League of Legends Divisions Reestablish Superiority at IEM Oakland
The major League of Legends divisions once again asserted their dominance over wildcard regions at IEM Oakland. Europe’s Unicorns of Love and Korea’s Longzhu easily defeated wildcard teams to secure spots in the tournament’s semifinals.
UoL took down Brazil’s INTZ E-sports while Longzhu bested the Oceanic region’s Chiefs eSports Club. Even though their opponents were champions in their respective regions, it seemed inconsequential as both Unicorns of Love and Longzhu swept their matches.
Only one of the four games lasted longer than 30 minutes, highlighting the overwhelming performance of the major divisions.
The wildcard teams had shown promise earlier in the season. INTZ shocked Chinese powerhouse EDward Gaming at Worlds, and Russia’s Albus Nox Luna became the first wildcard team to advance past the group stage. However, the dominant performance of the major divisions reestablished their reputation.
While Korea’s dominance has never been doubted, Europe faced criticism after a poor showing in the early games of Worlds. H2K-Gaming’s semifinal run at Worlds helped redeem Europe’s status. Now, Unicorns of Love have the opportunity to prove Europe’s strength by facing North American champion Team SoloMid in the IEM semifinals.
The Unicorns are ready to take on the challenge, with mid laner Fabian “Exileh” Schubert expressing confidence in his team’s abilities. He believes that the pressure is on Team SoloMid and that the Unicorns can surprise everyone.
In the other semifinals, Longzhu will face Taiwan’s Flash Wolves. This matchup will serve as a stress test for Korea’s dominance, as Longzhu will be up against a perennial powerhouse in the LMS.
Korea’s top teams have consistently proven themselves as the best in the world, but if a team like Longzhu, who struggled in the LCK playoffs, can defeat the Flash Wolves, it would demonstrate a whole new level of dominance.
League of Legends, IEM Oakland, Unicorns of Love, Longzhu, wildcard teams, major divisions, semifinals, dominance, Europe, Worlds, H2K-Gaming, Team SoloMid, Flash Wolves, Korea, LCK, LMS.