Good morning Europe: BDS squeeze in as last LoL Worlds team after crushing NA hopes

LEC fans woke up to Team BDS crushing Golden Guardians with a quick 3-0 during the Worlds Qualifying Series.

The LEC‘s fourth seed is the final team to qualify for the 2023 League of Legends World Championship, but their first-ever appearance at the most important competition of the year will attract the eyes of fans now expecting BDS to perform as well as they did in the match against GG. 

The first game of the series set the tone for Team BDS’s domination. Despite the scaling composition, the LEC representatives aggressively took control of the early game, creating the perfect setting for exquisite map control through ward placements, turret plates destroyed, and overall lane advantages across the map. With their comfortable composition and a stellar performance by their jungler Sheo, BDS struck first and did it in less than 21 minutes. 

Going into the match, GG were favorites to win after BDS’s inconsistent performances domestically, often struggling during the LEC 2023 Summer split—and it showed during the second game of the match.

NA’s fourth seed clutched the first blood and took control of the jungle as their opponents struggled to find initiatives and proactive plays that put them on the map. But the tables turned 20 minutes into the game as BDS’ jungler stole the Baron from under GG’s nose thus giving his team the tools needed for the comeback. 

One game away from making the World Championships, BDS did not frantically chase the win but systematically shut down their opponents, leaving them no chance at securing a reverse sweep. In what was the most dominating and one-sided game of the series, BDS demonstrated complete control, reminiscent of their performance in the LEC during the Spring Split.

Their strong showing in this game cemented their 3-0 victory and emphasized their potential as a formidable force in League‘s World Championship.

Golden Guardians’ experience on the global stage was seen as a crucial advantage, however, it is evident the one-month downtime between the end of their regular season and their match against BDS destabilized the team. On the other hand, BDS stayed true to their core style, letting the players shine with comfortable picks that pleasantly surprised the fans at the LoL Park in Seoul.

As the tournament unfolds, fans will eagerly wait to see if Team BDS can maintain their momentum and potentially make a deep run at Worlds, further proving that anything can happen on League’s international stage. The competition will formally kick off tomorrow with the match between Latin America’s Movistar R7 and PCS’ PSG Talon.