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NRG Wins Finals Over Cloud 9 For The Biggest Upset In LCS History
NRG Esports, made of the esteemed former Counter Logic Gaming lineup, emerged as the victors of the 2023 LCS championship, following a remarkable four-game League of Legends series against the defending champions, Cloud9, held in New Jersey this evening.
After a four-game League of Legends series in Newark, NRG Esports, which was formed from the fan-favorite former Counter Logic Gaming roster, stunned reigning kings Cloud9. Many had C9 tipped as short-odds favorites heading into the Newark clash, especially considering they had swept NRG in three games a week ago.
The 2023 champions beat the odds in spectacular fashion, winning the League championship despite losing the first game of the series in the first 33 minutes. After seven seasons away from the LCS, the team finally joined back the North American League.
After the 3-1 victory, AD carry FBI, who was voted Finals MVP, said in an interview, “The felt fucking good… We’re a tight-knit group of five guys, and as trite as it may sound, our camaraderie really carried the day.”
C9 was unable to complete a three-peat in LCS play due to this loss. Only TSM (Spring 2016–Summer 2017) and Team Liquid (Spring 2018–Summer 2019) have ever won three consecutive LCS championships.
C9 owner Jack Etienne said after the game, “NRG wanted it more. Congratulations to Contractz, Palafox, and the rest of the NRG team for their hard work in achieving today’s triumph. Losing stinks, but these guys will get back on their feet. The pain will subside by tomorrow, when we focus on how to get better in time for Worlds.”
The victorious team finished the regular season with a 9-9 record, placing them fifth heading into the LCS Championship bracket. They won their upper-bracket matches against Liquid and Golden Guardians by scores of 3-1 and 3-2, respectively, before being swept by C9 in the final. Then, inspired by a resurgent Palafox, they battled Liquid to a 3-2 victory and advanced to the finals; the rest, as they say, is history.
It was Contractz’s first League trophy since Rift Rivals in 2017 when his team triumphed at the Prudential Center. This was the 23-year-old jungler’s first championship match since the 2017 Spring Split of the North American League of Legends Championship Series, when he and C9 lost to TSM in a 3-2 thriller in the championship match.
Dhokla, Palafox, and IgNar all won their first LCS titles today thanks to their teams’ victories. When IgNar was on FlyQuest in 2020, he last competed in a championship match. FBI now has two Oscars to his name; he won for 100 Thieves previously.
The North American region’s first seed, NRG, will now represent the area at the 2023 League World Championship in South Korea, while C9 will take the second spot. A third North American team, Liquid, will be attending the October competition.
In this revamped version of Worlds, the conventional groups have been replaced with a new “Swiss Stage,” and all three teams have already qualified for it. However, if Golden Guardians can defeat Europe’s No. 4 seed in a playoff match, they will join the LCS and become the fourth team to represent the region at Worlds. They will have to compete in the Worlds Play-Ins if they are successful there.
On Monday, October 9, the European region will take against the North American qualifiers, and on Tuesday, October 10, the World Championship will get underway.
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