A new bug at the Worlds 2022 is causing a stir. Was it perhaps even game-changing and responsible for Top Esports’ elimination?
Another bug has caused trouble at the Worlds 2022. In the deciding match between Top Esports (TES) and GAM Esports, the passive ability of an item apparently did not work. This bug could even have been decisive for the match.
Things actually didn’t go too badly for the Chinese League of Legends team TES. The team was able to record victories against both DRX and Rogue. However, they lost a game against GAM, of all teams, which usually only had to admit defeat in the group.
This meant that the group stage ended for TES with a score of 3-3, while both DRX and Rogue managed to secure a place in the knockout stage with a score of 4-2 each. So this one setback against GAM meant the end for TES.
Was a bug to blame for the defeat?
However, the defeat to GAM should perhaps not have happened like that. The very close match, in which GAM’s Nexus was even close to being destroyed, may have been influenced by a bug.
In the all-important teamfight at the TES base, GAM pro Levi inflicted near-lethal damage with his Karthus Ult on TES player JackeyLoves Champion Lucian. Shortly after, the AD Carry died at the hands of GAM Kati’s Sett Ultimate.
Item let down AD-Carry
According to an analysis by bug hunter Vandiril, however, some of Carry’s damage to Lucian should have been blocked by the Maw of Malmortius item. The passive ability of the item protects the wearer from magic damage with the help of a temporary shield – at least it should.
The item’s cooldown also hit in the teamfight, but without the promised effect.
This bug might have eliminated TES from Worlds.
In the final moments of GAM vs TES, Karthus ults TES team.
Nami w/ 96 MR takes 930 Damage.
Lucian w/ 100 MR takes 924 Damage.But Lucian had Maw. It activated, but didn’t block any damage. Otherwise, he would have had 600+ HP. pic.twitter.com/2K1ryCJZcJ
– Vandiril (@Vandiril) October 16, 2022
In a video, Vandiril recreates how the Karthus Ultimate should normally be blocked by the item:
Here is how Maw should work:
Karthus does 600 Damage here. I have 88 MR, he has 18 pen. 70 MR is roughly 41% damage reduction. So I should take around 350~ damage. You can definitely see that Maw blocked the damage from Karthus R. pic.twitter.com/e2ZRAeASfL
– Vandiril (@Vandiril) October 16, 2022
Vandiril also emphasises that it is not one hundred percent certain that TES could have won the match without this bug. But it could not be ruled out either.
Worlds 2022 plagued by bugs
Most of all, the fact that the match ended so close makes one feel even more incomprehension towards Riot Games and this bug. With a win against GAM, TES could have proven themselves in the tiebreaker matches that followed and made it to the quarterfinals.
This bug fiasco is not the first to overshadow Worlds 2022. Directly several bugs were uncovered in the course of this World Championship. In G2, too, this could have led to defeat – and Orianna was even deactivated for a short time because of it.
