League of Legends at EWC 26

the verge of golden roading this year and that is nothing to sniff out. They've gone gold, gold, gold, silver like that's still three out of four and the four was very close. I still have them as one of the tournament favorites and I think for me in that regard then I think 2. >> Like quite frankly if BG do win here and make their way to fight T1 I favor their odds against T1 as well because you're right they are just off the back of a phenomenal performance at MSI. They 3-1 HLE only to get 23 in that grand final. But they are good. They're up there with the best of the rest in the world. and DK right now. Showmaker had a fantastic game on that Zoey against G2's caps yesterday. But can one great performance really carry a team through to success as we are finally on the rift for this game one of our best of three series between the LPL's BLG and LCK's DK. >> That it is as I look at those runes. Nothing super surprising there. Glacial Augment for the Nautilus is perhaps the one that's a little bit surprising alongside the uh Halo Blades there for the Camille. Those are perhaps a little bit more unusual. The Halo Blades on the Camille. Not so surprising perhaps [laughter] now that I think it through a little more. Dumb sentence from me. Hey, look, you're paired up with an Aussie mate. There'll be a few that I'll be able to cover as well. And there's a couple of Aussie words and I was like, "Oh, can I? I better not." But we go to this mid lane and we're already trading. Showmaker a slight HP advantage, but the bot lane is where all the action is. Korea is just sitting there. Gets a good hook, a bit of poke, smash. Eats a lot of damage here at the level one. Great from on was one of the first uh >> people to pick up that Camille and gets a lot of work done on it. >> But I really really like that trade. Right. Korea was waiting. Oh, we go again. Korea was waiting in that bush for a long while. was able to land the hook and the auto to CC, but on immediately went on to smash to turn it back around. That hail of blades, that ignite doing so much damage, which means these secondary trades are going to be a lot harder for Smash to be able to step up. And Viper on this Ziggs is nailing those skill shots on top of Smash. So, he does have to be careful. And maybe a couple of summoners burnt, but otherwise, nothing really to write home about. The junglers though opposite sides career potentially in a spot but does get that little staggering blow auto onto Viper but it's been a tricky spot but that's a good satchel back smash left not quite smash but certainly a little low in the hook though onto on who does get that adaptive defense if he's really low tactical sweep smash flashes in and doesn't get the kill went looking one more auto would have absolutely done that blade to perfection by BLG to escape without giving a kill over and not many summoners burnt to speak of. Karee the only one in the bot side of DK with a is walking up >> gets the shield with the Titans wrath. There's a satchel away. Flashes away. The turret shots there. The bombs keep flying short. Fu's passive not there. Lucid around. Gets that sonic wave in and just brings him down into the turret. It will be the one for one. And he knew it too. He just stood there. He's like, well, this is inevitable. Gets that first blood. Critically though, getting that extra first blood bounty into the pocket of the jungler, and that's exactly what you want. Lein is an early game aggressive jungler. You need to feed gold into him to enable his playmaking to enable better one v1ing and team fighting. So, I'm really liking this initiative here. We've got 1 and 1/2 minutes till the drake of the game. DK negligible lead, but it's a lead. It's 200 gold up. >> Might end up face checking Shon. Oh, there's the flag and the dragon. And unfortunately for poor old Lucid, he might not be feeling so loose anymore. There's a stumble. It's only onto career who body blocks well on that hook shot. Turns it around with that staggering blow. He's got himself a dread line to work with and should be able to escape relatively freely. Everybody wants a support like Ker. He literally just walked in front of every single skill shot and was saying, "You will not touch my jungler. >> Smash. I fear you may be in danger." He might instead be the one who is about to have an unfortunate experience. Can they get some support? Korea is coming on up. Shan's trying to zone him up. They're going to have ongo in the hook shot. The dredge lines wide, the flag, the dragon smash. Find himself dead to right on does at least get picked up in trade. Yeah, one for one. That's almost a disaster for BG there. DK has to be happy with that. They played that beautifully. Yes, the hook shot missed because Jun exhibited excellent patience. He didn't go in for that flag and drag when it was predicted. So, career whiffed but one for one. happy with that because they committed so many resources. As we take a look at this again, Lucid knew he was going to die. He just stops. He's like, "Yeah, >> well, this is my life now. >> Take me. I'm yours." >> Record scratch. [laughter] Guess you're wondering how I got here. >> That's the one. Now, we do see BLG here. Knight in the middle though. 50% health. So, obviously some trading happening on coming through to be like, "Hey, back off my mid laner." And the dragon has spawned right now though. >> Uhoh. might have an angle on Korea. >> There is no flash. He's got himself a dredge sign away. Should be all right. But this is very unusual for BLG. They are rarely a team that plays around bot side. They love to have Shun and on go more towards their solo lanes. Setting up Viper for success best they can. He's got himself an early gold lead. Showmaker eats the wrong end of an arcane storm on is trading up his career here. Needs to be a little bit wary. The tactical sweep comes on out, but that'll be the end of that. Shun does get to steal away a raptor camp. Lucid on the reset here, so not able to come and defend his own camps. >> Yeah, and with no vision on either of these jungle objectives as well. Obviously, Grubs two plus minutes away, but that first drake has spawned and there's no vision. So, neither of these teams will know when it starts up. Lucid on the way out to that mountain drake, but the top side, they're just trading. Shiu very, very tanky on this Casante as Bin just gets a little bit of chip damage. But I want to take a quick look at the vision. You can see that DK are prioritizing top side through that mid river. They want to know if we see Shun making a play to the top because you can see on that mini map there on is heading out. So that speaks to me that they want to get that priority in time for those grubs. But you look at the junglers, Shun is on the bot side. So it looks like he wants to go for the drake. So maybe if we see a quick rotation from on, they would prioritize that drake as a mid lane play might be about to occur. >> Yeah, there's also Camille top. So plays happening in multiple solo lanes at once. career now in a known quantity. Knight doing a fairly decent job of staying even with the Casio pier that with a DFT change he's got a bit stronger on. Are we thinking about this? There's the to the skies. Shu goes W, but that means he doesn't have that ability to go and stop him anymore to try to find a way out with the all out and does survive. >> Really well played there by Shiu. I loved how he went unblockable there and was able to get through that CC. Just buffered it beautifully. All outed to save himself. Maybe try and get something back as a bit of a punish, but it will slow them down. Luca though has come to this top side. He's like, "You tried to go for my top laner. I'm going to put up a defense." That drake still alive and it is on vision. So DK know they can make plays. Speaking of those plays, a raptor camp being considered here as a little bit of an ingress from Lucid was thought about. They will actually look towards it though and that is picked up fairly cleanly there by Shun. Dragons up grubs in 40 seconds. I suspect one or the other will be a consideration in short order. >> Yeah, and I want to talk about this gold lead right now. It was 200 for DK, but it has switched over to BG 500 plus. And look who it's on. It is on Bin on that Jace in the top side through a serious CS advantage. He's eaked out 12 over Shiu up there in that top lane. So doing a really good job of using that range to his advantage, but Viper that wave clearing menace on the Zigs having that extra kill, having that extra CS also plus 500 gold in that bot side. So BLG, they're slowly, methodically building this gold lead, getting an edge up over DK and gold leads mean you complete your items before the other team. You have advantages on does just about get out there. Got a little nervous as the myasma came down, but just a touch too late to stop the hook shot. Appreciate the concept. That's sort of what you want to get out of the Casio in a draft like this. Lucid mid on still around. >> That's it. And we did see the void grubs. They have spawn. are both jungle objectives on the rift. And this is what we've been seeing a lot of here at EWC. Much slower to go for these jungle objectives. I feel like the tempos, they understand what's at stake. They understand that if they lose, you know, the momentum of these games, they really risk being knocked out of EWC 2026 here at the Kadillo City Battleground. And they're playing like it. They want to make sure that when the fight breaks out, they are best positioned for it. been 22 CS up now. He just keeps growing that lead. But Smash has caught up with Viper as we do see BLG overloading that sort of botto mid with vision and four members. So, as it stands, BLG with a significant early start. They get themselves at least a little bit of that gold. They can start with a dragon. The grubs are traded. Of course, DK well within range here of being able to come back on this one. They might be around to make a fight of this one. There's a solid resonating strike. No smite. And Shun is solid with that F key. I really do like that play there from DK. It was very non-committal. It was like, hey, we'll have a cheeky poke. If we get it, great. If we don't, no real loss. It's only the first drake of the game going over to BG. It is a mountain drake, so they'll be slightly tankier, but no real result out of that one because there's a lot of damage coming from the side of TK. that Kaiser when she hits that three item power spike. No amount of defensiveness will prevent that damage coming through from Smash. >> Hang on. Going to try and jump onto Lucid there. He does just about slide away. Picks up the big raptor there with the smite. So Lucid doesn't have those camps stolen away. But it has really been about these jungle supports looking to make things happen. Two to two in the kill score right now. Not really gone entirely one way or the other as yet though. I'll note again Viper up a decent chunk of gold. Same with Bin. Largely off kills and in the top side's case CS. And we are seeing those first items come through as well. Viper completes his first. Swifties on tonight. So that movement speed to keep him safe, keep him survivable. The dark seal there too. We see Lucid halfway to his first and that negatron cloak on Shiu in respect to the AP damage that can come out of this Victor that can come out of this Ziggs on the side of BLG. We're 10 minutes in. It's an 800 gold difference. No real clear winner so far. No one's seriously ahead that it's unplayable for the other side and I like it. >> I think BG will be happy enough with the start nonetheless. Again, they have got that slight advantage and again once you start to get ahead if they can get into the the river first suddenly the double poke becomes pretty obnoxious. Your ability to lock people inside a cauldron and fill it full of fire and fury is pretty excessive. Uh especially with the fact you've got a Camille and a Gallo. Not Gallo. Uh Kam, that's the one that you can do that one with. so used to that combination being a thing. >> And not to mention the scaling on these teams, right? Obviously, Victor, a very, very strong scaling mid laner, gets more and more powerful the longer the games go. Bin with more and more lethality. Those empowered shock blasts will do 50% of your health if you are a squishy and that takes you out of that fight. So, that is some serious threat potential here. And Lein in that jungle does tend to fall off after the mid game towards that late game is less potent. still has some playmaking ability, but in comparison to what J4 can do, locking down an entire team in those cataclysms, I almost feel like DK is on the clock here into the very capable, very competent hands of BLG. >> Yeah. And once upon a time, BLG had a bit of a nickname and that was bad late game. Anytime here about 20 minutes, they'd be after team fight. And they have a habit or had a habit of all trying to be heroes when sometimes you just need to put the team fight fries in the back. And that means actually just just front to back. have a scion sit there rather than have the scion come for a flank angle from bin or look for the hero play. Sometimes you just need to do the easy straightforward stuff that has improved over the last few weeks was better at MSI again. But they are still very dangerous in these early stages. One of the best teams in the world at snowballing with a lead health. That was one of the things they did against HL of all teams who are probably the most LPL of the LCK teams. >> Yeah. And I mean, yeah, HLE, they were the ones to beat BG as we've said before, but we are here at EW26 and we EWC 2026, sorry. And we are >> there is a cup involved, so I had >> just a couple, but BG, they're up here on this top side. It is bot lane. No, it's not actually. It's on and so the support and top laner versus Smash and career, which is the traditional bot lane. It's kind of a weird rotation going on, but you do like to see these adaptations, these plays. And look at this line of vision control on the mini map here. >> You're so right. >> I know. Like I know. I don't [laughter] >> It's gonna be one of those casts, is it? I see. Okay. Okay. >> But we see BG. They have this beautiful line of vision right between their mid and their top tier ones. So they will see DK coming from that top through jungle if they want to make a play. So I love that vision control. And they've swept the bot side. But where is DK's vision? They've barely got any to name. >> Not right now. A little bit of a chunk comes on down from Bin onto Shiu though at this point with the full Thor mail. He's not taking that much damage to actually get a Tofo strikes down. Lucid is around and will be a known quantity. So Bin I don't think is going to overplay his hand right now. Yeah, and I like what Shu is building here. Right. Obviously that