Top Esports have done itâthey've climbed through the entire lower bracket to reach the LPL Grand Final. One by one, they took down
Invictus Gaming,
Ninjas in Pyjamas,
Bilibili Gaming, and now
JD Gaming, all with a convincing 3-1 scoreline. The roster changes made in the offseason were a bold gamble, as replacing both the jungler and supportâtwo key roles for team synergyâis no easy feat. However, the addition of
Seo "Kanavi" Jin-hyeok and
Liu "Crisp" Qing-Song has proven invaluable, strengthening the already solid solo lanes of
Bai "369" Jia-Hao and
Lin "Creme" Jian and further enabling
Yu "JackeyLove" Wen-Bo to carry the team in even better conditions.
LPL Split 1 Playoffs Bracket. Credit: Sheep Esports
However, the BO5 had started off well for
Kim "Peyz" Su-hwan and his teammates. Game 1 was firmly in JDGâs favor, especially after
Peng "Xun" Li-Xun pulled off a decisive Smite steal on the Athakan, snatching it right from under Kanaviâs nose. But what JDG didnât know was that this would be the last Nexus they would ever take down.
369's Masterclass
The rest of the series was a masterclass from Top Esports. In Game 2, they only conceded a single death, delivering a textbook stomp to their opponents. The performances of 369 on Gragas and Kanavi on Lee Sin during the third game were nothing short of spectacular, relentlessly dismantling JDG with well-placed Explosive Casks and Dragonâs Rage kicks.
The final game was a bit more contested, but JackeyLove and Crisp in the bot lane proved to be a cut above the rest. Contributing to 21 and 22 of their teamâs 25 kills, respectively, they played a decisive role in securing TESâs victory over JDGâs star-studded roster. With this win, TES clinched their spot in the LPL Grand Final, where they will face Anyoneâs Legend on Saturday, March 1st, at 10 AM CET. The winner of this showdown will go on to represent China at the First Stand in South Korea.
Header photo credit: Top Esports/Riot Games