Worlds 2024 Play-Ins: MDK reassures Europe, PSG trembled

Worlds 2024 - the most prestigious yearly tournament of League of Legends - kicked off this Wednesday, with the first day of Play-Ins. The Main Stage entry tournament brings together every Wildcards best teams in the world along with the EMEA and NA third seeds. With the first part of the competition taking place in the LEC arena in Berlin, MAD Lions KOI reassured themselves on their home soil against Viking Esports (2-0). On their side, PSG Talon gave themselves a fright against the aggressive Brazilians (2-1). The two winners will meet in the upper bracket final, for a spot at Worlds Swiss Stage among the very best teams of 2024. But the loser will not be out, as he will have one last chance against the winner of the lower bracket elimination match between paiN Gaming and Viking Esports.

MAD Lions KOI were just way better all around the map in early during game 1, with a very aggressive Javier "Elyoya" Prades and an impressive management of the lane swaps. But the LEC third seed gave themselves a fright, with their sololaners getting perma catched post 15 min. Vikings seemed a bit lost on the map, as they were always late on their plays and rotations. As it was one of their biggest issue, MDK seemed very disciplined until they lost Baron Nashor because of a tempo problem.

With a very disturbing Camille and her 4k golds advantage, the comeback had started but Alvaro Fernández "Alvaro" del Amo just decided there was no way he would loose this game. Engages after engages, he led his team to victory with a Đặng "Kati" Thanh Phê that may have forgot his flash button in the locker room of Berlin. Game 2 was all around much better mastered by the Spaniards, even though Alex "Myrwn" Villarejo was limit testing a bit and made a lot of mistakes overall in the series.

Indeed he didn't play that well the weakside again and has been caught too much. But we will stay optimistic and blame his desire of playing his beloved carries... With a very small fright because they struggled a bit to end the game, MDK ended up closing it as the trio Elyoya/Alvaro/David "Supa" Garcia especially showed their muscles, with the jungler finally proving himself on Nidalee.

PNG - PSG was way slower, especially during the early game in game 1, with PSG reading very well lane swaps and PNG tempo overall. But still, with very slow skirmishes and teamfights, PNG took the edge over a PSG draft that was so Summer split looking. With much less options to create plays, and a Yu "JunJia" Chun-chia that seemed a bit disconnected from his team, the PCS first seed had just fallen apart. A last dance around the Nashor completed the upset on game 1 for the Brazilians.

In game 2, Junjia decided to reconnect in the game and started playing more aggressively, especially around toplane. Then, PSG succeeded at pushing every lane and played more aggressively on every lane, pushing their opponents everywhere and especially abusing the Gnar early advantage. At least, we're not sure we will ever see Rumble again this tournament thanks to Huang "Azhi" Shang-chih and Choi "Wizer" Ui-seok respective games 1 and 2. PSG finally lived up to the expectations in that one, and never gave a single chance to comeback to their opponents with a pre-28th minute closing.

If last game could've crush the Brazilians hopes given the way it went, paiN did not give up and fought back on game 3. Indeed, this one was more back and forth in early game. But Huang "Maple" Yi-Tang soon decided this affront had lasted too long and took over. The previous game was just a warm-up for his Akali to showcase its full potential on this one. Alexandre "TitaN" Lima and Choi "Wizer" Ui-seok especially putted on a great fight for PNG but it was just not enough to defy the odds.