thunder sky from Shun, but it's going to be mitigated because Shiu knows he's Casante. Shu knows he's going to be front lining and will be the most tempting target. And Shun, if he goes in on him, the healing will be cut by 40% by that blood, the Arthorn nail there from Shiu. Felucia, though, also with the Sun Sky, but there's no anti-healing on the side of BG. I think they just go there's not enough on the side of DK to commit that kind of item as we just keep trading. Level 11s have been hit, which means it's those level two ultimates. So both of these teams are getting more and more powerful here as our supports also at level six. >> Flag and drag comes on down. There's the all out from Shiru looking for a bit more of a chunk. Does manage to step on form. Pulls back beautifully but here comes on. Forces a flash. TPs come flying. D plus K here in forced to defend their Cassante. Korea also on the roam. Lucid goes forwards with that safeguard looking to get on the good backst step but the myasma means no way out for the Camille. >> Fight's not done. Another TP is being committed. It looks like Knight once more. They're hurting them in. >> They are, but it'll be towards a turret that's still standing. I don't think they'll get that much more. They may still want to play for this dragon though. And DK played a significant am or rather used a significant amount there to make that kill happen. >> Yeah, but BG they've got the numbers now. So, they turn it onto the second drake of the game and their Drake stacking has started. This will be a hexolucid. Are we sure? Out comes the depth charge. Shun's potentially in danger here. All the same gets the flag and drag the mega inferno on bomb. The cataclysm traded fail flash from Lucid means Bing gets the kill. Cataclysm brother the alult from the Camille. That hex tech ultimatum will offer an ultimatum to show maker and it's a three for one. >> Yeah, BLG they took that fight fantastically. They get the drake. They shut down Lucid as well. Lucid did get one on to Shun there in the pit but was unable to escape. Meanwhile, BLG won the team fight after the Drake had died in a convincing fashion. As we go back to this botside replay, and here's where it all started. Shiu just hiding in these bushes, playing around that vision control. So, Bin can't chip away at him. Bin though, I feel like he's playing for time here. I feel like the call has already been made that, hey, come on down. Let's get this Casante. But you got to remember it's a Casante has his all has so much armor and defense. Gets the flash out of Shun and he knows he can play aggressively because he had his own flash. TP committed. DK responded to the BG play in fantastic time because Showmaker Mayasma you cannot escape and because on has to front step to avoid the dredge line. It's in range for a myasma. That is a rock and a poisonous place. I guess we then speed up to have a look at this dragon fight because BLG still have position and they do win the ensuing fight. >> Yeah, and Korea here is waiting. He gets that dredge out but he wants to go with that hook here and unfortunately takes too much damage. Misses the hook and is definitely the first to go down. Lej had the numbers advantage. Bin shut down Lucid there and it's all she wrote. They just played it a bit cleaner. >> Yeah, and I think the other side of that as well is Lucid tries to greed a flash out. There's a cataclysm wall next to the dragon pit wall and ends up trapped between the cataclysm wall and the dragon pit wall and so doesn't get out to safety and gives Ben that second kill. Worth noting, they do get the Herald. Nice attempt there from Viper to steal that away, but it will not be uh a successful one. Ben now up a lot of gold and will also be picking up the first turret of the game. What we just saw, Ben ordered the tower and he just stood there. He was just aura farming the turret as it was taken down by minions. >> Oh yeah, I'm just trying to say like was he trying to deny more minions? Probably. Knight actually now in danger. Walks into a petrifying gaze and unfortunately for this Knight, this is the age of the monsters. He gets knocked up by a depth charge, gets staggering blow and the twin fangs will land on in and pick up another for Showmaker. >> And this is what we want. We want to see these proactive plays. DK are playing across the map. They're bringing the numbers onto the players that are caught out. Knight was up in that top lane alone playing aggressively. Had no idea Showmaker was there. So, it was a great start and it was excellent timing and position from Korea to be able to really lock Knight down and make it an unfair advantage over to DK. But we are at that 18minute mark and the gold lead is still only 900 in favor of BG. So DK, they are very much within touching distance here. And one thing I want to point out as well, both jungle objectives are going to be coming up at pretty much the same time. Baron in 1 minute 40 and that third drake of the game also 1 minute 40. So this could force these teams into a split decision. Good call. Gold lead is still there for BLG but it's within touching distance for D plus here. I think more important is where that gold is situated. Lucid up a certain amount picked up a couple kills himself. Showmaker on a very potent Casio pier also two and one. The problem is you've traded it for the double artillery pieces of a lead on Ben and you can underline that one at 1,800 gold [laughter] and a near thousand gold lead for Viper as well who has just picked up a shadow flame and has picked up a few additional stacks on a dark seal. Yeah, look, Finn's form has been fantastic of late, right? He's earned that nickname Gigabin for a reason. Yes, he's fallible like every other top laner, but more often than not, he performs. He is consistent, and BLG can rely on him to do what he needs to do. not only, you know, hold on in that top lane, but he can win through the top lane. He can be that win condition for BLG. Maybe this is just me being a nervous LPL fan, [laughter] but I have seen Bin with leads like these maybe go for a 1 v one or two he shouldn't have and throw [laughter] away a little bit of gold here or there cuz you're right, the early stages have been so consistent for this player. But then we have seen him not read where the jungle is, not read where his own kind of pressure on the map is and give over advantages he perhaps shouldn't. He's in a fantastic position this game. Fight happens as a hook shot out from on does get over the wall. The glacial augments though is a bit scary. Smash doesn't pull the trigger there on a killer instinct. >> Yeah, I think that's a good call there to not overcommit because BG responded very very quickly and objectives are on the map. You don't want to die 5 seconds out from a baron and a drake because you could then give both over to your opponent. So it would suck very much. But DK, they have the priority. They've got the vision control around this drake. Knight trying to get something done on the other side of the map though, but everyone is meeting around this drake. Knight trying to prevent the recall and cops are Oh my god. Turret nearly takes him out. >> Yeah, it does. So, shock blast lands onto Korea. Can look to TP back in off this reset. Means right now we got a 5v4. The mega inferno bomb chunk showmaker and smash. But it's a win on the dragon smite fight by Lucu who was on it first. now trapped in the river has to flash out the sonic wave wide. Showmaker eats an accelerated shot blast and that one kind of sucked for him. But they win the dragon. No one dies. Everyone's out to summoner or two. That's the trade at best. Yeah, taking a look at that mini map. Knight was still in his base that entire time. So it was always that 4v5 and I have to imagine that was the call from BLG. BLG were like, you know what, let's take a cheeky look at this drake. will try and fend them away from it, but we won't overcommit. So, I really love that heads up play from BG. They were just out there farming that gold and it's only the third drake of the game and it's only DK's first drake. So, it's fairly meaningful here. >> Shun is topside. Career in the river as well. And it has been a pretty even game on the whole. BG did come out to this early gold lead, did come out to the early dragon lead, but it hasn't ballooned out from there. >> Yeah, and that's the important thing, right? They're staying. >> The important thing might be the fight that we're about to witness the all out into the kick. Beautifully managed by the DK top jungle. >> And that's what you were just talking about. Bin not staying in touch where the enemy junglers were. And then they get 2v1 bin and they chip away at that gold lead because we said it before as well. Bin is most of the gold lead for BG. He is a juicy juicy target and they take this botside advantage and punish BG hard. It's now only a 200 gold lead as that Rift Herald is marching on their botside tier 2. >> And much like with HLE, BLG are coming to this tournament with very little downtime. They were both in the finals. Fly out almost immediately to Paris. It is a breakneck schedule. There's a look at that gold as well. Viper in a great spot leading the way. Of course, Smash just behind him was briefly on T1, wasn't he? because of that potential power on the Kaiser was such a good player of it here looking to deliver >> in 2026 here in Paris looking for that hook on swift enough on the way out. >> Yeah, some of the hooks from Korea I mean I feel like I'm going to say this and people are going to be so I'm like they've been very hit or miss right when a hook misses it whiffs and you're like oh no but when it hits you're like yes engages there. >> I wish you guys could see Logan going for the this kind of weirdly Italian celebration with the hands. It's great stuff. We've got ourselves a cinematic replay on a wonderful take down on Bin's Jace. >> A beautiful all out straight into Lucid. What can Bin do there? He just eats two ultimates back to back. CCD into oblivion and buried in the dirt of France here in EWC 2026. We do take a look though. Viper here defending with the Zigs. The wave clear with that Ludens with that shadow flame, that needlessly large rod is out of control. Can very much prevent what a lot of DK wants to do. They don't have the best siege comp. I'm looking at this now. The gold's back to even. It's basically gone. We are at an even state of affairs. Herald was used bot turret to two in favor of BLG there. Couple dragons. That's kind of the advantage, but it's not a monetary value. And that makes the next fight in say a minute and a half very significant. [music] Thank you production for the gold graph on it as ever. >> That's the one. It does show you that roller coaster, right? But it shows you that BG more often than not have had that gold advantage. They've been able to claw it back from DK whenever they have gotten ahead here. And DK, they don't have many windows of opportunity when they're in a control when they're ahead of BLG. DK six to five. They've got one turret to two of BLG's. The Baron is up and the fourth drake of the game a minute 15 away as Wun just spots Lucid there. But Showmaker gets that turret evens it up. So now it's two turrets aside and DK nearly a,000 gold up. Most of that gold lead is on Lucid. Two and two in that jungle and Showmaker with that 10 stack Rod of Ages does have a level advantage overnight right now. >> Yeah, he does. And again, I think we are going to have to start seeing some of these resets beginning to roll as indeed the third item for Smash Kaiser online. Those upgrades there nearly at the riize for Showmaker, but not quite there. And of course on screen, we even get a little pop-up to show exactly how important that spike can be. Death cap also not quite there for Viper. I actually wonder whether if Smash gets a free fight, that little difference is going to be enough to turn this one around. >> Yeah, that's it. And look, Viper with that second needlessly large rod is only about 1,000 gold away from completing it. >> You know, >> is so close to that Rabidon's death cap with a for stack dark seal. So the damage coming out of this Zigs absolutely spectacular. You cannot get caught in the mega inferno bomb. >> Worth noting Ben has got the cerildas as well. So that penetration is in. He should be hitting a lot harder assuming the shock blasts land. I mean, it's nearly impossible to miss with these things when you're going into that five situation. >> On went forwards. The teleport was summoned, but doesn't fully commit with the hook shot last time on the Korea. He's a lot less happy about it even with that shield on up. Shiu also here. >> Yeah, it looks like it's just going to be a trade of summoner spells. We get that top lane teleport. We get that mid lane teleport as well. Knight and Shiu, but DK, they have the priority. They have the vision control. It will be spotted out by BG. But my goodness, that is a bar drake. >> Hook goes wide. Flash for the hook. Viper left away but does get out with a satchel. Good from him. Shu on the other side looking for the all out. Does manage the drag but knight who gets the rocket build away. She will unstoppable. Locked inside the ultimatum gets burned alive. Lucid there. Kick away with the dragon ra follows up with the solid wave. FLASHES OUT. DOUBLE KILL FOR VIPER WHO IS showing Showmaker who's more serpentine this time around. Speaking of Showmaker there looking for more damage. They've lost invasion. Out comes that W. ends up being the dragon to DK, but I think BLG with a slightly better team fight. >> Yeah, two for one in favor of BLG. But when it's a Drake and one for DK, it's still relatively even. It does swing the gold back over to BG though. That Baron still on the rift. It's 26 minutes in this game and fights are explosive here. Now, we saw the escape from Viper earlier. He did cop that alt from Korea. Hopefully we go back to seeing that one, but we're back to live. And BG, I mean, they want this Baron. They've got the numbers advantage dead. Lucid's dead. And of course, Showmaker just got chunked. This should be a done deal. Viper's gone home. Picked up a death cap. Is terrifying. >> We do see Korea coming in. He wants to get some vision control at the very least. So DK know if they can make a call here. Showmaker goes in. >> Does try and lock them in the pit. Turn this one around. THE SMITE FINDS OH. OH MY LORD. BLG get away with it cuz that was an early smite. They go one for one in the kills. Make that two for one. Lucid here looking for the sonic wave. Lands onto Viper but will not follow it up. Billy Billy Gaming playing with their lives there, but they get away with it. Full disclosure, I see D going off to the side. Upset a little there. The DK didn't quite do it for his home region. The LPL fan me however is quite happy. >> That Baron lived on I swear single digits