The League of Legends Season 5 World Championship moved into the semifinal round Saturday, with the first of two best-of-five series to determine the two finalists. There are two European teams and two Korean teams in the final four, kicked off by Saturday's Origen vs SKTelecom T1 matchup.
SKT entered the weekend undefeated in the tournament, after a 6-0 run through the group stage and a 3-0 sweep of ahq e-Sports Club in the quarterfinal round. The Korean champions are considered the overwhelming favorites to win it all, and are considered perhaps the best League of Legends team of all time.
Meanwhile, Origen's appearance in the semifinals can be counted as a significant achievement. A new team in this past season's European LCS, Origen was formed within the past year by former Fnatic mid laner xPeke. Although the team has plenty of experience, even a second-place LCS finish didn't hint at the excellence shown at Worlds.
SKT continued that domination Saturday, sweeping Origen 3-0 and securing the first spot in the finals. Sunday's series between Fnatic and KOO Tigers will decide who SKT will face next weekend.
Game 1
SKT 18-12, 43:29
Bans: Tahm Kench, Gangplank, Mordekaiser; Elise, Rek'Sai, Lulu
SKT | KDA | CS | Origen | KDA | CS |
MaRin (Fiora) | 7/2/1 | 396 | Soaz (Kennen) | 3/4/5 | 249 |
Bengi (Jarvan IV) | 1/4/11 | 107 | Amazing (Evelynn) | 2/6/3 | 117 |
Easyhoon (Azir) | 5/1/5 | 454 | xPeke (Viktor) | 1/3/4 | 420 |
Bang (Kalista) | 5/2/5 | 319 | Niels (Tristana) | 6/0/5 | 412 |
Wolf (Shen) | 0/3/13 | 68 | Mithy (Alistar) | 0/5/10 | 44 |
After the lane swap went in Origen's favor, Bengi moved top to gank a fairly low Soaz. Soaz's Kennen mechanics allowed him to dash around the lane and avoid the gank, making it to a bush and teleporting to safety just in time before Bengi could pick up the kill.
At 11 minutes in with an Origen gold lead, Bengi returned top to help MaRin earn First Blood on Soaz, taking the lead away. MaRin was able to turn that lead into a solo kill on Soaz two minutes later, and an ensuing fight bottom lane went even 2-2. Origen took the gold lead back at 14 minutes after taking its second tower of the game, and rotated top to take out MaRin.
Bengi moved mid to pick off xPeke, but Origen responded by diving MaRin to take him out once again. That allowed Niels to make up the tier 2 top turret, the first time SKT gave up a tier 2 all tournament. Origen took a 2-1 team fight near Dragon, but an overly aggressive flash from Amazing resulted in his death, allowing SKT to pick up a tier 2 tower of its own and the Dragon.
At 22 minutes, Origen took a surprise rush Baron, grouping up with the buff and taking the other two tier 2 towers, earning a 3k gold lead at 25 minutes. Before the next Baron, Amazing was caught out of position, but Origen was able to respond with three kills and an inhibitor turret. SKT started the Baron at 31 minutes, and picked off Amazing, xPeke and Mithy to take back the kill lead. Soaz re-engaged to take out Bengi, ending the fight 3-1 in favor of SKT without the Baron taken.
SKT was able to rush the Baron with Niels in base at 33 minutes, setting up a dangerous situation for Origen. In six of its first nine wins of the tournament, SKT had ended the game with its first Baron buff. MaRin was able to take out Soaz solo in Origen's base during the buff, taking an inhibitor turret as a result. Overall, SKT took a kill, a Dragon and three towers during the buff, but Origen was able to survive (with the gold lead flipped in favor of SKT).
As the next Baron popped up at 40 minutes, SKT took a fight 2-1, the first inhibitor of the game and the Baron. With that buff, SKT was able to march into Origen's base, taking out the opposing team at will and ending the game.
