Keeping the upset train rolling, Misfits defeated favorites Fnatic 3-1 on Saturday to advance to the finals of the European League of Legends Championship Series Summer Split playoffs in Paris.
This wasn't a fluke victory for Misfits. Despite the team's lone loss, this was an outright stomping.
Game 1 was just a taste of the series to come, with Misfits jungler Nubar "Maxlore" Sarafian on Zac and mid laner Tristan "PowerOfEvil" Schrage on Syndra taking absolute command of the early game. PowerOfEvil picked up three quick kills, and the two players maintained perfect kill participation for almost the entire 44-minute win.
The second game was even quicker for Misfits, this time led by the duo lane of AD carry Steven "Hans Sama" Liv on Xayah and support Lee "IgNar" Dong-geun on Blitzcrank, who found numerous kills on their own.
Misfits stumbled a bit in Game 3 thanks to a horrendous draft phase. Early picks of Gnar and Galio left the composition in desperate need of damage, but instead, Misfits tripled down on the tanks with a jungle Gragas.
Unsurprisingly, Misfits simply didn't have the power to get kills in teamfights past 20 minutes, and Fnatic took an easy win. Undeterred, Misfits was right back on track in Game 4. The underdogs controlled the game from start to finish, giving up only three deaths in the 35-minute victory.
Always considered a roster bristling with potential, Misfits failed to leave much of a mark on the regular season and finished the Summer Split with a sub-.500 record (6-7, 14-18 match record). After entering the playoffs as final seed, an early exit was expected by many analysts, despite claims from Misfits suggesting it could compete for a spot at the World Championship.
However, with a sweep of Unicorns of Love and this victory against Fnatic, the underdogs are now in position to make good on their claims. Misfits have silenced its critics as it heads into the European finals at 11 a.m. ET on Sept. 3, where it will have a shot at taking the region's first seed at Worlds.
Meanwhile, this loss forces Fnatic into the Regional Finals gauntlet, which begins at the same time.