Split 3 comes to an end for
Weibo Gaming on Saturday, September 13, following a 3-1 loss to
JD Gaming, who were the stronger team today and continue their climb through the lower bracket after
a reverse sweep loss to Bilibili Gaming in Round 1. JDG had previously
eliminated EDward Gaming 3-2 and now take down Weibo.
It’s not the end of the year for Weibo, however, as they become the first team to qualify for the
Regional Finals. As a reminder, only the split winner and the team with the highest
Championship Points automatically qualify for Worlds; the remaining two spots will be decided through the Regional Finals.
JDG back in form
This year hasn’t been easy for JD Gaming, with multiple roster changes including the arrival of Xu "Xiaoxu" Xing-Zu and Wang "Zhuo" Xu-Zhuo for the Split 3, as well as changes in the coaching staff. Kim "cvMax" Dae-ho returned to South Korea to join Dplus KIA, while legendary Chinese jungler Ming "Clearlove" Kai has seemingly managed to galvanize the roster.
Today, JDG started strong in Game 1, building their strategy around Kim "
Peyz" Su-hwan’s Corki. In Game 2, the Korean AD Carry was once again decisive, this time on a dominant Xayah, while toplaner Xiaoxu impressed on K’sante and Zhuo excellently supported the draft on Rakan.
Weibo had to respond, and they did in Game 3. Interestingly, the day featured two Twisted Fate—Jeong "
Chovy" Ji-hoon
in the LCK earlier, and Li "
Xiaohu" Yuan-Hao in Game 3. The match itself was quite dull, with only seven kills total—six for WBG—over 31 minutes. There was little fighting or excitement, making it a forgettable game.
Back on Summoner’s Rift for Game 4, JDG was on fire. During the draft, Peng "
Xun" Li-Xun picked his signature Kindred and played it flawlessly, earning the MVP. Lee "
Scout" Ye-chan also had a strong Swain performance, while the Korean midlaner, who has struggled this year, is showing signs of recovery during the LPL Split 3 playoffs.
A fierce race for the title
In the upcoming LPL matches, Anyone’s Legend and Invictus Gaming will face off in a knockout best-of series tomorrow at 11 AM CET for a spot in the Lower Bracket Semifinals, where they will meet JDG on September 16. Meanwhile, at the top of the bracket, Top Esports and Bilibili Gaming are set to clash on September 15 in the Upper Bracket Final, with the winner securing the first spot in the Summer Split playoffs final.
Header Photo Credit: LPL/Riot Games