from too long. The fact I was actually able to see it and it sat there and things were happening and it still didn't die. They had every opportunity here. BG they had the numbers here. Right. Shun bin Knight standing in the front. So Showmaker couldn't find a way in. Knight trying to poke Showmaker away even getting the stun field down the Myasma to prevent them coming out. Korea on the bot side, but Showmaker goes over the top. Forces them all into the back of the pit. And here comes that. And the stun as well. THERE WAS ONE. IT WAS [screaming] ONE. That was so close. >> Not even close, baby. BG win those. Absolutely no bias there. But let's be serious there. DK had a golden opportunity to come back from a position they should never have been able to get that Baron in. They were down. Members, had no smite, and that was still a stealable baron. BLG get away with it. Let's make no mistakes about it. >> They are not punished for their hubish today. But we see a fantastic angle from Lucid. He flashes in. >> Oh dear. The angle was perhaps not fantastic at the end there. He gets annihilated in the blink of an eye. >> I appreciate the attempt to get creative and flank. I appreciate the attempt to kick someone into the waiting arms of DK, but these tricks BG have seen before. They know what to do in the face of a flanking Lein and they punished him. Lucid was dead before we could even react. And this baron empowered BG is sieging. Great buffer from >> Korea gets absolutely blasted. Viper hits him with the skill shots and the Nautilus. He's in a diving suit and it's full of holes. That ain't great. So I hear >> definitely not when you are this far under. It is five versus three. So BLG, they're able to punish DK here and they start to really build a solid lead here. Nearly 3k with 2.5 of that coming from that Baron power play. Next drake one minute away and these items are online. Three for Shiu, three for Bin as well and so many more. How much of a reader are you, Logan? Cuz I just saw Viper go home and pick up a Magi Soul Stealer. There's Lucid on the flank angle. And this is partly why Viper decided to do it cuz guess who got the kill. [laughter] >> Yeah, definitely is. There goes him with that cataclysm. Locks down Lucid. And I mean, we look at the summoners, right? Shun, no flash. Bin, no flash. So, all their play making with those summoners has been whittleled down, but they've got that gold lead. 3.5k. Baron is gone. So, they can play it safe. They don't need to get aggressive. They don't need to get fancy. They can literally just push waves in and siege. >> Out comes the mega inferno bomb. And Smash is left a little lower as on buffers through the dredge line and the depth charge. The turnaround onto Korea though makes his life a lot more tricky. Shiu on the flank now. There could be a problem. Need to try and get towards Viper is in danger. They go unstoppable. But there's the hex tech ultimatum to try and buy some space SMASH IN WITH A KILLER INSTINCT. Gets the kill. Viper down. Pin on the other side trading up. Lucid, but he gets kicked towards the play. Shun gets off. Smash. Korea is in trouble. Showmaker in trouble, BUT HE'S GOT THE SHIELD AND KOREA SURVIVES. STUNNED UP ON THE gravity field. The the W from Lein not enough to keep them up as the safeguard is down and Knight needs to run away. It's a four for two. Not bad from DK at all. DK will take that fight and they will love it. Knight did his best. Untouched on the back end of that fight, but priority goes over to DK. This will take them to that soul point. This is a Chem soul and that is a very tanky Casante and a very tanky Nautilus has picked up that belt as well. So when he goes in, he doesn't get punished as hard when he goes back out. Has a lot of sustain. As we take a look this replay, BLG feeling confident here. They've got four members in the face of two, but the speed of the collapse from DK is crazy. Shir with the flanking angle over the top that BG just didn't get to see until almost far too late. And this Hexte ultimatum, it did nothing. It stopped no one. Shout out to Korea as well. Flash lollipop hook behind the destroyed turret to pick up Viper. Huge moment there. You began to wonder just at the end of this where the knight could clean stuff up. At least gets career. That safeguard inches away from saving back to live though. Violence occurring but there's a mega blast cone that makes things a bit spicy. Solid wave flag and drag. That's a bit unfortunate for Lucid needs to get away. The mega inferno bomb gets damage and the jungler is dead. That is unfortunate. Fortunately for D+ though, the Baron still 50 seconds away. >> Yeah, Lucid will respawn just in the nick of time to be able to contest this one. And Lucid is the singular gold lead on the side of DK. 2K over to BG. It has been chipped away by DK quite nicely here. 30 seconds to Baron. 3 and 1/2 minutes over to that sixth drake of the game. It could be Soul as Shiu might be caught out here. Has to flash. >> Yeah, that one was nearly a bad one for him. Gets out to safety. 20 seconds on Baron. The gold lead 2,000 or so to BLG, but sle points now for D plus K as a win condition of its own. >> But critically, Shiu without that flash means a lot of his playmaking ability is gone. Yes, he has the all out, but he won't be able to get those very creative flanking angles that we see him like to try and go for DK. They're clearing out this vision, but you have a look at where BG's is. It's all around the bot side. They seem to want that drake, which is coming up in 3 minutes. So, they want to maintain that vision. And there's next to none up on that Baron because the second Baron of the game is here. >> Knight just picked up a death cap as nine stacks on that dark seal. Hooks wide. Korea. That's very deep, my friend. You need to get away. Throws down that death charge. Keeps Ben busy for a second. Korea survives, but not for long. On goes unstoppable, but is dead as well. Support. Support. Lucid on the flank looking to try and find his way in as that hex tech ultimatum rather the hex tech storm begins to get larger and larger finally peters out. Lucid with the dragon's rage to disengage spotted by a far side alteration. >> Yeah, ultimately a one for one, but Shun was in the middle of every single member of DK and was taking absolutely no damage. DK, it feels like they were lucky to escape with blinking health bars. I don't know how BG didn't take even more from them there. Bin was obviously looking for that empowered shock blast, but was unable to find an angle through those waves. With that priority, with those kills, BLG fancy their odds. They get that vision control. They start it up and decide to back away because they see DK in response >> and they do get Shiu's TP out of it. So in many ways they're pleased enough with it. Another summoner. That midlane turret does fall at least for D plus Kia. It is a competitive game. We keep saying it. But at 34 minutes in, it feels like one Calamit's team fight could well decide things here. Yeah, interestingly DK right now has a small experience advantage. Shiu 19 over Bin 18. Ker at 13 over on and 12. So, it's these small advantages that if DK Strike now, they have a better chance of winning these fights because BLG, it just feels like they're more prepared. They've got the gold lead. They've started this Baron. They've got that vision control down. They're going to back away because they know they're ahead right now. They don't have to force these fights. >> They've also kind of got the range advantage. If you can start hitting these shot blasts, of course, at this point, the uh Victor with the upgraded E, that hex tech ray can do a lot of work. Ziggs is uh very fed right now as well. So very able to blast people apart. Worth noting we've got the arm guard in for Viper. There's a rocket belt for Knight. The ability to get onto these champions not the simplest for D+ even with their various pick tools. >> Yeah, the problem I see coming here though is if BG cannot prevent this soul. That's four Chem Tech Das into a Chem soul. That is so much tankiness for DK. And look at Smash. He's got two needlessly large rods. He's almost got this rabbit on's death cap. If he can get that before the next fight, that is a massive power spike and damage that must be respected. BLG now in a tricky position. Damned if you do with the Baron, damned if you don't with the dragon soul or baron. Chemolt often somewhat maligned. not exactly seen as the strongest soul, but with a Cassante, with a Nautilus, even something like the Lein who likes to play around those low HP bars could be a difficult one to give up. Make no mistake about it. I am not making those mistakes. I am looking at this going DK want it. They've got the priority. They've got the members. We see Showmaker coming up from the bot side of the river as the fight just a little tepid. They're just poking. They're proddding. Seeing if they can get an angle on goes in. >> They find the angle briefly. Shu out safely. Does take a little bit of damage, but it's not that meaningful. Lucid starting up the dragon career. Potentially danger as Knight tries to keep the Cassante away. Shun looking for the smite angle. Still got the flag and drag. The mag inferno bomb forces smash and showaker away. Flag and drag. Lucid is out. Dragon half HP. This feels like the moment. The storm breaks one way or the other. 1500 won by Jarvin. Shun gets that one and now on the retreat D plus Kia cannot find any kills on the retreat yet. >> It was a great job there from DK to get that initiative. They started up that drake, but it was an even better job by BLG. They were able to find that poke, that produ might be caught. >> Does indeed get caught. The W comes on down, but maybe it will not be enough. The Path Maker makes its way through the Cataclysm just about. Out comes that Arcane Storm, but they don't get the kill. She down a flash, but ultimately burned. Yeah, and the timing of that flash was spectacular. It was as on hook shot in at the same time as Shu went with that cataclysm. So there was so much value there with that flash. It kept Shiu alive, but BG will still be happy with that one as we take a moment to assess the rift. 1 and a halfk gold lead for BG. It's not much here at 38 minutes. I've said one and a half thousand gold lead for BLG for like most of this game [laughter] >> because like 38 minutes I feel like we're encroaching on one of the longer games that we've seen here at EWC 2026. The Baron is up. It is a prize and DK have started it. 13,000 health, but BG they've spotted it out. They've got the vision. They want to contest this one. >> Trapped in the pit versus Ziggs versus Victor versus J. This is Bold. Shun over the wall with the guardian angel. Can get in. MYASMA THEORETICALLY DENIED A FLIP AND CHUN WINS THOSE. He's trapped though now. Can he make anything happen? The cataclysm is there. The G broken flags and drags while he's dead and goes on the top strikes part three makes things tricky. The hex tech ultimatum still trapped on in danger. Korea is only got the rest of BLG who are now on the retreat. MEMBERS DOWN. VIPER PETRIFIED plus Kia with a team fight win. Ben holding on on the top side. the last standing member of D plus Kia as DK push down this mid lane. Yes, BLG got the Baron, but at what cost? Four of their members dead. TP coming in. DK, it almost looks like they want to end this one now. 20 plus seconds on all four members. >> There's no way the bin alone could stop this. It would take a miracle and I don't think D plus Gear are in the habit of giving those ones out right now. A wave alone between them and the nexus turrets in game one. It was fracturous. It was back and forth. But DK D plus Kia will win it. >> 5 seconds on on. It's still just Ben. DK really want to take this one out. They go on to Ben and they will take the nexus here in game one. >> First and champions, MSI finalists down 01 to D plus KIA of all teams. An LCK squad that was so up and down to say the least of it. I'm loving what we're seeing out of D plus Kia. They are going toe [music] to toe with the LPL's best Giga Bin. Gigahoo. That was such a good game from DK and I hope we get to see so much more of it, >> right? Because again we your time to turn around and turn up to these kind of tournaments is very short indeed. D plus K have had a little bit more time to prepare come in and honestly they have been so resilient. They showed it in game one. They can show it here in game two again. They've got another fun draft that Tristana top for Shiu. See whether it works. One thing that I love there is flashing the emotes and Viper with the BLG, but I also saw a JDG emote coming out of one of them. So, you know, they they know they're the last LPL representative. They know that they need to get this done here at EWC 2026 at the Kadilla City Battleground. And already we see them in position. The bot lane's trading. Bin on that. N patiently waiting in that brush. Hasn't spotted Shiu. Is just going to return to the lane. But we take a look at those wards, right? They're very classic, very traditional wards because you want that information on the opposition jungler. You want to know where they'll be in a minute and a half, and now is when you find that out. Trading has begun. But vision control is always so important and I feel like it's almost an underestimated part of the game by dare I say and I'm going to probably get some flame for this most solo Q players >> certainly by me but I'm not a particularly excellent solo Q player it must be said little note here as well Shiru with the exhaust in that top lane for that 1 v one playing towards his bot side fighting for the level two heal popped by both Korea and on >> yeah one thing I expect to come out of Shiru here is a healthy CS advantage does have a serious range advantage over NAR and needs to abuse that hard fast and early because if you're going even with Bin on that NAR, you are behind when it comes to those team fights because that range should be very very punishing into the NAR. But we do take a look across the rift. A very very minor gold lead over to DK already by this 2inut mark. And right now I think I'm looking for Lucid to make some plays. This Poppy has that movement speed can be unpredictable in the locations where Poppy goes and looking for these high value steadfast presence to either make or break plays that BG want to put forward. A little bit of trading on the bot side, but it's a okay. They're just going to back away. A couple of summoners burnt heals on both sides as everyone else everywhere else. Sean looking on the top side. See, we might be caught here. >> Uh-oh, he's in danger. The pack is called the exhaust down, but there's a flash on forward. Flash out from Tristana. Survives, but is down both of her summoners. >> Yeah, I really like this play. They That's a win, right? What a lot of people need