FlyQuest end Team Liquid's undefeated streak to win LCS Championship title!

League of Legends

8 Sep

Martin Arévalo-Östberg

In truly stunning fashion, FlyQuest did the impossible and defeated Team Liquid in the LCS Championship grand final.

In a series that had everything from exciting champion picks and growing rivalries to an unbelievable ending, FlyQuest has put an end to Team Liquid's incredible run of 13 consecutive series in the LCS without tasting defeat.

As for FLY, there was no better time to do it than now.

What. A. Final.

FlyQuest punched first by taking game 1 after a start to the series that saw both teams timidly begin to test each other out.

Ultimately, Inspired's Lillia was too much for TL to handle, giving FLY the head start in the series.

Now, this is where things start to get interesting.

TL hit back...

After a disappointing first game, TL bounced back in style for game 2. Filled with swagger, the team picked Nasus for APA in the mid lane, accompanied by Impact on Jax and Yeon on Kalista. Not only was TL's team comp unexpected, but it also worked like a charm.

FLY simply had no answers to what TL were trying to do. Impact's Jax was particularly impressive, repeatedly tearing down FLY's back line in team fights, giving Yeon's Kalista all the time in the world to dish out the pain.

Despite FLY's great start to the series, TL evened up up the score after just 26 minutes of play in game 2.

...and then drop the ball

Team Liquid's confidence through the roof, the team opted to play with fire in game 3. While banning out Bwipo's Renekton the last time the two times faced off did wonders for TL, the team chose to leave the pick open for game 3 of the series.

The Belgian top laner got off to a rough start to the game on the champion, with Impact's Gangplank pulling ahead. When the time came to team fight, however, Bwipo simply wreaked havoc on Renekton, as he has done time and time again all through the playoffs.

Sided by an oppressive performance by Inspired on Zyra, Bwipo and FLY made TL pay for their mistakes by dominating the mid-to-late game.

After taking the win, FLY placed themselves only one game away from lifting the LCS Championship trophy.

You can't make this up

Team Liquid wanted desperately to hold on to their undefeated record, and did everything in their power to do so.

Steadying their feet after a surprise Garen pick by Bwipo, TL pulled ahead in the early game. A couple of well-piloted team fights by FLY in the mid-game, however, saw TL start to fall behind.

But the team was determined not to let the trophy slip away so easily.

With their base in tatters, Team Liquid won a clean team fight 38 minutes into the game. Wiping FLY off the map entirely without losing a single member themselves, TL started down FLY's mid lane to take the grand final to a game 5.

And then, tragedy struck.

Team Liquid forgot that two of their inhibitors were down as they marched down FlyQuest's base. Already punching into FLY's nexus after their team fight victory, TL's own nexus suddenly exploded thanks to a band of misfits on a heroic quest of their own: FlyQuest's minions.

Just like that, it was all over.

Result: FlyQuest 3 - 1 Team Liquid

A sad end to an incredible season

Gone in a flash, Team Liquid's historic run draws to a close.

TL finished the LCS Summer Season undefeated, becoming the first team to ever complete the feat in the LCS. Coming into the LCS Championship, TL was fully aware of just how good they were, and it showed every time the team entered the rift.

After coming so close to doing the unthinkable, however, Team Liquid finally met their match in the grand final.

FlyQuest's growth throughout the season has been remarkable to watch. After finishing third in the regular season, the team easily disposed of their first two opponents in the LCS Championship bracket, NRG and Cloud9.

Now, despite losing to Team Liquid in the upper bracket final in a thrilling series, FLY showed up to the grand final revitalized and hungrier than ever. More importantly, however, the team played some great League of Legends.

With Worlds nearly upon us, fans of the LCS will feel more confident than ever before about their teams' chances at the biggest event of the year. And after the outstanding display we have witnessed all playoffs long, who can really blame them?

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Image source: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games

LCS Championship Grand Final: FlyQuest Earn Another Shot at Team Liquid