League of Legends Worlds 2018 Day One Recap

The 2018 League of Legends World Championships have finally begun, and boy what a first day we’ve had so far. Upsets, comebacks, surprising picks, what more could we ask for as the top teams in the world kick off the greatest tournament of the year. Here’s a brief breakdown of the action from day one at Worlds 2018.

KT Rolster vs Team Liquid

The opening game of Worlds featured North America’s greatest hope Team Liquid taking on the Korean powerhouse KT Rolster, in a match that was probably not as exciting to watch as it was to think about. While Team Liquid were able to make some impressive moves early on and keep the game relatively even for some time, KT eventually turned up the heat and brought the pain, sweeping TL from the field and claiming first blood in this tournament.

Edward Gaming vs MAD Team

Our second match of the day was surprisingly close for much of the game, as EDG struggled to close out their clash with MAD. Both teams scored heavy blows throughout this battle, however ultimately EDG were able to close out the game with a series of team fights that saw them build a definitive lead over MAD.

Phong Vu Buffalo vs Flash Wolves

A fairly straightforward clash after the previous two close games, saw Flash Wolves once again prove they are a top team to look out for at this tournament. A relatively quick battle showcased why the Flash Wolves have a reputation for upsetting big names in the past, as PVB struggled to find their footing on the main stage.

Afreeca Freecs vs G2 Esports

What happens when you intentionally disrespect your opponent’s playstyle and allow them free reign during champ select? Just ask Afreeca Freecs, who opted to allow G2 Esports to put Petter "Hjarnan" Freyschuss on Heimerdinger and tear up the bot lane and future team fights to his hearts content. We hope you enjoyed seeing Hjarnan play Heimerdinger at Worlds, because it’s unlikely to happen again after their performance here.

Royal Never Give Up vs Cloud9

It isn’t really fair to judge Cloud9 based on their performance against perhaps the best team in this tournament. That said, RNG looked extremely strong in this dismantling of Cloud9, opting for a fast, objective orientated style of gameplay that left little room for C9 to operate. Better luck next time lads, RNG are on the warpath this year.

Gen. G vs Team Vitality

Another upset from the EU LCS must certainly have the European fans crowing on social media. Vitality have a proven record of high-risk, high-reward gameplay, and it seems that Gen. G were simply not expecting to be challenged in this battle. Who knows, maybe the Italian Stallion Daniele "Jiizuke" di Mauro can lead his team out of the so called “group of death” and give EU fans even more to cheer about.

The first day of games has concluded, and we’ve already seen some incredible upsets. Who knows what the rest of this tournament has to offer as the top teams in the world face off for eternal glory and bragging rights over everyone else. How are your Pick’em’s coping after the first day of games, too many more upsets and it’ll be a wash for us.