to realize is that if you go in and you get their flash, that's a win. You just come back any time within the next 5 minutes and they are so so gankable but Lucid >> indeed. He's looking to come over the wall and actually smites it out. Very nicely done. Should now though might look to trade with this Poppy. The conqueror is stacked. Eviscerates in. There's no W. Oh, Lucid. This might have been a touch far. The flash gets them safe. Shun comes across. BEN DIES IN A one v one. Shiu on the Tristana. No summoners. No problem. >> Shiu had no flash, but neither did Bin. So Bin's unable to get away from that Tristana who doubtlessly jumped on top of them. Lucid running for his life. has the blue and the red buff, but is looking for this execute to deny the gold over. And that should be all done. So nice. So nice. We'll get the replay. Lucid gets away with it. Bin does not. Here's what happened in that top lane 1 v one. >> Ah, Bin aggresses forward. Siu just sideep, starts stacking up that damage, jumps on top of Bin as well, and then that's all she wrote. I mean, Siu didn't even have to dodge that last skill shot. literally stood there and gunned bin down. I mean, the nar was blinded and we said, "Okay, what do you have?" Shoot the Tristana is here and looks excellent. Backs away with the Berserker crease. A reminder that's after the flash went down. That's after the exhaust went down. We said, "Hey, that could be a problem." The top side match up. Undo a lot of wos. Shun here in this bot side though to try and find another angle for an attack. Korea forced to flash away as the dogs and the darkening dagger landed. Yeah, good early flash though to prevent any follow up there from BLG. Deadly Flourish to prevent the recall, slow their tempo down, but both sides just going to walk away from this one. Nothing really lost except Kare's flash, which in turn gives BG that summoner advantage on that bot side. Lucid, I just I can't believe it. He went so deep into BG's jungle just to smite that camp and very nearly died for it. I mean, he does, but it's an execute and he gets the camp and he actually gets Shun's flash as well. That's a win as far as I'm concerned. Uh, also now looking into this mid lane, I'll note that Showmaker is doing a great job so far in tonight up about 10 CS. I know obviously Rise a very potent laner and the TF sometimes takes a little while to come online, but still very well done. Lucid taking the opportunity to get onto this raptor camp. Bit of a fight happening here as the W Tether will be broken on left pretty low. Smite fight secured there I believe by Shun, but I might need to have a look back on that one as actually I see Lucid Smite on cool down. Likely a win for the Poppy. >> Yeah, Korea was doing a great job there keeping on in the lane. Unable to assist around that jungle camp as well. Knight just constantly chipping away, peppering with that damage as well. We get a little emote out of Smash. I wonder what brought that one on. However, the first drake of the game is on Summoner's Rift. DK find themselves with an early advantage. nearly a 1,000 gold lead and most of that is on Shiu after that first blood on Bin. Gets the kill, gets that first blood bounty bonus. Happy days. And like you called out with that Berserker Graves, that extra move speed, that extra attack speed, he'll be able to stack more autos during that ability and get more damage down on Bin, making his life so much harder. Bin though, only 10 CS away. I think that's actually pretty decent in this situation. No, no, it's not. Viper gets away from that deadly flourish. Korea looks with the mantra Q. That soul flare. Knight looking to try and find an angle here as well. Gets that gold card down. Doesn't necessarily find the moment he's looking for. He actually gets slowed down there by the rune prison without the essence flux on. So, it's not a route, just a slow. It looked like Knight had started to channel a recall. Not expecting Showmaker to be there to follow up. So, Showmaker able to delay the recall, get a little extra damage on Knight. A great little punish there as Lucid looking to get something onto Shun. Shun sees it though on that ward because Lucid went over it. GK. Oh, another one smite there. Shun not on it there on his camps right now. Gets that blue buff away very nicely. Should be the level six here of this scuttle crab too. And this is a worrying trend. We saw that smite on that baron in game one and they let it live on one health for a little too long. The smite effectively missing here and Shun now missing basic jungle camps with the smite. He needs to lock in and remember who he is. Shiu taking the opportunity. Miniard transformation buster shot and the rocket jump out. There's a destiny gate to flash gold card and make it the one for one. But Shiu came here to play and finds another solo kill. Yeah, really well done by there Shiu to get that kill on the bin. forcing Knight to respond because if you let Siu get away there that low health the punish is incredible the gold lead 1,000 for DK on Seu alone sorry because the rest of BG in that mid lane Knight getting that kill able to mitigate that Destiny Gate successful finds the value they're looking for but again I have to go back to draft I have to go back and say look there is an adage that go that's probably the way I'm going to phrase I'm in France we'll stick with it um [laughter] that goes if you blind pick something for long enough it's no longer a blind pick. There are too many answers. Nar is becoming one of those champions. You try and defend it by adding in a couple bands. But another answer here in this Tristana has worked really well right now for Shu. And again reminder it started looking pretty dodgy because he had to blow the flash, had to blow the exhaust, but it's now in a really strong position. He's the one at the 1200 gold this time around. >> That's it. And DK, they're prioritizing these grubs. They've got the members there. There it is on vision. BG know it's happening and the first drake of the game is still alive on Summoner's Rift in the Drake pit and it's getting some blue pings. It looks like they just placed vision and they might want to contest this here too. But I want to point out a ward here. If you look at the mini map on the top side, there is a red ward behind Shiu. So if BG want to look for it, they could go for a deep TP. >> They could indeed. Viper was really threatening there. Has got a true shot barrage that will interrupt Smash's ult. The reason he didn't throw it out initially because he was kind of betting on it. Bin hops in, gets exhausted and buster shoted away nearly at the mini. There will be a reset on that rocket job. Oh, Bin, you need to be so careful. [screaming] >> He's dead. Absolutely broken in half. The Tristana here to play. >> Shiu with the Tristana counter pick is running on this rift. Good flash from Korea and gets out. The encore leads to nothing. BLG, you need to start finding some proactivity soon cuz these plays are not going your way. Bin is 0 and three. >> And here's the thing. Shi with the fancy feet is dodging pretty much everything Bin wants to do on this narrow as we go back to the second kill here onto Bin on that NAR where he went under that turret. And there's the instant ult from Knight to make sure he gets something back. The flash forward to get the gold card before he doesn't see him in that vision. So a heavy commitment from BG to lock that down. But Shiu unperturbed keeps driving home this advantage in the top side. >> And what a statement from this player, right? Game one locks in the Casante. Still finds fantastic angles in the team fights. Become such a bullwalk for the squad. Flanking, dragging people uh out of position with the all outs repeatedly into the Jace from Bin. That's something that's very iconic for that player who was down the 1200 gold. Takes a very different archetype of matchup. goes for the Tristana and shows Bin how it's done. Huge from Shiru at this young top laner from D+. >> That's it. But we are only 10 minutes into a game that traditionally goes for around 30. We're one/ird of the way. So, there's still a lot of the journey in this game left. Yes, Tristana is ahead, and that is exactly what you want here and now in your top laner because you are oppressing Bin. You are keeping him down and out. So that means when we get to those team fights, he's not going to have as much impact because he doesn't have that item advantage. He doesn't have that experience, that gold. But the rest of BLG, they're stepping up. There's gold advantage in that mid lane. There's gold advantage in that bot side. Yes, it's only a little bit, but you love to see it because they're staying in this game. >> He is going to get interrupted. The destiny gate is looking like a gate to hell. He needs to start running away. Smiteed for the slow. Showmaker is here. Go to room prison. Do not pass go. Do not pick up 350 gold cuz that's going to showmaker. [laughter] >> Showmaker getting it done there. But it kicked off with Lucid on tonight. Like you called, preventing that ultimate. He was unable to teleport away from them. And I just love that twoon one. Nothing Knight could do there. That's chipping away at BG's gold leaders. The fight breaks out on this bot side. But I don't think they're going to get anything done here. >> Might not. Viper slowed down by that captive a deadly flourish has to flash away from cuz there's a real orb here. Curtain call show maker play maker and they find the kill onto on the curtain call final bullet goes wide but everything D plus Kia touches this game is turning to gold. DK plus D plus Kia my apologies they are playing like their lives depend on this. They are taking every fight and they are winning. It feels like BG don't have a way in right now. The only reason they've got that one kill on the board is because Shiu dove under the turret to make sure he took out Bin. This is a team in fine form. And Showmaker, I mean, he's keeping it going. Is for now again. Knight one-on-one not exactly been able to make that many successful plays. Got interrupted on his second destiny gate for that death. Bot lane getting that kill bin. We've already talked about how Shiru's been doing. Minute and a half till the next dragon would be theoretically second for BG if they can pick it up. >> Yeah, that's it. That infernal dragon was picked up there by BG a little bit earlier, but the grubs are on the side of DK as well. So, there's just a trade of jungle objectives. 1 minute to the second drake of the game. 2 minutes to that Rift Herald, which could bust these maps wide open. A little bit of trading. DEVILISH. OH, SMASH. Flash forth shot. And the Saraphi. Well, I guess she'll be singing in the afterlife. >> And here's how it came about. It was about a minute ago on that bot side when the deadly flourish went and on was forced to flash away. So, he knew this deadly flourish would land. He knew he had that kill. Dead to right. DK 2K up 6 and one. Where is BLG in this early game? They're crumbling under the weight of the pressure. DK, they're hitting their level 11 power spikes. Those secondary level ultimates here. I mean BG they have to do something. They have to bring it together. Where is Shunbin? 0000 Viper 0000. Huge huge plays from D+ in the early stages of this game. Find themselves with a healthy advantage. Can look to contest around this dragon should they so choose. Again, they've got a rise. They've got a Tristana and three grubs. They can also afford potentially to play for these side lane turrets. play for a 14 or 131 and look to play the map a little wider on they get rooted up there by the renewal. Destiny gate. Korea might have gone a bit deeper. Flash immediately followed by their own flash. This is likely the kill on Korea. Nowhere to go. Knight gets it and that will set up for a second dragon for BLG. >> But it was such a heavy commitment. They got the flash out of Knight again for that. They got the alt out of on. They got the arcane shift of Viper which obviously is a small cool down. But that was three players that had to spend so much just to kill a single support as a top side fight has broken out. >> Cleared the wave away. Ben still with the mega means he's unlikely to die here. So just about plays the weak side outright, but he's about to go minion. Lucid hasn't left. Here comes on will have the ability to surround sound. Shield does use that and Bin should now be safe. Tristana able to get another plate here at the minimum though. >> Yeah, really good play there from DK as well. Lucid coming up to that top side. nullifies the counter play from Bin onto Shiu. Shiu is sticking around, but there was some great wards there, too. So, Bin knew that second Lucid runup was coming and great response from BG to send members topside as we see this fight on the mid lane again. Beautiful deadly flash. Flash forward. Fourth shot down goes on. The dancing grenade bounces across every minion in the wave. It feels like into the deadly flourish. The flash. So smoothly done. So smoothly done. Still a good gold lead here to D plus Kia, but the dragon stacking is there for BG. They're within touching distance. Feels somewhat like an inversion of last game. I'd argue to be honest, D plus Kia more proactive even than we saw from BLG in game one. But with how these two teams have played, I feel like there's still a few twists and turns yet. >> Absolutely. It's 15 minutes into this game. It BLG, they might be down, but they're definitely not out here. But I'm loving the level of play we're seeing from DK. That proactivity. I called it before with Lucid. I want to see him being a menace across the rift. And so far, he is doing that. He's been in the right places at the right time when he's needed to be. Shuno is keeping up in farm. Has that cycl sword compared to Lucid Sundered Sky. So, one's going for a more damage heavy build. The other for a bit more sustain. But a fight around the Rift Herald. >> That it is. Shun steps into the river. Looks to try and tag Lucid if he can. Can't quite flash on the beat drop the hounds pursuit and Korea is dead over flash who are in charge of the wall. In comes the realm who gets the rest of W eventually but on left low shun alive but now needs to reset. Viper desperate to dance around somewhere can't shu bust a shot away and survives. Bin hop forwards flashes on in gets that last auto but smash is there the grenade and a double for the AD carry of D plus Kia. D plus Kia win the fight. They send four members of BLG packing and leave two of their own alive. So they're going to push this mid lane advantage that they have. Deadly Flourish lands roots up Knight, but I think that will end that fight. >> Able to clear out the wave just about a three for four, I believe, in favor of D plus K. We'll get the replay cuz it's a frantic one. >> Yeah, we take a look here. Ker is basically in a 3v1 toward this mid. Smash is there as well. But Ker walking forward confidently. Three members of BLG. The flash forward from on to route career up. The ultimate from Viper over the top. Lucid does get a great stun, forcing the W out of Shan. The TP's committed two from BG to come straight back in. But we look on the bot side. Lucid's chasing Shan. Shan tries to go over the wall. Lucid though is able to lock him up with that deadly fire from Smash. See against the wall because of Bin. Bin goes down in the face of Showmaker and Smash. And that is all she wrote. >> Gold lead still there for D plus Kip. Dragon still there for BLG. 10 to five the kill score as we stand. It's where that gold is, I think, that will be more important. 