Post Game Stats Game 1 | Origen with the gold lead until minute 35 | Full Stats: https://t.co/bxpFt3dTPM #Worlds pic.twitter.com/QEw8lnNJiI
— LoL Esports #Worlds (@lolesports) October 24, 2015
Game 2
SKT 16-3 , 36:32
Bans: Azir, Lulu, Kalista; Mordekaiser, Gangplank, Elise
Origen | KDA | CS | SKT | KDA | CS |
Soaz (Fiora) | 1/4/1 | 283 | MaRin (Renekton) | 5/2/2 | 387 |
Amazing (Rek'Sai) | 1/1/1 | 126 | Bengi (Jarvan IV) | 0/0/11 | 101 |
xPeke (Anivia) | 0/4/2 | 338 | Easyhoon (Orianna) | 3/0/6 | 352 |
Niels (Tristana) | 1/4/0 | 322 | Bang (Sivir) | 7/1/5 | 315 |
Mithy (Morgana) | 0/3/2 | 14 | Wolf (Tahm Kench) | 1/0/7 | 35 |
Origen picked up an early advantage when Niels took out MaRin pre-minions (with the help of three of his teammates). SKT evened it up nine minutes in as Bang picked up a kill on Mithy, and the Korean side held a gold lead mostly thanks to MaRin's farm advantage over Soaz.
A three-man dive top by Origen took out MaRin and took the kill lead back, and a 1-1 trade mid lane kept the game close. SKT was able to use Tahm Kench's Abyssal Voyage to catch Niels out of position bottom to even up the kill score and take a 2k gold advantage at 15 minutes. Origen appeared to be in good position diving MaRin top, but Wolf and Bengi responded in time to take out Amazing and claim the kill lead.
SKT tried to chase MaRin once again 23 minutes in, but SKT was able to turn the fight 4-0 and take an uncontested 24 minute Baron. From there, the result was never in doubt, as SKT moved around the map to knock off Origen and win the second game with ease.
Post Game Stats Game 2 | SK Telecom T1 taking full control after a shaky start | https://t.co/Bh6aK2mQvV #Worlds pic.twitter.com/D0NahRDjhv
— LoL Esports #Worlds (@lolesports) October 24, 2015
Game 3
SKT 20-8, 25:58
Bans: Kalista, Kennen, Mordekaiser; Elise, Tahm Kench, Gangplank
SKT | KDA | CS | Origen | KDA | CS |
MaRin (Rumble) | 5/1/4 | 207 | Soaz (Gnar) | 0/6/2 | 185 |
Bengi (Rek'Sai) | 3/1/11 | 66 | Amazing (Lee Sin) | 4/5/2 | 68 |
Faker (Ryze) | 6/1/7 | 228 | xPeke (Lulu) | 0/3/3 | 187 |
Bang (Tristana) | 6/0/2 | 245 | Niels (Sivir) | 4/3/0 | 243 |
Wolf (Shen) | 0/5/9 | 29 | Mithy (Alistar) | 0/3/6 | 30 |
An early gank for Bengi top lane helped MaRin earn First Blood, but Amazing killed Bengi a few minutes later in the top lane to even up the kill score. Niels picked up Origen's first kill of the game 11 minutes in thanks to a gank from Amazing, taking out Wolf and evening up the gold score. Amazing continued his strong early play by taking out Wolf, but he was caught by Faker (back after two games as a sub) soon after to keep the gold even
At 16 minutes in, SKT won a team fight 2-0 top lane, following that up with two more kills to take the first notable lead of the game at 4K gold. SKT did what it does best at that point, capitalizing on an advantage to make the lead larger and larger and larger, eventually growing the gold lead to 10k by 25 minutes.
SKT took the game and the series soon after, earning its spot in the Finals.
Post Game Stats Game 3 | SK Telecom T1 advances after a clean 3-0 | Full Stats: https://t.co/FT3mCx3ooz #Worlds pic.twitter.com/TwbHUU687H
— LoL Esports #Worlds (@lolesports) October 24, 2015