Afreeca Freecs Defeat KINGZONE DragonX in LCK Playoffs
Afreeca Freecs continued their playoff ascent with a dominant 3-1 victory against reigning LCK champions, KINGZONE DragonX.
Having recently swept Gen.G, Afreeca faced their toughest challenge yet in the form of KINGZONE. Despite losing their last seven matchups against KINGZONE, Afreeca knew they had to break this losing streak in order to advance in the playoffs.
To achieve this, Afreeca adopted KINGZONE’s aggressive style of play. Mid laner Lee “Kuro” Seo-haeng played roaming champions like Talon and Leblanc, successfully disrupting the laning phase with constant multi-man ganks. KINGZONE attempted to defend against these ganks, but Afreeca shut them down in every skirmish.
Afreeca’s early game success was not solely attributed to their aggressiveness. Afreeca’s players outclassed their KINGZONE counterparts, securing multiple solo kills. Combined with the successful ganks, Afreeca gained early leads in their three game victories.
Capitalizing on these leads, Afreeca established vision control in KINGZONE’s jungle. Desperate to make a comeback, KINGZONE took risks by entering Afreeca’s warded jungle. This played directly into Afreeca’s hands, resulting in more kills and an even larger lead that allowed them to secure the Baron and close out the game.
As a result of their loss, KINGZONE now face the regional finals where they must compete for a spot in the World Championship against the likes of SK Telecom T1 and Gen.G.
On the other hand, Afreeca advances to the playoff semifinals where they will face Griffin, the LCK’s talented rookies. Their matchup is scheduled for August 18.
Afreeca Freecs, KINGZONE DragonX, LCK playoffs, victory, aggressive play, ganks, solo kills, vision control, regional finals, World Championship, SK Telecom T1, Gen.G, playoff semifinals, Griffin.