2,000 of it is in Shiu's advantage. And again, you are a top lane Tristana. Your draw a be passive that increases your range extends with every level. As a top laner, you get more levels. Showmaker might be in danger here. Jumps on to Lucid instead. Damage is good with the boulder toss. BG him forced the hounds pursuit. No steadfast presence for Lucid means he's down. That's a reset for Shun. And poor old Showmaker ain't making many plays anymore. >> Yeah, it was a good job there by DK to try and drag that one out, but BG just brought the members. They juggled that turret aggro beautifully and on that bot side, they prevented Korea from being able to get from that tier 2 up to that tier one to try and do anything about that fight. BG, they turn that topside priority, that team fight that they just won onto this Rift Herald. And BG right now, they are large and in charge of these jungle objectives. They've got the first two DS. They've got this Rift Herald. And the third drake of the game is up only in 1 minute's time. So, they're stacking very much online. >> Significant win from there. Knight, of course, with the Lich Bane. Able to get a significant amount of work done here on this top lane turret. Reminder, they've got all of the turrets in the game for them to claim. Three already down for D plus Kia. Back at this replay, though, Lucid with the W. Probably a little early, I fear. Yeah, I do like that they used that lens to try and get some vision control. They knew this play was coming. There was nothing that they could do about it because BG just brought everyone to that top side and it almost feels like they didn't lose anything anywhere else across the rift either because DK, they were forced to respond. Korea was running out to that top side as well. >> Going to try and come into the mid lane. That's two members. Good hop away from Viper. On though gets an encore off, but it's his final moment in that particular play picked up by D plus K. D plus Kia will not be put down. They will not be perturbed by the giants of the LPL BLG. They laugh in the face of these odds right now. Initialize and they start up this mountain drake to try and slow BLG's dragon stacking down. This will be the first drake of the game for DK. And it buys an extra 5 minutes before that soul condition is online. But we were talking about gold leads a little bit earlier. DK currently at 1K. BLG, they've been chipping it down. That gold lead has been, you know, becoming smaller over time. And look at where the gold is here. Shiu 2.2K, but Knight 41 and one. And we've seen him carry gangs before. That is a dangerous TF right now. Route there onto Knight briefly with that deadly flourish. Won't turn into anything more. Of course, worth noting a significant chunk of Knight's gold lead will be from his passive, that stack deck, giving all the extra gold. Still does keep them in touching distance. They've got a couple turrets as well, that standing gold available to them if they could just get to those turrets in mid and bot outer. But here's the thing, Knight is literally a full item ahead of Showmaker. He also has a seven stack dark seal. So that advantage from Knight over Showmaker alone means these team fights are harder. It means Knight can more easily 1v one anyone else across that rift. Does have a slight experience advantage, but that's about it. But Shiu does have a full level over Bin on that N. And like you called out, top laners can get up to level 20, which gives more range, more damage over to Shiu in the later stages of these games, whereas N I don't think scales as hard and high in that 19th and 20th levels. So, if this game goes long enough, I dare say that advantage will go to DK. >> 3 minutes until the next dragon or so. That might be our next port. Of course, we have got Baron up, but I don't think either team necessarily wants to rush that. >> Yeah, you're right. And I mean, the vision control is there from both teams as well. A lot of BGs on that bot side through jungle. DK's all through that river. Both teams really want the intel on their opponents. They really want to know when that Baron is pulled or if they're going to make those plays towards that drake because even if the drake isn't up for another 3 minutes, right? You've got the wards in the area. You will see when they send the sweepers, you will see when they go and clear it. So your support knows, hey, they're clearing that out. I've got to go and clear it and get my own vision down. It's just a it's a common war with supports. It's a vision war. And sometimes you do die for control of that vision before the fight breaks out. Handing that advantage over your opponents. Just a stalling game, a holding game for now. Playing around this mid lane wave shove. TF was roaming up the river, but doesn't want to pull the trigger as it stands. And neither team feels that willing to pull on an aggressive play right now. If there was a timer, it would be out. Try and earn yourself some summoners. try and earn yourself an alt or two ahead of this potentially critical dragon fight. >> Yeah, and to that point, right, every single ultimate up on the side of BLG, every single ultimate up on the side of DK, every single summoner up. So, the next fight, which almost feels inevitable at this point, will be explosive. It will be massive. BG drop the Rift Held. They're forcing DK into this mid lane, and they know it because they demand a response. Knight TPS in. They get the roots. Oh, the Encore and Korea is spellbound dead in the mid lane. That turret falls shortly after. >> Good heads up play there from BG. Great timing. I love it as that trap into that deadly flourish as well. Gets another route, but there's no follow up, right? DK down a member. >> Might be some follow up on Showmaker who got spotted by that destiny gate. Good chunk off Lucid. Knight though does not endure. Showmaker who unleashes his full arsenal. Continues to run on left low. The curtains get called. Shot for the body blood. Showmaker overloads though straight through the members of BG and makes it overall a one for one. Absolutely bent that bullet through space and time to make sure he landed it onto on getting that one for one trade. Something back for DK and what was ultimately a disastrous mid here. We see it again. Rift Hel drop that's going to force the response out of DK. They have to bring the members. They've seen four members of BLG. They know they want this midtower. A great deadly flourish to lock on up, but career oversteps is caught out by the E double route from on into the encore and is CCD to death. But here is where the follow-up happens. Knight rooted and like you said goes for that TP because he sees the vision on Showmaker alone on the side. Showmaker steps straight into that brush though, preventing vision from Knight. He's able to chip him down and then the rest of DK are here. Showmaker still stepping forward into three and it allows him to get that one kill back. The death fire touch I think in the end was just enough burn to claim the kill. 15 seconds on dragon. We're down a fair number of summoners. Showmaker, none of his available. Could be critical. Knight's got his flash alongside pretty much every other member of BLG. could potentially be the difference maker as it's BG in the river first. >> That's it. This is the fourth drake of the game and BG they want it. They have the priority. They have the vision control. DK trying to find a way in a deep TP from behind though. BG know what's happening. >> Nar's coming as well. Don't know whether it's mega. They get the gold card on the Shiu buffers through but it's down at half HP cuz that lich bane hurts. Knight at 20% himself. Both the Tristana and the Twisted Fate without a lot of value. Korea also chunk low. >> Yeah, great counter punch there from BG. They commit their own TP to bring the members down. Knight taking a recall right now. Wants to top up. Probably has that ultimate to be able to get back out to this fight quite quickly. DK not done. Ultimate coming through. >> Keeper's verdict is interrupted with an encore and it doesn't land anyway. Shan with a smite fight. Lucid loses his life. Realm warp to escape. DK trying to escape. Shun gets redirected somehow and gets the kill on Korea. Realm war puts in pretty deep though. Smash trying to speed himself away and does so. Yeah, disastrous fight there for DK. BLG take three. DK make their escape though. Smash and Showmaker able to get away. But a masterful play there from BLG. Right. DK had the advantage. They were pushing in on that drake. They were getting that vision control down and they had that deep flanking TP, but BG saw it and immediately clapped onto Shiu. Yes, he was able to buffer, but he was unable to contribute to the fight. And because of that, they get this Baron because Lucid is still very much dead. Shiu is still very much dead. And BLG are answering back. Soul points, Baron, and a gold lead. Somehow it is the inversion of game 1. It's been back and forth between these two teams, but BLG here come out critically on top. Yeah, they've already got this health bar advantage from the previous skirmish as well, so they can trade a little more heavily into DK. Great encore here to disrupt Lucid's ultimate. Unable to repel these members from BLG. Knight turns up a realm walk that Korea is able to take, but Shun follows Cer. There's nothing he can do about that one. BG tidy up the back end of this fight, and DK are left running with their tails between their legs. Suddenly things look a lot harder to execute Knight because of course he does. Backs buys himself a magis. He's 15 stacks already. Has an arm guard as well. And the early advantages from D plus gear look a lot harder to execute with Shiu on tonight. But this time here is Shun. He's bled out by the dark in daggers and the Tristana from 3 and one to four and four. The value beginning to dwindle. >> Yeah, I mean BG they're up nearly 4,000 gold with this Baron power play. TP from BG being committed here. They want to siege this botside base of DK. They know they have the numbers advantage. It's four versus five. Now is the time to push. Shiu's dead for 30 seconds more. >> And the wave clear is risky. You don't want to end up walking too far forwards and these turrets are just getting annihilated. >> Annihilating this base is BLG. DK doing the dance trying to prevent any more happening. That's two baron empowered cannon minions. They are putting in so much work. A good defense from DK, a better siege from BLG. >> You can see Shun is actually the one shoving the mid lane. Hasn't been with the squad. >> Getting that wave coralled towards the mid tier 2. >> Yeah, and that's what these teams do a lot of the times, right? They'll split push. They'll go 4 in one or three one and one to try and maximize the value of their Baron. But a fight inevitable here around this tier 2 mid. >> Deadly flourish just about wide of Shun there. Certainly no stun and that means the tier two falls as well. on the gold balloons to a monstrous 6K. Feeling challenging now indeed for D+ to find their way back in. >> Yeah, and I'm loving what I'm seeing out of BG here. They didn't overplay their hand. They got that botside tier 2. They got the inhibitor turret and the inhibitor. And then they immediately rotated around to that mid. And look at the gold lead in the last 2 minutes alone. It just ballooned from around 2k to 5.6k. BG three drakes. 30 seconds on the Baron power play, which is at 4k. One and a half minutes till the next drake of the game and this could be mountain soul for BLG. Finn will love that. >> That's something like an 8k gold swing from the highs of D plus K now to BLG firmly in command. Those turrets that they've been waiting to take down now all fallen in their favor. Minute and a half until Mountain Soul, the Magi stacks are in for Knight. So between that and the rapid fire, he is so fast. Knight is literally full build. Bin now has the level advantage over Shiu Shun. Two levels up over Lucid. What an amazing turnaround here. DK, they had the early advantage. They had that aggression. They were making those plays, but BG have just found their way back into this game. They've breached the 6k gold mark right now. DK, they need to find something. Maybe a pick onto Knight. He's got a 700 gold bounty on his head. Be a high value. in danger. T does speed himself away but gets shoved away but not into the wall. The keeper's verdict. Knock up but no kill. Stun instead onto Showmaker who walked into the backline. Is able to speed himself away. Bin here with the teleport shield and the megaard just about to time out. Throws a boulder. Tries to get the shove back. Doesn't quite find it. Showmaker survives for now. Ben in the mini. Viper goes forward with that arcane shift. The damage is there. The encore tag show maker. Rise isn't taken low. The gold card follows and the poke keeps rolling. >> Yeah, what a Oh, Knight goes back in. Oh, Shiu, Destiny Gate, the buster shot KEEPS HIM ALIVE. FLASH in from Viper with an arcade shift. Bin with the boomerang slow, desperate to stop more falling, but they're coralled on their own tier 2. BLG unwilling to let this one slide. The fish under a turret. It's not quite the same, but they're still on the hook. The line and see whether they will be sinking with this game. Another gold card. Golden goes Knight. Eviscerating in is Shun. They're all so low. The deadly flourish not there. And they go. gets it taken out. The health pursuit resets doesn't come on through. The curtain call comes on down and Knight should just about escape. Oh, what a great play from Lucid there though, just to lock Shun up under that turret, so they get something back as we did see BG trying to aggress forward. They didn't have a wave while they had DK caught under that turret there. But they take that team fight. They get that priority. They get that pressure and they run straight to the drake because this will be mountain soul for BLG. They will be that much harder to kill. They will have that much more gold lead. And it is starting to feel like wallet diff here. We see randuins. We see Sterox on Bin. He's going to be impossible