The conclusion of the European League Championship Series Summer Split ended with a pair of tiebreaker matches to determine the final standings. The playoff bracket will pit Giants Gaming against Unicorns of Love and Fnatic against H2K Gaming. The upper seeds, G2 Esports and Splyce, will receive byes for their first playoff weeks.
The fallen
Fnatic made the biggest splash of the week with the inclusion of subtitute top laner, Jorge "Werlyb" Casanovas, into the starting lineup. Whether it was intentional or not, the lineup had flashes of brilliance but fell to inconsistent calls and performances. The team needed a victory or run the risk of placing lower in the playoffs.
Unfortunately, Fnatic was beaten by G2 Esports in a hotly contested 2-0 series. With the loss, Fnatic needed to beat H2K Gaming in a tiebreaker, but failed to do so. Now, the team will have to play H2K again in the playoffs in an extended set.
Rising to the occasion
Giants Gaming cruised through its matchup against Team ROCCAT into the playoffs without any tiebreaker scenario. The team looked decisive and strong, making it the surprise dark horse in the playoffs. The lack of inconsistency around the team is a huge positive.
H2K Gaming made the playoffs in style. The team defeated Origen in convincing 2-0 fashion before dismantling Fnatic in the tiebreaker round. It's a team that looks formidable on paper and plays up to those expectations. The inclusion of Konstantinos "FORG1VENGRE" Tzortziou-Napoleon may be the trump card for the team's momentum and H2K Gaming seems to finally be on the same page.