The LPL Demacia Cup semifinals have wrapped up. In the last match day, JDG and LGD clashed in a BO5 that ended quickly, with JDG winning straight 3-0 and easily securing their spot in the finals. The disparity between the two teams was clear, particularly in the mid lane. HongQ, previously questioned, dominated Tangyuan in all three matches. In the final game, the bomb champion's damage output surpassed Tangyuan's total damage for the series.

Out of the three wins, HongQ earned MVP twice, indicating he has adapted well to JDG’s rhythm. Judging from this BO5 alone, JDG shows great promise for the future. The top, jungle, and support trio all performed admirably in this match. The only player holding them back was the team’s acknowledged star, Gazi. In the last two games, Gazi seemed to be drifting with the flow, and in the final game, he even made a careless dive during a large lead, costing his team.

Although LGD made it to the semifinals, their strength is clearly inferior to JDG’s. During the match, the coach created a comical moment. Around the 18-minute mark in the first game, LGD had secured a double dragon start and stopped the dragon team fight. The top and support players were camping the brush and quickly eliminated one enemy. With a 5v4 advantage, if they had played cautiously and pulled back a bit, the team fight should have been theirs. However, the coach suddenly intervened and spoke up in voice chat during the fight.

While the players were fighting, the coach kept talking nonstop, causing LGD’s strategy to collapse. They failed to secure a kill despite their numerical advantage and instead lost three players. The jungle player sacrificed teammates to survive — a truly miraculous play. LGD had the upper hand on the map, holding the dragon pit and even killing one enemy first. But after the coach’s remarks, the team fight was lost. From that moment, JDG gradually took control of the game.

If the coach had given instructions a minute or 30 seconds earlier, LGD’s play wouldn’t have been so chaotic. JDG’s Zoom had already finished communicating before the dragon fight. LGD’s coach kept talking even after the fight started, disrupting the players’ focus. This new voice feature can be useful, but LGD’s coach used it at the wrong time, which backfired badly.

After defeating LGD, JDG’s next opponent will be Gazi’s former team, IG. Both teams have performed well in the latter stages of the Demacia Cup. IG’s team fighting coordination seems slightly better than JDG’s, but their mid lane might be vulnerable. In IG’s last match against LNG, their mid lane was pressured early on. Facing a stronger and in-form HongQ, IG’s mid laner may struggle to hold their ground.

In a post-match interview, Gala openly challenged Wei with harsh words, showing the strong bond between these two players. Even the usually modest Gazi spoke aggressively. On paper, JDG is definitely stronger than IG, but IG’s advancement to the finals proves they are no pushovers. Except for a slightly weaker mid lane, the other positions on IG’s roster are quite strong.

This version of IG is fearless in team fights. Jwei’s Alistar and Rell left a strong impression. IG’s strategy revolves around their jungler, and the duo lane supports the jungle without worrying much about their lanes. JunJia might struggle to cope. The top lane matchup should also be exciting, with Soboro, reminiscent of TheShy, not only excelling in lane but also making bold plays in team fights. IG might really have a shot at defeating JDG and lifting the trophy.

Conclusion:

During the first test of coach voice chat in the Demacia Cup, this awkward situation occurred, which was quite hard to watch. Such scenes are rare because coaches usually estimate team fight timings well and intervene in voice chat beforehand. LGD’s coach was unusual in this regard. If unsure, he could have just echoed the opponents’ calls. That shouldn’t cause any conflict.

So, who do you think will win the championship, IG or JDG?

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