to kill when he gets that shield trigger as well. Critical damage is significantly reduced. And it just feels like Shiu has almost fallen off here in the face of the oppressive power and strength of BLG. Have a look at this replay again. They attempted to make the pick onto on but he escapes. And then D plus K are on full retreat. And credit to them, they do a decent job of buying time. >> And this fight is so long as well. They're trading summoners. They're trading ultimates. And you would think there'd be a couple of more kills in this phase of the fight, but DK are able to dodge a lot of the damage that um BG are trying to get done here. We do see Knight follow up on the back end and immediately Shiu bust the shots to get rid of Knight. But the chipboard from Viper takes him out and it gives them the numbers advantage and gives them the confidence to go under this tower. No wave for BLG here though. So it is all on them and we see they turn on Knight who's forced to stopwatch and Lucid with that. I love that there Lucid keeping Jun locked up under the turret. So it gives GK something back. It wasn't a massive loss. >> No. Back to life. Tier 2's falling. They do get the Tristana to shove on up. Has at least got to the QSS which helped against that gold card as we saw. Hang on. Needs to be in danger as he's rocking jumps in. QSS is there. Flash from Knight. Exhausted. Still gets the kill with the last auto. Showmaker trying to run away. But all the while the Baron's going down and both your solo laners are on the bot lane. >> What can you do right now? BG are everywhere on the rift. They're making the plays. They're leaving only two members because they know they have this baron secured. They're going to reset, spend that gold that they've earned for themselves, and come back out onto the rift. Showmaker in retreat on that bot side. We do see Lucid back in base after taking that recall. But members of BG, they're aggressing into DK's topside jungle here. They're trying to get that vision control. They're trying to rob DK's jungler of any minions that he can get here. It takes gold. It takes experience. takes time, but look at these items. We've got the infinity edge, the storm surge, the rapid fire cannon for smash, the rod of ages, the actualizer as well for showmaker. So, the damage is there now. It's >> Oh, the encore is there. Shun with the dark in daggers brings low lucid again. 06 and six. It has not been his game now with the baron with mountain soul with waves coming crashing in. D plus gear have to stand against what feels the inevitable win from BLG. Yeah, they're 54 as well for another 30 seconds. Lucid having gone down in that fight there. They were already 54. Siu over the wall >> just just annihilated. He's gone again. I need to find a new word, but maybe it's still appropriate because he just got blasted. Shun the reset on the alt available. Doesn't need to pull it as yet. And they are onto all the inhibitors. The nexus turrets remain and D plus Kia men down, waves down, inhibitors down, and looking like the game down to boot. BLG are taking it from here. DK locked up under their own turrets. They're locked up under their own nexus. BG is sieging. They've turned under the nexus. BG will take this game, too. BLG even it up. It is not a 02. The crowd goes wild and the competition continues. Both keys just about [music] safe. >> You know what? I feel comfortable and safe from my prediction of a 2-1 here, but I'm still not sure which way it will go because DK, they had such a fantastic early performance in this game. But we were speaking of DK's resilience in game one. Like you said, BLG's resilience here in this game too. Absolutely phenomenal. It was a great counterpick topside from Shiu. You see 2026 Kadia City Battleground. Our game three of our best of three. loser goes home and their key is crushed. To the rift we go for the final time between these two teams. The crowd has continued to grow, to swell, and to surge. It is electric here and both these teams will be feeling the pressure. No doubt about it. We've heard the Gios, we've heard the fightings. LPL versus LCK. A rivalry as old as League of Legends has another chapter here. >> Here at EW6 2026, we do see that ward though go down though. So it will spot Knight out as he starts to step forward. DK aware, respecting it and backing away. Knight sees them backing away and with that intuition goes, "No, they've seen me. I've walked over a ward. They know my game." But he's going to get back to that mid lane and he's not going to have lost any experience for it. just a little bit of advantage over to Showmaker with the range that he has. Sees Knight stepping up and goes to just push him off the wave. And that's another thing we need to point out. This is a Malay into range matchup. Range will have the early game advantage, but it's easy for Knight to come back into this fight and now junglers have started on opposite sides of the rift that they have. We can see Shun pathing towards his top side. Of course, on the other side, Shinszar pathing towards that bot lane to try and interrupt a mess potentially with that Caitlyn and with that Bard Viper and on have got the early shove. Not really a surprise considering the match up, but again, the Lucian Millio has been very potent over the last few patches in particular and I'm sure that Smash and Korea will have a few things to say about this shove in a level or two. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, we do find ourselves in a situation where we're only a minute and a half in and on is already looking, dare I say, for that level two roam. He was moving around. Has cleared that ward out and is just trying to make sure that the vision control favors BLG here on that blue side. Shiu getting a little bit early poke on the bin. Worth noting here as well, look at Shun has done his botside quadrant is now going into the enemy jungle to try and steal away a G and potentially look for some botside advantages. Yeah, Shy in a great position here too if he's able to get this quick enough. >> Smash at the level two will look to dash on for the relentless pursuit. Viper taken low but not down. Does have the barrier traded. Gets a nice build of a peacemaker back. Reminder that the Pantheon is still here. Smash in danger. This needs to be a GOOD KICK. FLASH AWAY and the comet spear secures first blood. And that was that early rotation from Shun that you pointed out. He was in a great position to take advantage of this botside play. He had the priority. He was always going to get there before Lucid can do anything. even though Lucid was nipping at his heels. So great work there. They got the barrier, they got the flash, and they got the life of the AD carry of D plus Kia in Smash. >> Reset now from Shun. Got that first blood, gets a long sword and the ruby crystal to his name. Knight left alone with him chunked out potentially makes contesting for this top side. Scuttle crab a risk here from Shun. He's still going to blast going in and look to fight it regardless. Remember, he has got the item advantage. And now Lucid might actually be in a spot of bother, especially with Ben with priority. Yeah, Lucid running away from that mid lane, that scuttle crab there. I thought he was maybe going to try and turn something back around on Bin because it was around a 50% health differential here for both of them, but instead he decides better of it. Goes, I'm going to recall back to base and top up my life, pick up that health stone there, too. Um that little extra bit of health for him. So, he's able to trade a bit better, but still questionable plays here. 3 and 1/2 minutes in, 1 and 1/2 minutes to that first drake of the game. will be that hex tech drake as well. As we go to this botside replay, DK are aggressing forward here. They're trading well, but Smash unable to avoid that pilover. Peacemaker takes up too much damage. Flash for flash not enough as Shun with the spear takes Smash's life. >> Really nice. And again, that's off the early play. Lucid though with a wraparound gank gets the flash off of Knight who's just TP [music] back in. >> Yeah, Showmaker getting that ward down just in the face of Knight will ping it. Doesn't get the auto off. So that's a healthy ward in the mid lane. Advantage Showmaker. But something else that's advantage to Showmaker right now is the gold is the CS has picked up that amp tome. So a nice little extra chunk of damage over what Knight has to offer. However, the biggest gold advantage right now 600 of it is on Shawn from Shun from that first blood with that extra bounty. He's 600 of the 600 that BG have. Always miserable there to sit under the turret versus the Caitlin, especially once she starts to put down those yord snap traps and kind of block off either side of the turret. Can be a bit annoying for Lucian who wants to get a good piercing light across. Nice work there from Korea to remove them pretty swiftly and mitigate some of that obnoxiousness, but Shun is back again. BG playing around botside say it ain't so. Well, they know that Smash doesn't have a flash. If they go in on Smash, who's less than 50% health already, they now know that Shun is here. then there's nothing you can do to get away. However, Shun himself because he committed his flash is unable to dive in after him. So, we'll just back away. And look, it's a relatively slow early game though. I'll say again, these invades, the early play botside, nice proactivity from BLG. But one of their weaknesses as a roster of late has been their inability to play through that botside play for Viper. Shun playing so aggressively towards him across this series in general and certainly in this game has been a little bit of a different look for the team that often like to take their support their jungler and look towards say Ben or Knight. Yeah, but this proactivity coming out of Shun is really really good because it's also forcing response from Lucid, right? Lucid is being pulled away from his jungle camps. He has to answer the aggression of Shun which means Shun is able to run him around the rift. Bin playing on vision here. Shiu knows he's there playing very carefully. doesn't want to get burnt alive by bin and this equalizer. But we take a look at the vision, right? We see that dick plus key up. They've got that control ward near that hex tech drake because it's the first drake of the game. Hasn't been taken. Good equalizer. Obviously a wave clearing. It's a bonus though to get extra damage onto Shiu. A little extra pressure. Well, with Ben having been down the teleport, it does allow him to reset and not have to worry so much about the wave being in a problem problematic position. Will bounce back as he arrives at the turret. will be happy enough with that in the river though on in danger has that marker top him but won't have an audacious charge to deal with and Lucid should pick up this scuttle crab yeah just pokes on away gets that priority able to pick up that scuttle crab tidily the XP is worth it from those scuttle crabs because it almost gets you to that level six which is why double scuttle is so important because it gives you that level advantage when those jungle objective fights break out but that is not to be here as we do see that you know Lucid is rotating getting around to that top side, but I don't see a scuttle crab sitting in that river just yet. D+ vision control on that bot side around the drake pit, but there's also a control ward from BLG. So, both sides here valuing vision and information, but not quite ready to pull the trigger on the drake because the grubs are up in 1 minute. And that's something that we've been seeing more of, right? More teams are going for the grubs first trade for Drake rather than giving that 2 to 3 minute window of opportunity for them to be able to contest. Completely agree. And of course, as we just look at the game state in general, being a relatively slow one, not super aggressive health. There's a bit of damage from fire gets a nice trade there. The ace in the hole after body block by Korea, especially as that cozy campfire shield and the warm hugs rather shield would have timed out. Ker says, "Smash, get down. I will protect you." And takes that ace in the hole quite nicely. That is the support that you want in your games. like we saw a little earlier when that Nautilus was blocking all of those skill shots onto that lease in there. It was spectacular and it just keeps those AD carries healthy. It keeps them alive or in that case your jungler as well. But we are talking about BG versus DK. We are talking about a game three of a best of three series that has gone the distance. We are talking about if you lose, your key gets crushed and you are knocked out of EWC 2026 and neither of teams want this. BLG LPL's last hope here. >> And on the other side, D+ team that in some ways has been a bit of a surprise to make it in some ways. Their form domestically has been so inconsistent. Lucid and Shiu sometimes incredibly high, sometimes incredibly low. Showmaker on good form here as well. Looking to take it to the likes of Knight if they can make it happen. Is up a good CS margin here. Dragon being started. BLG though thinking of contesting. Shun with the alt could look to come on in. Stolen. Shinszaw alult. Dragon taken. But unfortunately for Lucid, a crescent guard will not keep you alive and he'll trade the dragon for his life. >> And that's the thing I like about the Pantheon all and the guard interaction. All the play still going. >> Smash does have to flash away from that binding from on and that'll get something extra for BLG. >> A very respectful flash because if that stun had landed that was built over Peacemakers, that was your little snap traps. That was an ace in the hole and you would have been dead. So that speaks to the experience and expertise of these players. But I wanted to talk about that interaction with Pantheon and Shining Xiao, right? Depending on who pulls the ultimate first is how the interaction pans out. If you Pantheon all in and then Ging Xiao repels you, happy days. But if you Xiao Cresant card and then the Panthol comes through, unfortunately that does not work in your favor. >> Yeah, you go. >> Uh about to say the dragon still went the way of course of DK. You still see the grubs towards BLG and they've got that thousand gold lead. But again, one of the things we've seen across the first two games was attempting to get that lead to snowball beyond 1 to 2,000 has been a challenge. M like you say, 1,000 gold lead, but the grubs still up. That is that second jungle objective. The next drake 3 and a half minutes away because it was just taken. A lot of vision control happening around here, but Shun is where all of the gold advantage is for BG. both kills to his name on couple of assists. Viper with the one there, but look at the CS advantages. Showmaker still pulling away from Knight there. 