We’re down to our final three in the LCS Championship, but only one can claim it all.
It’s been a weird split in the LCS. With top teams dropping off, ever presents failing to make Worlds, and a potential mouth-watering Grand Final. Before that, however, we’ve got to find out who's going to be facing off against Team Liquid in the Final. In this article, we’ll preview each of the three sides, and who we think going to take it all and be crowned the LCS Champions.
100 Thieves
Probably the surprise package in this Grand Finals weekend. Though, it all could have been very different had they not thrown away a 2-1 lead against Team Liquid just a week ago. Now, 100 Thieves find themselves in a tricky situation. Needing to recover from the mental boom of being turned over last weekend, while also knowing that if they do beat Cloud9, they’ll still need to beat Team Liquid. Overall, it’s going to be a tough weekend for 100 Thieves.
The form will be the biggest factor in the series. With 100 Thieves losing momentum, they face a Cloud9 side coming into the match on the back of three series victories. That said, 100 Thieves have managed to get this far, so they’ll feel they have as much chance as any of the other two sides to win it all. At the end of the day, for 100 Thieves, they know they’ve at least secured a spot at Worlds.
Cloud9
After a dramatic win against TSM last weekend, Cloud9 will be on, well, cloud nine. The roster has picked up form when it matters, as they blitzed through the Lower Bracket with relative ease. Things get trickier now, however, as they face two difficult series if they want to end a disappointing regular season with an LCS title on their wall.
Can Perkz bring success to Cloud9?
We’ve already spoken about Cloud9’s chances against 100 Thieves, but what of their chances against Team Liquid? It’s certainly the Grand Final most fans want to see. Two of the league's biggest sides, both of whom spent big money in the off-season to bring in major signings. Team Liquid has certainly looked the stronger of the two sides thus far, however, any European fan will tell you that Grand Final Perkz is a different beast. While he hasn’t been at his G2 Esports mid-lane best, if Perkz can show up in a Grand Final weekend, Cloud9 could be a treat to watch.
Team Liquid
Lastly, we have our Grand Final opponent. Having beaten 100 Thieves 3-2, Team Liquid looks well-placed to take on either of the two sides that they could end up facing. While their early games against 100 Thieves left something to be desired, they managed to turn the series around and record victory.
Alphari could be a key man for Team Liquid.
As for Cloud9, they’ll offer up a very different proposition for Team Liquid. With a 3-2 record in favor of Cloud9 over the Summer and Spring Splits, it won’t be an easy game for Team Liquid. The two sides most recently faced off in the final week of the LCS, and that again went to Cloud9. The bonus for Team Liquid is, if Cloud9 does manage to win against 100 Thieves, Team Liquid will have a long look at what Cloud9 is bringing to the table.
But who's going to win it, take that Worlds 1st seed, and win the LCS title? For us, we just think Cloud9’s form will see them take it. 100 Thieves will put up a big fight, however, C9 appears to be coming into form at just the right time and we think it will serve them well.
