The play-ins are over, now we are looking forward to the Swiss Round, which is the first time in the history of the League of Legends World Championship. Nevertheless, it’s worth looking back at the Play-In Stage as well, as there were already some exciting matches to marvel at here.
WE MADE IT !!! FROM LOSER BRACKET, FROM TOP 10 TIER LIST TEAM TO SWISS STAGE !!!BDSPOWER | Worlds2023 pic. twitter.com/3kpWWfp0wb
– Team BDS (@TeamBDS) October 15, 2023
A Vietnamese reunion
In particular, Team BDS took center stage. As representatives of the LEC, the Europeans were already regarded as the big favorites to advance. However, the boys around top laner Adam “Adam” Maanane were not to be taken lightly. Already in the first game they lost against the runner-up of the VCS, Team Whales.
Accordingly, they were doomed from the outset to have to decide each of the following contest in their favor. On the other hand, PSG Talon, the representative of the PCS, dominated almost the entire tournament and easily secured the ticket for the knockouts of the play-ins.
This was a rematch of the Vietnamese league, as both GAM Esports and TEAM WHALES, who had previously beaten BDS, had to duke it out for the ticket to the SWISS Stage. But in contrast to the performance during the group stage, in the end it was GAM Esports that once again relegated the domestic competition to second place, forcing them to go home early.
BDS bites its way through!
On the other side there was the most exciting match of this world championship so far. Team BDS met with PSG Talon, another favorite for the SWISS Stage. The match promised, what the schedule already promised in the run-up. Both teams did not give each other anything and fought with open sights. But it was PSG Talon who could play big at the beginning. Both Match 1 and Match 2 went impressively to the Hong Kong-based eSports organization.
Then, however, the hour of BDS should strike. With an irrepressible will and strong performance, they first managed to force the competition from the Far East into an equalizer, while they were able to crown it all with a victory in game five. This puts both GAM Esports and Team BDS in the lineup of the 16 best League of Legends teams in the world. Here, the teams will face organizations like T1, GEN G, JDG, BLG, and there will be a reunion with G2 Esports, Fnatic, and MAD Lions.