20 CS and that's what you would expect with that range in the melee matchup. Viper though, 10 CS up over Smash. So, both teams are winning in different lanes. Different win conditions are coming online. And as we go to this replay, that beautiful Pantheon alt from the bush. It wasn't on any kind of vision straight into the midst of GK. Nothing they could do to stop that from happening. >> And I do love our observers giving us some of these cinematic outros. It's cool to see that. Have some fun with it indeed. And it's a nice moment there from Shan who does get that kill. Of course, it's still the dragon from DK too much. That is a good tempered fate though. Shun's around. Showmaker clutch flash. >> Absolutely. We saw the vision, the tempered fate to lock down Showmaker. Shun was going to go in with that stun, but Showmaker's flash instantaneous prevents the play and definitely saves his own life there. But now, Showmaker critically, no flash for 5 minutes. He's a very immobile mage. >> And all the while reminded while that dragon fight was happening, Shim was on the grubs. So, actually now goes and finish them up. Gets that third one. Bin potentially in danger here as he's overheated and stunned up teleporting out to safety. No CC from Shiu. I'm sorry. That was brilliant because he knows there's no CC, right? So the moment that comes through, he's like, I'm going to TP out of here. You don't have the damage to finish me. You've just comboed off. I'm a Okay. These are the kinds of plays that make and break fights. And this is why he's earned himself the nickname Giga Bin because it's just these creative plays, these different angles that you just do not expect that change how it plays out. But Lucid trying to invade on the jungle here on will spot it out and try and repel them. >> There's the smite away and Lucid gets that one at the very least. Still a gold lead. The teleport behind. Hang on DK. This might get a bit spicy. It's the Silus coming on in on over the wall with the magical journey here. They don't pull the trigger too much further and that'll be DK able to get out. BG looking for a little something but can't quite find a kill or a pick. Yeah, the timing just a little bit off there from BLG. I like the call. I like the initiative, the proactivity to try and get that team fight in that mid lane because they know Showmaker didn't have the flash either, but DK playing respectfully. They've just backed away and there was nothing left for BLG to get has been trading into Shiu on this top side. >> That they are Lucen on his kugs. Overcomes Knight looking for damage. That's big blast going away. Tempered fate means the scatter of the weak does nothing. Showmaker no flash. away. Knight super deep needs potentially turn this around and go shun with that W buy some time. The magical journey out DK defend and now actually maybe can run at BLG who've gone very deep to make this attempt on Showmaker's life. No, no, no. Vipers here as well. It's a numbers advantage over to BG if DK keep pushing forward. But I think they're happy with that. So many resources committed his career there just trying to offset the tempo recall from Knight. But a great sequence of plays from both teams. The numbers were there, the ultimates were there, but they were just able to juggle their health bars. Showmaker and Knight both went colden at the same time because of that tempered fate coming through from on which bought DK the time to set up robbing the initiative from BLG. Gold in the bot lane is near even 91 to Viper is hardly anything to speak about at this point. interrupt there onto Showmaker as he was looking to reset is still farming well and again Syndra is so potent it feels like right now and Showmaker over the years. How many incredible Synra games have we seen from this man? So many. And when you get to that 100 charge, you get that execute, it comes online, you become so much deadlier as the next drake of the game. Our second drake has spawned here at the 13minute mark with the Rift Herald a mere minute away. This game after those two kills in the early has stayed so close. DK not willing to give over any gold, any objectives, any kills. BLG hunting, fishing, poking, trying to find a weakness in the defense that DK is putting up right now. But DK, they know this is the last effort. They have to win. >> Dragon is alive. 50 seconds on Herald. Lucid in the river first, but on and Viper currently tustling with Smash and Korea over vision control. You can see Knight has made the roam up through the river. >> Yeah, look, a river is a great place to roam as well. Wide open spaces, a little bit of water, just something to refresh. >> Tempered fade on both Billy Billy Gaming. THE TRAPS ARE THERE. IT'S [screaming] SPRUNG AND THE BOT LANE collapses from D plus here. >> BG found their angle, but they're not done yet. >> Lucid in danger. The crescent guard gets him out to safety. Alas, the save is not true from Smash and Korea. The crowd begins to erupt behind them. The BLG fans smell blood in the water. On with the tempered fate on two to start it all off. Viper with the follow up on the snap traps to get the lock down. Knight responded as well. A fantastic sequence of players coming out of Billy Billy Gaming to get themselves a priority on the drake. >> The thing is though, they take so much damage doing it that despite the numbers advantage, they don't feel confident sticking around. They still get the dragon D plus Kia find a silver lining. Yes, silver linings are better than no linings, that's for sure. I would like that, please. And thank you very much. They are on their second drake. Their dragon stacking has begun. It's that hex tech. It's that cloud. So, a little extra movement soul, but it will be an infernal soul, which I have to imagine that Smash on that Lucian will value so so heavily. But Viper on the other side would also value that equally, that extra chip, that extra poke. Let's take a quick look at the vision control here because it looks like a fight's break about to break out around the Rift Herald. DK, they've got some vision, but BG they're here first with that reset after the double picks and the fact they didn't contest that dragon means they can come up to contest this Herald instead. Showmaker is on vision and is now in danger does have the flash maybe has to burn it. The cosmic binding the rocket belt in the ace in the hole and Knight claims a scalp and that's the vision I was about to talk about up in that top lane. Showmaker unaware was trying to be patient about it. But we go back to this replay and here's the beautiful tempered fate. Unfortunately unable to get out of that one. The snap traps. Knight is there. Viper is there. It's 4v dead and they take the fight convincingly. But we're still not done. >> Tempered fate land on Korea, but they didn't manage to quite get the trap underneath him. Arm on over the wall. The locket keeps him alive. But elsewhere Shiru with a solo kill on Bin of the magical journey goes loose. He gets trapped. gets stunned pretty low but not taken out. Shun is on top of Shiu trying to get some vengeance for his top laner. A smite and a comet there and sure it's a one for one. Yeah, Shun able to get Shiu back. That is DK finally on the board with kills there too. Shiu getting the better of Bin, but Bin did enough damage that Shun was like, you know what, I'm going to commit my alult. I'm going to go down there and get that kill because the rest of BG were able to take that fight with the team fight that TK put together. And we'll see this one again. Bin just wanted to clear a ward out, but Shiu saw the angle, saw the opportunity, and look at the health difference here. Shiu is still sub 50%, chipping away, poking away at Bin. And in this extended fight, even eats an equalizer to boot. Flashes away. Oh, Bin just feeling so so confident. He gets comboed under the turret. Down he goes. Bin giveth, Bin taketh away. We've seen a little bit of that from both our top laners this series. He's been and Shiu have had very high highs and a few lows to go with them. Make no uh bones about that one. Knight does get that bot lane tier one as we come out of the replay and BLG now find themselves up 4.1,000 gold. That's a lot more meaningful. >> Yeah, and at 17 minutes it is significant. Both objectives will be coming back up in around the same time in around 2 minutes here as well. So there's a bit of a split play that could possibly come up here. Oh yeah, >> showaker does manage to force his will away that red buff, but the smite is a little early. That does mean, however, that BG still don't secure it. >> Yeah, [laughter] good job there, Synra being able to use that to pull the red buff away. But we look at the CS. Bin has some lead. We see Showmaker still up, but Viper up over Smash. So, he's definitely caught up. Has that 1.2k gold lead as does Knight, as does Shun. So, it's gold leaves leads abound here for BLG except in that top lane where Shu was able to secure that one kill onto Bin. >> You can see all of those gold leads. Viper, Knight, and Shun leading the way by significant margins. They're in fantastic positions. I think Viper as well with that BF sword and that pickaxe and infantry can't be miles away from an Infinity Edge, especially considering Smash has already completed his. I'll note, however, that Viper has gotten the steel caps as the Caitlin where it's just brown bags right now for Smash. Yeah, that's it. And the essence reveal flicker blade are a little bit cheaper than an Infinity Edge hex optics as well. So that's why it's going to take Viper a little bit longer despite having that 1.1k gold advantage. And like you said, completed boots versus not on looking for more. >> Doesn't throw the tempered fate was trying to see whether someone overstepped won't happen. Minute until dragon and smash and Korea managed to hold their nerve and BLG don't decide to pull the trigger. >> That's it. Both teams have four flashes on either side as well. So there's so much mobility, so much movement. Surely they want to try and fish in an angle. >> The absone, the abducted. Showmaker has to scatter just about keeps himself alive. Knight smelled a kill there and can't quite get what he was looking for. Well played by Showmaker to live there, but such a fantastic angle from Knight. The patience. He saw Showmaker alone and was like, I can take you one v one. And he very nearly did if it wasn't for that stun coming through. But we're back to normaly somewhat. We've got the Baron up in 15 seconds. The third drake of the game in 30. So, which team will go for what objective? I have to imagine DK will go for that drake to try and get their third and get on to soul point because if you can get that soul, that infernal, you have a win condition online. Your damage is serious almost exponentially improved increased here. >> It's going to have to go through the tier one here. Rocket belts away to drop some turret aggro. Knight looking for it, but they are therefore giving up this dragon likely. Knight flashes Look at the gone of Dark to get some damage down. That's good from the side of Shiu. Knight left low but not down. Keeps trying to heal. The between worlds is there across the veil as well. Have scone of Duck. The kingmaker tries to make this work. This is a bad one from Shiu at all. The one v one though eventually goes the way of BLG's maids. >> I feel like Shimu did a great job there. Bin goes in. Equalizer dropped. >> I want to look Lucid all drop people as well. The jungler left at about half. Slight fumble of my words, but Lucid just about survived is the gist of it. towards the dragon though. >> That's it. They get that priority because they're able to poke the jungler of DK away. So, they're going to be able to slow down DK's dragon stacking here. They take the third drake of the game, which is also an infernal. But look at the damage as well. Shir putting in so much work at 14 12k. >> Lucid again just threatened a little more. Won't quite go down. Smash does try to go forwards there with relentless pursuit. Flash in from gets the stun. Damage on to Lucid and the jungler's dead. It's Korea now in danger. Knight over the wall, the obscawn, the abduct, the damage keeps rolling. Scattered back just about surviving a showmaker. The damage can't quite be found and they'll lose their mid tier one, but it's only the one member for D+ here, but everyone else on blinking health bars. Baron alive, but I don't think BLG feel quite that bold. BG take the life of Lucid and they take the mid tier ones. So, still a great fight for them even if they didn't get everything that they wanted. been looking for an angle onto Shiu here having to play respectfully. But importantly, when that fight broke out, it was a 5v4. Shiu was still dead from the previous fight over on the top side of BLG when Knight soloed him here. Shiu just trying to clear some waves out and the next objective still on the rift is that Baron. Soul point denied. Gold lead extended. No turret still for D+. This map is so frustrating for them to walk through, especially now that BLG with this bar, with this Pantheon can just turn up from very odd angles with Magical Journeys and Tempered Fates and Grand Star Falls to boot. Yeah, that's it. There's a lot of playmaking ability on the side of Billy Billy Gaming here. And we do take a look at the gold bounties that are up. Shun nearly 700, Knight 400, Viper 300. So these guys, there's a lot of standing gold. Shun is 50 and1 right now. And is matching the CS of Lucid too. Lucid unfortunately has died twice. So he has the sun and the black cleavers, but that's it. He hasn't completed his boots and he's half an item behind. So there's a lot of power there in that pantheon. >> He's currently two levels behind as well. The camp should make that just the one, but it's still not a great space to be in. >> Yeah, Knight also having that half level advantage over Showmaker right now. Almost everybody except the supports are on their second level of their ultimates. So the poke coming through is dangerous. Shadow Flame collected for Shiu there as well. That could be a oneshot combo if they can find a fantastic angle. >> Yeah, not quite the level 16 where the alt gets a bit stronger. Worth noting as well. Showmaker two stacks away of those splinters of Roth from that 100 and therefore the execute on the unleashed power. Maybe that can be a difference maker here. >> We're fighting over the red buff again. >> Synra is over by tier two, so she can't pull it away this time, but Lucy secures it nonetheless. >> I was looking for that. I'm like, I don't see Showmaker. There's no way they're going to pull that buff away. But they bring the numbers and they get the red buff, which is now on Lucian. But they've got so much vision around the backside of this Baron pit. BG has at least four wards in here. DK, they know it though. They're moving in