Smeb, Peanut, and company all fell prey to the new SKT-killers
It’s been exactly one week since Samsung Galaxy‘s historic victory in the Worlds 2017 grand final. SSG put an end to SK Telecom T1‘s reign, undaunted by their failure in the previous Worlds.
Samsung managed to take down SKT, and tournament favorites, Longzhu Gaming, on their way to the Summoner’s Cup. They also took down five of the strongest players from South Korea, the 2016 ROX Tigers.
The End of the Happiest Team Ever
ROXT was the previous challenger to SKT in the days before Crown‘s SSG stepped up to bat. The Tigers faced SKT in the first all-Korean world championship final in Worlds 2015.
Following their third series defeat at the hands of SKT in the Worlds 2016 semifinals, the ROX Tigers chose to go their separate ways.
All of the ROXT members are still playing competitively across four different teams in South Korea’s LCK league. In the past few months leading to the Samsung’s championship win, they took down each one of those teams.
Africa Freecs: Kuro
SSG had to start from the South Korean regional finals after their 0-3 defeat at the hands of SKT in the LCK Summer Playoffs.
Their first match saw them face off against the Afreeca Freecs who had ROXT’s former mid laner KurO manning the mid lane. AFs also had former SKT top laner & 2015 Worlds MVP MaRin.
Samsung Galaxy had to fight for their lives as the series went to a final game, before they finally defeated the Freecs. SSG has slain one tiger and one world champion.
KT Rolster: Smeb
The chiefest challenge to Samsung Galaxy’s return trip to the Worlds stage had to be the korean super team KT Rolster. KT featured four returning world class korean players that spent some time competing in the Chinese league. The 2017 KT Roslters included ROXT’s former top laner and Worlds 2016 tournament favorite, Smeb. KT also included two former world champions in Mata and PawN.
KT’s misfortune followed them straight into the final round of the LCK regional bracket as they failed to put up even one game win against Samsung Galaxy. SSG repeat history by eliminating KT for a second consecutive year to advance to Worlds 2017. Samsung has now slain two tigers and three world champions.
Longzhu Gaming: PraY & GorillA
LZ was the clear tournament favorite at Worlds 2017 given their amazing victory over SKT in the LCK Summer Playoffs. They were expected to repeat the same feat in the Worlds playoffs on their way to the Summoner’s Cup. No one ever predicted them to fall at the hands of Samsung.
Longzhu’s roster included ROXT’s former bot lane duo, PraY and GorillA. The rest of the team compromised of mostly newcomers to the competitive scene.
Samsung Galaxy turned a lot of heads in their Worlds 2017 quarterfinals match as they proceeded to demolish LZ in a 3-0 shut down. Samsung now has four tigers and three world champions on their kill list.
SK Telecom T1: Peanut
The last remaining tiger, Peanut, chose to join the team they worked so hard to defeat, SKT. Peanut wanted to win a Summoner’s Cup by any means necessary, but joining SKT just wasn’t enough.
Samsung Galaxy shocked the entire world of League of Legends with their systematic dismantling of SKT in the grand final at the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing, China.
Samsung not only won the world championship, they defeated all of the strongest contenders from South Korea from 2016-2017. Samsung has now slain all five tigers and six world champions.
