Nongshim RedForce took down Hanwha Life Esports in an intense 2-1 series in week 8 of the 2021 LCK Summer Split.
With this victory, the team secured their playoff spot. At the same time, they helped Gen.G secure their playoff spot as well since even if they lose all their remaining matches, they cannot go below sixth with their current series score. The MVP votes went to the carries of NS, who popped off in today’s League of Legends series on four unique picks in their victories.
Gori picked up the first game MVP after an impressive Ryze performance, roaming around the map and helping his laners build a lead. Deokdam picked up the second MVP of today’s win on Ziggs, finishing the match with a KDA of 0/0/7 after sitting in the backline and providing a lot of damage from a safe distance.
Going into this series, NS were the favorites to win it all after their dominant performances throughout the split. The series opened up with a one-sided match by the leaders in the standings, who secured early leads across the entire map and transitioned into the midgame with item advantage. After funneling resources into the Cloud Dragon Soul, they were able to cleanly secure the first game win.
In the second match, HLE threw out of the window their first game draft and went for a different approach. By banning away Gori’s Ryze and picking up a strong teamfight-oriented composition, they were able to equalize the series off the back of a strong Orianna performance by Chovy. The last match of this series was the closest one with both teams farming passively early on. Once NS got their core items, they started grouping up and dominating teamfights, securing the 2-1 series win over HLE.
Related: Here are the 2021 LCK Summer Split standings
NS (11-4) are locked in for the upcoming playoff run regardless if they lose or win their next matches. At the same time after Gen.G locked in a spot as well, only four spots are up for grabs. DRX (2-13) is out of contention after a disappointing split and so the seven remaining teams will battle for the four playoff spots in the last two weeks of the 2021 LCK Summer Split. Based on the current standings, the favorites to secure these spots are Liiv SANDBOX, T1, DWG KIA, and Afreeca Freecs, however an upset shouldn’t be counted out by Hanwha Life Esports, KT Rolster, or Fredit BRION.
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