Things reached a boiling point in the quarterfinals of OGN APEX as European teams EnVyUs and Rogue engaged in all out war. Ronnie "Talespin" DuPree, the only American, left the EnVyUs lineup and was replaced by Thai player Pongphop "Mickie" Rattanasangohod.
Mickie is an important mention in this team roster swap as he was absolutely key to understanding how in the world EnVyUs were able to upset Rogue in a 3-2 series. He played D.Va on every single map, had an almost perfect usage of her Defense Matrix to protect his team from several Pharah Barrages, and kept his teammates alive long enough to get their ultimates through safely. On both the second and third maps of King's Row and Lijiang Tower, both teams put up incredible defense and moved to sudden death maps for each.
Continuing the journey of upsets, South Korean teams Kongdoo Uncia and Lunatic-Hai occupied the final quarterfinals slot, and while everyone expected Lunatic-Hai to advance, they were cut down in their prime by rising stars Kongdoo Uncia. Kongdoo has looked better and better with each game played during APEX, and their 3-0 over Lunatic-Hai (who've been called the strongest team in South Korea for a very long time), is the proof that their journey was a success. The path to the semifinals is the fruit of their labors. Leaving it as a 3-0 sweep, however, does nothing to describe the thorny path taken, as every battle on Lijiang Tower, Numbani and Temple of Anubis was so close between the two that it could easily have been a Lunatic-Hai victory.
With these two upsets, the two teams (and the two favorites to win), that fought in the finals of the APAC Premier in Shanghai are knocked out of the tournament, and the final four teams now have a shot to claim victory. On Wednesday, Nov. 23, the first semifinals match will feature South Korean teams Afreeca Freecs Blue versus BK Stars, both coming off of hot streaks. On Friday, Nov. 25, EnVyUs and Kongdoo Uncia will also take their momentum from today in hopes of clinching a victory at the finish line.