This 2017 Worlds story is brought to you by Predator.
Fans at the Wuhan Sports Center Gymnasium cheered as Royal Never Give Up defeated Samsung Galaxy in a game-changing teamfight.
The fans were not just excited because RNG, the home team, beat Group C favorites Samsung Galaxy. It was the way they achieved this victory.
Led by jungler Liu “Mlxg” Shi-Yu, RNG dominated Samsung Galaxy in every aspect of play. Mlxg controlled every neutral objective and consistently invaded Samsung jungler Kang “Ambition” Chan-yong to limit his impact.
Samsung, who struggled in every area except the top lane, were unable to support their struggling jungler. They fell victim to Mlxg’s outstanding performance. By the time RNG secured their victory in under 30 minutes, Samsung had zero kills and had only taken two turrets to prevent a perfect game from the Chinese team.
For Samsung, who performed well in their previous match against G2 Esports, this loss was surprising to fans and experts alike. Although Samsung faced challenges during the LCK Summer Split, these issues did not stem from the jungle but rather the mid and bot lanes.
In fact, Ambition and top laner Lee “CuVee” Seong-jin were the saving graces for Samsung during the summer. Ambition’s strategic pathing supported Samsung’s mid and bot lanes, who struggled against their opponents.
The problem for Samsung in their loss to RNG was that Ambition’s laners were unable to provide the same level of support when he needed it. In Mlxg’s early invades, Ambition received little to no assistance from his teammates. Instead, Mlxg had the support of his bot lane duo, who joined him in stealing the Red Buff from Samsung’s jungle.
With their jungler unable to assist them through the laning phase, Samsung’s laners fell further and further behind in gold and experience. This gave RNG a massive lead and ultimately led to their victory.
As the only Korean team to lose a game in the group stage so far, Samsung enters day four of the World Championship with a lot to prove. They are now behind RNG in second place, after being expected to finish first in their group.
As they enter the second half of the group stage, Samsung’s mid and bot lane duo need to increase their pressure in lane. Whether it’s by playing more dominant champions or adopting a more aggressive playstyle, Samsung’s laners cannot afford to lose pressure to RNG anymore.
If Samsung cannot increase their pressure in time for their rematch with RNG, they may enter the bracket stage as a second seed, similar to last year’s World Championship finalists.
2017 Worlds, Royal Never Give Up, Samsung Galaxy, Mlxg, Ambition, LCK Summer Split, Chinese team, Korean team, World Championship.