The Knockout Stage of the 2024 League of Legends World Championships is proving why Worlds draws larger and larger crowds every year. It was a thrilling start to the elimination rounds, showcasing the best of the competition and a few stunning outcomes.
FlyQuest Stuns at Worlds
Probably the most shocking match of the Worlds Knockout Stage came on October 20 when the underdog FlyQuest team won not one but two games in their match against Gen.G Esports. With their win in game one, FlyQuest became the first Western team since 2020 to win a Worlds game against a Korean team. FlyQuest is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
After the game one loss, which came at just under 32 minutes, Gen.G proved why they were the favorites and scored a victory of their own in just under 27 minutes. FlyQuest wasn’t finished, though, and would go on to win in game three. That game was a back-and-forth battle that lasted more than 42 minutes. Facing elimination, Gen.G rallied, winning Game 4 in 29 minutes and Game 5 in 30.
Chinese Teams Face Off
The first match of the Knockout Stage was held on October 17 and saw two Chinese teams going head to head. LNG Esports had played better in the earlier rounds at Worlds and was expected to come away with the win. Weibo Gaming had other plans, however, and controlled the match.
Weibo took the early lead with a win in game one, destroying the LNG nexus in under 32 minutes. LNG tried to stage a comeback, taking a victory in game two after a battle that lasted more than 43 minutes. That win would be LNG’s last, however, with Weibo seizing the upset and winning games three and four.
Bilibili Moves Ahead
Coming out of the Swiss Stage, Korea’s Hanwha Life Esports was tied for third place and looking to fend off a challenge from China’s Bilibili Gaming, who had tied for sixth with Weibo and FlyQuest. Ultimately, Bilibili proved the more capable team.
As many fans expected, Hanwha won game one and destroyed Bilibili’s nexus just shy of the 35-minute mark. The rest of the day belonged to Bilibili. The team took game two in 27 minutes and game three in 37 minutes. With elimination on the line, Hanwha fought hard in game four, but couldn’t overcome the attack of Bilibili. The Hanwha nexus fell, and the team’s hopes of a world championship died after 40 minutes of play.
T1 and Faker Avenge a Loss
Faker, arguably the greatest of all time when it comes to League of Legends, led his team to victory in the Knockout Stage and avenged an earlier worlds loss in the process. Both T1 and Top Esports went 3-1 in the Swiss Stage, with Top Esports handing T1 its only loss. T1, based in Korea, was not interested in giving their Chinese counterparts a chance to advance and scored the only shutout in the quarterfinals. T1 swept the best of five matches with wins at 32 minutes, 34 minutes, and 37.5 minutes.
Semifinals Now Set
With the quarterfinal matches now out of the way, the stage is set for the semifinal round, which will be played on October 26 and 27. The matches stream live starting at 8 a.m. Eastern time in the United States. Fans wishing to see the matches live will have to travel to the Adidas Arena in Paris, France. In the first match, fans will see Weibo facing off against fellow Chinese team Bilibili. The second match will be a battle between the two remaining Korean teams: Gen.G Esports and T1. As the Knockout Stage proved, the championship crown could still go to anyone.
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