Although edging towards a decade old at this point, the MOBA League of Legends is still arguably the most popular competitive esport in the world and this year's World Championships showed exactly why. It might not have the biggest prize pool, but it has the numbers and it has the skillsets and that in turn brings drama. At the pinnacle of the sport, at the game's highest level of play, Samsung Galaxy managed to upset three-time World Champions SK Telecom 1 to become this year's winners.
The story of the 2017 World Championships might not have seemed that different to long-time casual fans of the game. Although the mid-tier of teams changed rosters and tactics once again, the top teams in the world were once against dominated early by SK Telecom. It stomped through earlier rounds, defeating some teams so emphatically that they disbanded following their losses.
As poetically as it could be though, the only team to ever stop SKT in its tracks, Samsung Galaxy, was the team they would have to face in the final and it was a battle for the ages. After looking like an unbeatable super team, SK Telecom was made to look decidedly mortal under the onslaught of an offensive laid down by Samsung Galaxy. Dominated across game after game, the final score was 3-0 to Samsung Galaxy. It was only in the third where SKT looked even remotely competitive and even then it was a short-lived advantage.
For those who love League, this year's World Championships was one of the best in recent memory, with drama from top to bottom across the card and a massive upset to finish up the tournament. The futures of many players and indeed some of the best teams in the world now remain uncertain, but it sets the stage well for the regional tournaments and championships next season.
Did any of you watch the finals live? Were you shocked by the outcome like so many others were?
Image Source: EsportsWiki
