The first LPL team to reach the quarterfinals is confirmed! Saint Gunner and the Queen achieve legendary status, AL makes a resilient comeback, winning all three rounds to advance.

Greetings to all LPL viewers and League of Legends summoners, welcome to Tianxia Game Hub.

In the second BO3 match of the S15 World Championship Swiss round advancement, AL picked a high-skill, low-error-tolerance lineup and managed to reverse the game through a pivotal Elder Dragon team fight.

Saint Gunner’s top lane Queen Rek'Sai became legendary in this match, making several vital entries and securing the first LPL quarterfinal spot.

A slow-paced battle, AL secures the first blood and first tower.

At the crucial deciding game pick and ban phase, CFO on the blue side selected a tempo jungle duo of Taliyah and Vi, paired with a mid-game burst-heavy Renekton. In the second round, they added Jhin and Nautilus, forming a composition with double lockdown and powerful ultimate burst, strong in early to mid-game tempo.

AL responded with an unusual lineup: a mid-jungle duo of LeBlanc and Trundle, paired with a displacement-free Jhin in the bot lane, and Rek'Sai top to counter Renekton. Although not a favorable lane matchup, this was a high-skill composition relying heavily on player mechanics and LeBlanc’s ability to farm well.

Early game, CFO’s jungle initiated on Alistar, reducing him to half health and firmly controlling the bot lane. Both junglers opted for stable farming without ganks. CFO leveraged lane pressure to secure the first dragon.

AL then grouped to contest Rift Herald, securing two, but CFO responded by quickly arriving and taking one back.

At 11 minutes, a first blood skirmish broke out: LeBlanc and Renekton traded damage top, then Kael initiated a successful kill in the jungle with mid-jungle cooperation. Tarzan followed up with Vi’s ultimate, assisting teammates to claim the dragon.

CFO forced a kill on Rek'Sai top, but AL’s LeBlanc secured the first tower kill after contesting it fiercely.

Saint Gunner’s decisive entry turns the tide in AL’s favor during a team fight.

At 15 minutes during the Rift Herald contest, CFO positioned first. AL’s flank attempt with Alistar failed, resulting in his death after a skill exchange. CFO took the Rift Herald, but AL capitalized on CFO’s greed in the top lane, quickly rotating multiple players to kill three opponents and seize the fight advantage.

CFO claimed the top outer tower and held a slight economic lead, but AL was first to group and secure the third dragon.

During CFO’s Rift Herald push, Junjia baited out Trundle’s pillar and immediately initiated. Trundle was quickly eliminated by Jhin’s ultimate, followed by Alistar’s death. CFO destroyed two turrets in this push, putting AL at a significant disadvantage.

With the advantage, CFO grouped to contest Elder Dragon, but AL responded. Alistar initiated, knocking away Taliyah. Facing Jhin’s ultimate, AL’s Saint Gunner pulled back, then heroically engaged, knocking up Renekton to secure a kill. He chased down remaining enemies, using his ultimate to finish off Taliyah and claim a triple kill, wiping CFO’s team and reversing the deficit.

Saint Gunner’s Queen Rek'Sai ascends to legendary status as AL becomes the first team to advance to the quarterfinals.

AL then invaded the jungle, killing the support and securing a dragon to move to match point. At 24 minutes, an invasion was countered by Taliyah, resulting in Trundle’s death and CFO killing two players. However, Shanks’ LeBlanc eliminated the bot lane opponent, and Saint Gunner’s Rek'Sai entered, killing one enemy and escaping unharmed.

At 28 minutes, the Dragon Soul respawned. AL seized the moment, heavily damaging Renekton and forcing out Taliyah’s ultimate, then smoothly secured the Chemtech Dragon Soul.

At 29 minutes, AL initiated in the jungle again, with Saint Gunner shining once more by knocking up two enemies and coordinating a team wipe with teammates, ending the match in one decisive push.

In my opinion, AL’s performance in this match was remarkable. Despite the entire LPL region facing difficulties, they held strong under pressure, completing a reverse sweep from 1-2. This final game’s composition was low in error tolerance and required precise execution, yet AL’s excellent play secured the victory.

Especially Saint Gunner, who deservedly earned MVP honors. His Queen Rek'Sai demonstrated why it was chosen as the last pick on the red side against Renekton, showing peak mastery and perfectly matching his aggressive playstyle, helping LPL clinch its first quarterfinal spot. Congratulations to LPL.