Teams Set for Semifinals Clash at Intel Extreme Masters Katowice
The Intel Extreme Masters Katowice League of Legends tournament is reaching its climax, with only one day left of competition. Four teams have secured a spot in the semifinals, battling it out tomorrow for a chance at the $50,000 grand prize.
Tomorrow’s first matchup will feature North America’s Team SoloMid against 2015 World Champion SK Telecom T1 from Korea. The second semifinal will pit China’s Royal Never Give Up against Europe’s Fnatic. These matches will take place at the Spodek Arena in Katowice, Poland.
Interestingly, none of these teams are currently the best domestically. Royal Never Give Up is tied with Invictus Gaming in group B in the League Pro League in China. Unfortunately, the Qiao Gu Reapers, currently first in group A, was eliminated today by Fnatic.
Despite being considered the best-known and popular teams in their regions, these four teams have experienced lackluster results this year due to offseason roster changes.
SK Telecom T1
SK Telecom T1, the 2015 World Champions, had a rocky start to the League Champions Korea (LCK) this season. They are currently sixth in the league, with the ROX Tigers dominating the region. However, SK Telecom only made one roster change in the offseason, switching top laners. For the IEM Katowice event, they decided to use substitute jungler Kang “Blank” Sun-gu.
SK Telecom’s Bae “Bang” Jun-sik and Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok performed exceptionally well today, leading their team to victory. Tomorrow, they will face tough competition in Team SoloMid’s star duo Søren “Bjergsen” Bjerg and Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng. Although SoloMid’s Svenskeren has been struggling recently, giving Kang Sun-gu an advantage.
If SK Telecom T1 continues to perform at the same level, they should defeat SoloMid and advance to the finals.
Team SoloMid
Team SoloMid, on the other hand, has had a disappointing season in North America. They are currently the fifth best team in the region and have struggled with inconsistencies. They underwent several changes in the offseason, only retaining Bjerg in the mid lane.
Although SoloMid faced some challenges in the group stage, they managed to bounce back and make it to the semifinals. However, if they continue their shaky performances, they are likely to lose to SK Telecom T1. It will require a remarkable performance from Bjerg or Peng and consistency from the rest of the team for SoloMid to have a chance against the Korean titan.
Royal Never Give Up
Royal Never Give Up, led by 2014 World Championship MVP Cho “Mata” Se-hyeong, has undergone significant changes in the offseason. They have emerged as one of the best Chinese teams, with Cho Se-hyeong and mid laner Li “xiaohu” Yuan-Hao leading the way.
Royal dominated their group yesterday, securing decisive victories. Their success tomorrow will depend on Cho Se-hyeong and Li Yuan-Hao’s performances, especially against Fnatic’s star mid laner Fabian “Febiven” Diepstraten. Given their strong showing so far, Royal should have a slight edge in the series.
Fnatic
Fnatic, like Team SoloMid and SK Telecom T1, has struggled in their respective regions. They benched their support player, NoxiaK, and brought in rookie Johan “Klaj” Olsson. While Olsson has improved, Fnatic is currently ranked fifth in Europe.
Fnatic’s performance tomorrow will rely heavily on Fabian “Febiven” Diepstraten and Lee “Spirit” Da-yoon. Both players performed well today, and if they continue their excellent form, Fnatic has a strong chance against Royal Never Give Up.
The series between Fnatic and Royal Never Give Up is expected to be a close one, with the winner likely emerging by a small margin.
Intel Extreme Masters, Katowice, League of Legends, tournament, semifinals, Team SoloMid, SK Telecom T1, Royal Never Give Up, Fnatic