An unusual scene unfolded on Tuesday during the opening day of the EMEA Masters Spring. Following BIG’s 2-0 victory over Los Heretics in the first match of Group E, the LFL champion, BK ROG Esports, was set to make its tournament debut against the LPLOL runner-up and second seed, For The Win Esports. However, the Portuguese team failed to arrive on time for the first game of the best-of-three, which had been initially scheduled for around 8 PM but was moved forward due to the swift conclusion of the preceding match. As a result, FTW became subject to penalties outlined in Article 8.7 of the EMEA Masters rulebook:

“Teams that are not ready at the 10-minute mark of the preceding game (or 30 minutes before the start of the first Match of the day) are subject to late penalties. A Team will lose their first ban after 5 minutes have elapsed from the 10-minute mark. A Team will lose another ban after 10 minutes have elapsed. A Team will lose all their bans after 15 minutes have elapsed. A Team will be subject to forfeiture if 25 minutes have elapsed since the 10-minute mark was reached or when the preceding Game has completed – whichever is longer. Intentionally delaying the game lobby or Game start will still subject the Team to the rules set forth in this section.”

A Support in the Toplane

As a consequence, FTW forfeited the first game and lost all of its bans for Game 2. “Due to professional commitments and our first game starting earlier than expected, we began the series 0-1 as a result of a default in the first game,” the team explained on X. It was an unfortunate start to what was already shaping up to be the group’s most lopsided match-up, pitting the first seed against the fourth. That disparity was further confirmed in the second game, which BK ROG won with ease in 27 minutes and 37 seconds, securing 23 kills to FTW’s 2, and amassing a nearly 19,000 gold lead.

FTW had already been competing under unusual circumstances throughout the LPLOL split, as the team’s support, João "Joao" Loureiro, was forced to roleswap and play in the toplane for the entirety of the split. Unsurprisingly, he struggled significantly against Mathias "Szygenda" Jensen, a former LEC player and one of the most dominant toplaners currently active in the ERL circuit. The Danish player ended the match with a flawless 6/0/6 scoreline on Rumble, while Joao, playing Viego, finished 0/4/0.

The next match in Group E — played in a GSL Group Stage format — will take place this Thursday and will see the two first-round winners, BIG and BK ROG, face off in a playoff-qualifying match. For The Win Esports and Los Heretics, now on the brink of elimination, will meet on Friday in a do-or-die clash. That match is currently scheduled for 8 PM, just like Tuesday’s, but it will be played after the Group D encounter between Flame Hard and mCon esports, which is set to begin at 5 PM. For The Win Esports would do well to keep an eye on how that match unfolds…