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Chinese powerhouse EDward Gaming took down Invictus Gaming in a five-game series during the League of Legends Pro League Summer Split Group A semifinals on Friday in Shanghai.
The series was important for both teams outside of just these playoffs; both of the LPL giants are clamoring for Championship Points in order to qualify for the World Championships in September. After a disappointing Spring Split that resulted in no points, the onus was on Invictus Gaming to pull off a surprise win, while EDward Gaming managed to muster a bit more leverage for qualification and entered the series with 50.
Top-seeded EDward Gaming came out of the gates hot to take Game 1 in convincing fashion, leading viewers to expect a quick 3-0 sweep. About halfway through Game 2, though, Invictus Gaming seemed to gain poise, and it utilized smart macro play to teamfight its way to a comeback.
From that point forward, the series was officially on, with each team grappling for momentum.
EDward Gaming regained the advantage in Game 3 by surviving a nail-biting first 20 minutes thanks yet again to superior teamfighting prowess, particularly during a winning ace near the 31-minute mark. Invictus Gaming would simply not give up, however, as absolutely blitzed through EDG and won Game 4 in a blink-and-you-missed-it 23 minutes.
After absolutely mauling its opponent in Game 4, it looked as if Invictus Gaming had the advantage heading into the pivotal final contest of the series. But much like in Games 1 and 3, EDG jumped out to an early lead and controlled the pace of the contest. The favorites again put their teamfighting advantage to good use and earned a spot in the LPL Finals at 4 a.m. ET on Sept. 1, where EDG will face Royal Never Give Up. Invictus will face Team WE at 4 a.m. ET on Saturday in the third-place series.