FlyQuest took down Team Liquid on Sunday during Week 9, Day 3 of the North American League of Legends Championship Series in Los Angeles, securing a playoff spot. On the other side of the Rift, Team Liquid's final chance to escape the Promotion Tournament was dashed.
Game 1 was an unusual game for FlyQuest (9-9, 22-22 match record), who opted to play solely meta picks, a far cry from its usual surprise pick strategy. This didn't work out early on, as FlyQuest went down in gold until a 3-for-0 teamfight went in its favor. Team Liquid slowly clawed back into the game by playing well around Drakes and taking down towers. A Baron by Team Liquid (5-13, 17-30 match record) 30 minutes in sealed the deal, allowing Team Liquid to go up 1-0 in the series. TL jungler Kim "Reignover" Yeu-jin led the way for his team, posting a 5/2/5 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) as Kha'Zix.
The second game saw FlyQuest and Liquid scrapping it out in a back-and-forth early and mid-game, highlighted by a teamfight at 15-minutes that saw a 3-for-3 trade and a triple kill for FlyQuest AD carry Johnny "Altec" Ru's Varus. FlyQuest took the lead and never looked back after getting Baron near the 20-minute mark. After forcing Team Liquid into its own base, FlyQuest was able to close out the game at 34 minutes and even the series 1-1. FlyQuest mid-laner Hai "Hai" Du Lam shined brightest in the game, putting up a 10/3/5 KDA as Orianna.
The decider match was similar to the second game, with the early and mid-game not seeing any significant leads for either team. However, it was Team Liquid that took a decent lead at the 26-minute mark. While Liquid sought to push its advantages, FlyQuest was undeterred, managing to find a 4-for-0 teamfight near the 30-minute mark and snowball to victory off of a Baron secure. FlyQuest was able to close out the series and secure a ticket to Vancouver on the back of a high-flying Hai, who posting a 7/1/4 KDA as Talon.
FlyQuest's victory cemented its playoff spot, while Team Liquid has been relegated to the Summer Promotion Tournament to return to the NA LCS for the Summer Split.
