EDward Gaming, the 2021 League of Legends world champions, fell in round two of the 2022 LPL Spring Split playoffs today to Weibo Gaming in a 3-1 series.
For EDG, this match was all about continuing their aspirations to defend their title from the 2021 LPL Summer Split playoffs, while Weibo Gaming were looking to reclaim their mid-split magic. At one point in the split, both teams had been seen as the best squad in one of the LPL’s most competitive splits ever.
But today, they faced off in a matchup to decide who would move on to the top six in the playoffs, while the other would be eliminated in seventh place with just 10 Championship Points to their name.
The first two games were controlled by Weibo Gaming, who showcased a regained level of clean play throughout the start of the series against EDG. Weibo Gaming top laner TheShy was the star of games one and two. His pressure in the top lane helped jungler SofM dominate the early game on his signature Lee Sin pick, which allowed Weibo Gaming to grab early leads.
While EDG showcased their ability to stave off continued pressure to extend the game, Weibo Gaming’s teamfight prowess was ultimately too much for EDG to handle. TheShy’s incredible mechanics on Kennen and Jayce were breathtaking in the final fights of both games one and two. His displayed mastery of both champions led to massive damage numbers in the late-game teamfights.
TheShy dealt 32,000 damage on Kennen in game one and 40,000 damage on Jayce in game two. His over 70,000 total damage in two games was pivotal in Weibo Gaming’s strong start to the series.
Game three saw two of EDG’s stars, mid laner Scout and AD carry Viper, single-handedly carry the late-game teamfights to help their team avoid a 3-0 sweep. While the gold lead may not show how much these two saved EDG, their collective 70,000 damage in the third game matched up against Weibo Gaming’s total team damage of 40,000 does.
Throughout the late game, Weibo Gaming continuously found picks onto EDG’s three other players before Viper and Scout won multiple two-vs-five scenarios to keep the defending champs alive in the series. This ultimately led to a 40-minute game three victory for EDG.
The final game of the series saw both teams battle throughout the early stages of the game. EDG continued to capitalize on their teamfight strengths through Scout and Viper and it looked like their noticeable performances would be rewarded with a possible game five decider.
But that was not meant to be. TheShy showcased why he’s a member of the second LPL All-Pro team this spring with his Gragas, which shined in the teamfights as both a damage threat and tank. He soaked up all the damage from Viper and Scout while the rest of Weibo Gaming killed the remaining EDG players to close out the final game of the series and eliminate EDG from the playoffs.
EDG’s 2022 LPL Spring Split has come to an end. The reigning world champions looked noticeably out of form throughout the 2022 spring season. After starting the Spring Split with a resounding 6-0 run, EDG began to falter once their weaknesses were highlighted by the top teams in the LPL. As a result, EDG just stayed afloat in seventh place going into the 2022 LPL Spring Split playoffs.
And in their series today against Weibo Gaming, EDG looked lost throughout the early stages of the series. They were only able to bring it to a fourth game because of mechanical outplays from mid laner Scout and ADC Viper.
EDG will now await the start of the 2022 LPL Summer Split so they can try to bounce back and improve upon their 10 Championship Points collected in the spring. Nonetheless, the team will need to make massive strides in the next split if they want to usurp the six teams above them in the LPL standings right now.
As for Weibo Gaming, this series against EDG showcased the progress they’ve made in such a short amount of time. At one point, Weibo Gaming were viewed as the strongest LPL team. But like EDG, they began to falter in the final stretch of games to round out the split, barely clinging on to that round one bye in sixth place.
Viewed as the slight underdogs going up against EDG, this series showcased a new and improved look for Weibo Gaming that seems to have answered some of their weaknesses displayed at the end of the Spring Split. Most notably, TheShy collected all three game MVP awards for Weibo Gaming today. The top laner showcased an untapped level that made the series seem more dominant than the gold graphs might suggest.
With this win, Weibo Gaming will now move on to round three of the 2022 LPL Spring Split playoffs against the third seed JD Gaming, who have been the second hottest team in the LPL, aside from the first seeded Victory Five. That match will signify a battle between two of the LPL’s most prominent top laners, TheShy and 369, who have both showcased a diverse range of adaptive playstyles.
While JDG should be the favorite going into that series, Weibo Gaming’s performance today could inspire confidence as they move forward into that match on Thursday, March 31. Both teams will look to continue their 2022 LPL Spring Split playoff run, where the winner will face Royal Never Give Up in the semifinals.
Meanwhile, the other round three matchup will see Top Esports go up against the LPL fourth seed LNG Esports. Those teams will battle for a shot at the LPL’s No. 1 seed, Victory Five.
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