to clear this vision out. So BG have no information when they go for that Baron. We do see Knight though. He's lurking patiently. Might be looking for another play on the Showmaker. He has been trying to find these ambush moments from the bushes, from other spots. Been very active on the map. Down some CS, but still up in the gold, having been pretty active in general. >> Infernal Dragon. >> I'm loving this game. We're 24 minutes in. It's a 6 and 12k gold lead for BG. DK go in. >> On's in danger. Gets knocked up and immediately blasted of life. >> On is wiped away from the face of the rift, but it's only a support. But we've got Knight on the top side pushing in against that top side tier 2. DK forced to respond despite having that numbers advantage. There's no objective for them to go for on that bot side. It would be too risky to go towards that baron. I guess the tier 2 falls. So in the end, it sort of becomes on for Baron. Lucid thinks about staying on the Gromp, but goes I don't know about that. Too dark and too dangerous when it's full of Shun and Bin. Shiu still in this top side bot side rather clearing away that wave. Should be safe. The rift is dark and full of horrors and Lucid is going to rest. Expect that one. He walks out of there and doublessly with his life because Bin and Shun, they were there. They were ready to go after this jungler because the timing is great with that drake up in 45 seconds. Now is the time you want to get those flashes. Now is the time you want to kill the enemy jungler and give yourself that key advantage in these objective fights. Baron still up at the 25th minute though. No one looking for it. I'm not seeing third items yet for BLG and that means this is probably about as playable as it gets for D plus K in an even game state assuming no mistakes. There is still soul point available if D plus K can get this but they will need to secure it now and they may just say look we can afford to give this one up and play to scale a little showmaker over that 100 stack. >> Yeah, absolutely. >> That's the one Lucid left golden not taken out. They don't full send. Look at Knight though on the flank angle yet to pull the trigger. T plus gear unaware right now with the Silus thinking about coming from the flank angle. >> Yeah, Knight does have a fantastic flanking angle. They've got wards down see him coming. >> Smash slides away. Good relentless pursuit to escape. Flank dissuaded. >> Yeah, there's a 1 v one happening on the bot side at the same time though. Shiu and Bin looking to try and tussle. Get some advantage here. >> On's left low but not down. Surviving for now, but it's 5% HP. If that D plus Kia, maybe that's enough. They're in the river. It feels like any fight could go any way here. And if you win, I I know we're 26 minutes in, but it feels like it would decide the game because of the way these two are tustling, the way these two are fighting, conserving their gold for these items. ZK Smash, he's trying to push in, get some priority there first to the Drake here. They've got the vision control and in the position. >> 6,000 gold down, but with onset back, it feels like D plus Kia might have an angle, a narrow one perhaps, but it's there. D plus Kia waiting in that bush. seeing with the knight face checks. He's got a breath of life to unmune some of the CC. Dragon down to 3,000. >> There's so many layers to this fight. There's players everywhere. >> Oh, it's taken by the Synindra scout of the week that gets all point, but the fight after Lucy just about TO WIPE IT OUT NOW. FLASHING FROM ON THE GET THE kill and they get out alive. The great heist of EWC 2026 just happened before our eyes. DK, they get the third drake. They are on soul point and they get away with their lives. It only costs an ultimate and a flash. You've got to be happy with that. But the Baron is up for the taking. Surely BG want to look for this. They've certainly rotated a few members over 40 for DK though. Soul point secured. Can they survive another 4 and 1/2 minutes? Can they pull off the game one? Again, it's a bigger gold lead they're up against. It's a more frustrating team, I would argue, in the later stages to manage, but the hope stays alive. The game isn't done. The fight wasn't lost. The dragon is secured. Bin patiently waiting in these bushes. Shiu surely knows what's up. He's advancing forward. Bin's getting ready here. Look at Sh. He's coming down really fast to try to get here to be in range for a grand starfall. Alt for Alters as it stands. The rocket belt in looking for another one of the electro haroon and a flash. Shu in danger. Flashes in turn. >> Flash for flash. You've got to be happy with that. Siu stays alive, but a great patient play from Bin there trying to take out a member of DK trying to claw back any advantage here. BG they've maintained this 6 1/2k gold lead now for quite some time. DK doing an excellent job. Was nearly in danger there. Knight over the wall. Thought about it. The abscond was used, but the abduct was held. Lucid gets to put those wards away. >> And that's it. Sh still five and zero. Hasn't died. Knight hasn't died. Viper hasn't died. The significant serious damage dealers haven't died. And Shun just picked up a GA. He's never going to die. Barring some miraculous mistake coming out of these players here. DK up against it. Vision control coming through around the backside of that Baron pit. They have to know that Baron is a serious serious objective. If they don't get it soon in 3 minutes time, it's going to be do you go for that Baron or do you go for that soul? >> Three items for Knight. Two and a half for Bin, three for Sh. The AD carries are at least matched, but this is a difficult position for D plus Kia with that item discrepancy. And something of worth note as well, DK have not taken a single turret of BLG's. BLG can push up hard, heavy on THE UNLEASH POWER. SHOWMAKER scatters on and he is left weak at the knees. >> Numbers advantage to ZK and they know it. They're going to advance here in this mid lane. There's a 1 v one tussle on that bot side over there, but DK know that they can strike now, like you said, before those three item completions come through, but they're unable to get through the snap trap line of the Caitlin. >> Knight's being collapsed on. He's in a 5v1. Oh no, >> I'll give you the best play in the WORLD RIGHT NOW. >> SO MUCH DANGER goes golden. Where is the rest of BLG? The remember down and knight in THE MID LANE IS TAKEN OUT BY SMASH. DK ARE FINDING the angles. They're finding the ways in. They've cut the gold lead by 2K. They're not able to do anything with it right now, though. They are recalling. Lucid looking to clear the vision. BG know that the jungler is certainly going to move over there, but they've got the wards. They can see the Baron. They know it's not under threat. They've got time. Some cracks just beginning to show here. Logan BG were 6,000 gold up, but they lose the dragon. They get picked off a couple members there as they're setting up in the mid lane. It doesn't cost him Baron yet as Anne may maybe in a dangerous position himself, but does manage to just get out there with a magical journey. Just wanted to get that ward down. Nearly costing him his life. On has been caught twice now. If On keeps doing this, this could be the doorway for DK to get back in. And the more times Shiu has, the more possible. Just an alt oneot combo can take out the damage dealers of BLG here. been doing an excellent job of keeping Shiru in lane though, so he's not able to get out onto the rift and have that impact. We take a look again at those turrets. Every single one of BGs is still up. That's a lot of standing gold for DK to be able to catch up on if they're able to get them down, but the Snap Trap lines prove defensive. >> They are 40 seconds on the Soul. 5,000 gold is the advantage. Well, 4 and a half now. Let's be fair to D plus Kia. It's more playable than it was. Yeah, we did just see a TP coming through from Knight. He's just answering Shiru on that. >> They're looking to get to Shiu. They're looking to go onto the flank. Shu in danger between worlds. He goes, HE'S TRYING TO TP OUT. KNIGHT INTERRUPTS. HE ABS AND HE ABDUCTS WITH SHIU'S HOPE OF ESCAPE. The blast cone is there, but there's a shield vault and the Aurora. Well, she's rabbit meat. It's rabbit hunted season. Shiu trying to get those fancy feet trying to buy time, but it was such a heads up play from BG to 2v1 onto Shiu in that bot side. They do commit that alt. They do commit that TP. So, they lose a little bit of mobility here, but it buys them that numbers advantage at the critical moment. That drake is up. That baron is up. BG have started it, but I love that DK recognize and they're not going to contest. >> The problem is it's now 35 seconds and no teleport on Shiu in the respawn. This is going to be a 5v4 around the Baron. >> Yeah, and this is the intelligent gameplay coming out of BG. They get the numbers advantage and when both objectives are up so that they can take both of them with those serious numbers advantages. See 20 seconds left. BG keeping DK away. They're getting vision control. They're getting priority on on a flank looking to potentially catch someone out. It's D plus K must enter the river. Must get past these snap traps somehow someway. It feels like this is their final moment. They must roll the dice. Waited against them though it is. >> Yeah. waited against them because of the wallet differential because of the hands n coming through the goes down. >> It's dangerous but Lucid chunked out. That's frustrating. That's your jungler. He's tempered fate. He's got no opportunity to get to the baron and BLG secure it for free. Knight in the mid lane. Flash away the stolen between worlds. VIPER TAKES OUT LUCID. Bing goes golden. Shiru is here though. Maybe they can pick up the Rumble WHO FLASHES AWAY. SHOWMAKER WITH A SHOTGUN. SCATTER SMASH SHUTS down Viper. BLG on retreat. Need to get out. They have the Baron to their name, but D plus Gear don't go quietly at the end of the fight. Three members of BLG get away with that Baron buff. It is Knight on the Silus. It is Shun on the Pantheon and on on that Bard who will still be able to put in the work. They will still be able to siege the base of DK, but DK are still putting up a fantastic fight. That Baron power play, it's negative for BG right now. Look at this snap trap line. DK cannot get over it. That equalizer, so much zoning, so much spacing coming through from BLG. And they don't even need to kill Lucid. They just need to stop him getting in. And that tempered bait did exactly that. But it's a bonus that they get his ultimate. It's a bonus they get that kill. And here is where TK turns it around. They force Bin to go Golden. Scatter the weak is fantastic because Shiu is able to get over the wall and full combo Bin. Two for one, but the baron to PLG. They will get to respawn. Knight here. Now look at Shu. Remember, still got the flash, but no teleport. Sh is here. The TP in from Showmaker looking for the angle. The scout of the weak is there. And that puts Jun into a horrible spot. DK down. Baron down 4,000 gold, but still finding picks. BG overstepping. BG getting overly confident here. They lose another Baron empowered member of their team. They're only down to two. DK have the numbers advantage here on this top side and they are looking to drive it home. That is a massive wave. BG forced to respond to TP coming in from Bin. Signs of life from DK. Signs of panic from BLG. DK are not giving up easy. They have been so resilient across EWC. And here against one of the very best in the world are not going quietly. They were down 6,000 gold. They've been down Baron. And yet still they refuse to die. That 6k gold lead cut down to two. What was previously no turrets, they've picked up three of them. DK refuse to go down here. They've got that vision control as well through their top side and BG's top side. So they know what Shun is doing. He's back up in 2 seconds, but there's only two Baron empowered members of BG. They've been unable to do anything. >> Tempers his own fate. It doesn't matter. HE'S CAUGHT AGAIN. >> B'S IN DANGER AS WELL. GETS KNOCKED UP. LUCID TWO AND THREE. IT DOESN'T MATTER. DOUBLE FOR SHOW MAKER. >> DK get two members of BLG. There's only one Baron empowered member which IS KNIGHT. THEY'VE LOST 4,000 GOLD. THE gold goes down to 1K alone. There is not JUST BLOOD IN THE WATER. IT'S Crimson in truth. THE TP. THEY'RE GOING FOR IT. FIVE MEMBERS OF DK are sieging the base of BLG. The last hope of the LPL in danger of being snuffed out. 3v5 DK can maybe just maybe do it. The wave clear is there. They'll back away. Inhibitor is there. Gold lead somehow for DK on the retreat now. But BLG, they had it in their hands. This game was theirs. The series was theirs. And they throw it all away. DK not overstepping. They know the limits. They saw that snap trap. They knew they lost the wave and they had no more pushing power. They will take that recall. DK after 36 minutes have found their way back into this game. The gold is negligible. There's no difference here. Drake up in 30 seconds. It could be the Infernal Soul for DK if they're able to secure it. The next Baron, another two away. PG, they have to get control. They have to get vision to prevent this drake. They're in the river first, but there are a couple wards here for DK. GA for Smash. G for Lucid. Nearly full build for Smash who was right back in it. >> Yeah, 223 400 CS there on that Lucian. Level 17. There's a level advantage for Knight over Showmaker. Bun over Lucid, but Shiu is level 20 over Finn as well. Advantages. >> They're getting on to one on left low but not dead this time. They still manage to get down onto Shun who is desperately low. 20% HP and DK maybe again can keep on rolling. Sh will need to reset or find a camp to heal. >> Knight's coming down though. It could be a pins maneuver. He was able to push Shiu away who had to recall the numbers advantage to BLG. They're just delaying. They're buying time for Knight to find a way in this in half >> on trying to keep the way. The jungler he's gone golden. They need to win the SP fight and IT IS WON BY SHUN. THE FIGHT AFTER THOUGH is another Sat. THE AURORA COMES IN BUDDY WITH A GUN. SHOTGUNS DOWN. VIPER BEING A NIGHT ALONE HAVE TO HOLD THE HOPES OF THE LPLK THROUGH THEIR HANDS. WATER SAND IN THE HOURGLASS. DK ARE DOING IT. DK are beating BLG, the LPL's NUMBER ONE TEAM WHO CAME SECOND AT MSI 2026. IT'S 5 VERSUS ONE FOR ANOTHER 20 PLUS SECONDS. TO THE NEXUS THEY GO. BEN ALONE IS PUT IN HIS NAMESAKE. THE LAST HOPE OF THE LPL SNUFFED OUT D PLUS KIA GO FORWARDS FOR SAY ARE YOU NOT [screaming] ENTERTAINED EW 2026 last quarter final delivers an absolute monstrous series. BLG's key will now be CRUSHED BY D PLUS [screaming] KIA. One way or another, this team is magic. Sometimes it looks bad. Sometimes it gets you to a semifinals.