It was a wild weekend in the motor city as the LCS came to town. Little Caesar’s Arena was packed with League of Legends players, fans, and cosplayers all weekend long. Fans were treated to a spectacle, both in production and in competition. In addition to awesome graphics and effects, both series over the weekend went the distance.
Yes, ‘Silver Scrapes’ was in full effect this weekend. First, on Saturday, Counter Logic Gaming engineered a reverse sweep over Clutch Gaming. After falling behind in the series 0-2, CLG put on a clinic and managed to take the final 3 games and secure 3rd place in the LCS Summer Split.
Then on Sunday, with most people picking Team Liquid to sweep or win 3-1, we were given an incredible show. Liquid looked dominant in the first game, but it was Cloud9 who took full control over the 2nd and 3rd match. Game 4 looked like it would be the end for Liquid, until two major team fights brought them back and helped them even up the series. Game 5 was all Liquid from start to finish, as they made it look easy and powered to a series win. The victory marks their 4th consecutive split victory, having won every split since franchising began last year.
Looking Forward
Despite the loss however, Cloud9 is still qualified for the World Championships. While the loss stings, the team is already shifting their focus onto training for Worlds.. CLG and Clutch are also shifting their focus, as both teams still have a chance to qualify for Worlds at the regional gauntlet tournament. That tournament gets underway Friday, September 6th.
The Home Town
Of all the winners over the weekend, Detroit has to be one of the biggest. The crowds turned out in force on Saturday and especially on Sunday. A loud pro-C9 audience dominated the audio throughout Sunday’s match. However, when it was over, the crowd got loud to celebrate Team Liquid’s victory.
Throughout the weekend, the Detroit Sports Commission was on hand, gauging fan interest and what value esports could bring to Detroit. They no doubt left impressed with the number of young people engaging with esports. Kudos to you Detroit, you’ve ensured you’ll be known as an esports town going forward.