There won’t be an EU team at LoL Worlds playoffs for the first time in nine years

The 2023 League of Legends World Championship closed its Swiss stage with one of the most anticipated and thrilling matches as Bilibili Gaming faced G2 Esports for the last spot in the quarterfinals.

Ultimately, it was BLG who emerged victorious, with a 2-1 win over G2 Esports, securing their ticket to the Knockout stage. BLG’s triumph not only advanced them but also marked a significant milestone for the League of Legends professional scene. EMEA, which had consistently produced top-tier teams for nearly a decade, was left without representation in the top eight for the first time in nine years.

After their loss in game 3 against @BilibiliGaming, @G2League are the final team to drop out of the #Worlds2023 Swiss Stage. pic.twitter.com/LDH8YIQCL8
— LoL Esports (@lolesports) October 29, 2023

After Fnatic’s departure from the tournament, all eyes were on the showdown between G2 and BLG. But the first game of the series saw G2 succumb to the might of BLG, with Bin’s dominance in the top lane setting the tone of the game.

Faced with the specter of elimination, G2 unveiled an unconventional team composition, emblematic of their unique style with which they seized control of the early game. BLG managed to stabilize the match with a pivotal teamfight, however, erasing the lead G2 had amassed with the mountain soul and their gold advantage.

Game 2 of G2 vs BLG statistics — _{Game 2 of G2 vs BLG. Screengrab via Riot Games}

The game hung in the balance, with the outcome teetering on a single teamfight, and as the tension reached its zenith at the Elder Drake pit, BLG clinched the team buff. G2 refused to concede defeat, though, putting up a relentless fight, striving for that perfect angle to take down Bin and Yagao. As HansSama collected a quadra kill in front of BLG’s Nexus, G2 clawed their way back into the race and brought BLG to game 3.

With the crowd’s chants echoing in the arena, the third game began with an early game jungle invasion that yielded kills for both sides, making it seem as if fans would receive another heart-throbbing game as the previous one.

Despite this, BLG steadily increased their advantage through drakes, solo kills, and precise teamfights all while remaining composed, denying G2 the crucial objectives the EMEA team needed to reverse the game’s momentum. G2 displayed coordination and resilience, but BLG outperformed them in the end.

Game 3 of G2 vs BLG statistics — _{Game 3 of G2 vs BLG. Scerengrab via Riot Games}

With this victory, all four teams from the LPL region secured their ticket for the finals stage of the World Championship, thus constituting half of the remaining teams in the competition.

On the other hand, G2 Esports’ elimination marked a regretful record for the EMEA region, as, for the first time in nine years, no European team made it to the quarterfinals. The World Championship resumes on Nov. 2, with the commencement of the quarterfinals and the beginning of the competition’s final stage.