After a thrilling best of 5, with all 5 games coming down to the wire, JD Gaming beat out Top Esports, the region's first seed, in the region's playoffs. League of Legends was pushed to its absolute limit, and several 40-minute-or-longer games strained the hearts of fans until JDG emerged as the victors.
Both teams will look to represent China at the League of Legends World Championship in October. They will breeze right past the play-in stage as the region's first two seeds, and start their journey in the group stage.
The Story of Playoffs so far
Although today's match was for all the marbles, this is not the first time these teams have taken each other to a deciding game 5 of League of Legends. Just last weekend, the teams faced off in the winners' semi-finals.
Top Esports fell at the final hurdle there too, falling to the losers bracket. They then defeated the world champions in Edward Gaming to reclaim their spot in the finals against JD Gaming
These playoffs in the LPL have been non-stop action. With so many incredible teams with so much talent on offer, even legendary organisations such as the MSI champions RNG fell in only round 3.
In addition, legendary players such as Rookie, Doinb, and Xiaohu are facing disappointment as they compete for the two remaining spots at the League of Legends World Championships.
League of Legends at its finest?
Top Esports came into the series strong. Their ADC Jackeylove with his Zeri on several occasions, which has performed so well this split, including a record-breaking 92k damage in a game earlier in playoffs.
Their Top Laner Wayward, subbed back in for game two onwards, also put on an incredible performance. A 5-man Gnar Ultimate won them game two almost single-handedly, and he was a rock for his team.
Despite this though, JD Gaming was too strong. Their rookie ADC Hope was the star of the series, dishing out consistent damage and simply refusing to die on his Sivir.
League of Legends fans around the world can be super excited for worlds. These two teams represent the best of the best, and watching them match up against the best of the LCK, LPL, and LCS will be a spectacle to behold.
Catch the play-ins kicking off September 29th, and to watch JD Gaming take on rival teams tune in to the group stage beginning October 7th.