciting tournament designed specifically to promote regional rivalry has ended on a sour note for North American fans, as the teams of the EU LCS claim revenge for their defeat last year and take home the trophy from the 2018 NA vs EU Rift Rivals. Here’s a brief breakdown of the matches.

G2 Esports vs Echo Fox

A promising start for the NA LCS as Echo Fox took the field against G2 in an effort to put their region ahead early. The plucky Fox squad proved to be a wily bunch, as they ran rings around their opponents to make significant gains early on. Despite G2’s best efforts, they were unable to stop Eco Fox from claiming the lion’s share of objectives, and the team fighting skill of the NA LCS representatives proved to be too strong in the end, handing the NA LCS a 1-0 lead.

100 Thieves vs Fnatic

A near mirror opposite of the previous game saw Fnatic surge ahead as they looked for regional revenge. 100 Thieves haven’t seemed that well organized this event, and it showed in a dramatic way today as Fnatic seemed to read their every move. Fnatic seemed determined to be the team to save their region after the losses they suffered last year, so it was fitting that they put up such a strong performance here as they levelled out the score 1-1.

Splyce vs Team liquid

A shock result for many watching as Splyce seemed to find their groove at the literal last possible moment, taking down Team Liquid in a decisive fashion. The top seed from the NA LCS seemed helpless as they struggled to get their plans going, while Splyce effortlessly claimed objective after objective and kill after kill in their quest to prove that they deserved to be here. With superior team fighting and objective control, Splyce took the EU LCS to match point in a series that suddenly looked dire for the NA LCS.

Fnatic vs Echo Fox

A match that seemed to start out pretty level but ended with a convincing victory saw Fnatic claim victory in both this match and the series. Echo Fox put up a valiant effort in defending their regional pride, but they were truly playing against a stacked deck as Fnatic surged ahead on the back of their superior team fighting ability. The only saving grace for fans of the NA LCS was the relatively short duration of the series, but that could also just be an indicator of how outclassed they were on the day.

With their final victory over Echo Fox, Fnatic shed the weight of their loss last year and claimed the trophy and bragging rights for Rift Rivals 2018 for the EU LCS, proving that at least for now, EU>NA.