WITH A CHANCE to further stamp their mark on both the number one seed and an upper bracket slot, both RSG Philippines and ECHO PH came in hot with their remaining matches.
Both teams have three games remaining, giving them ample opportunities to grab a foothold in the overall standings. But with their 23 points, ECHO arguably had momentum, compared to RSG’s 18 points.
But in the end, it was RSG who prevailed with a 2-1 series win, giving them 20 points overall.
Light glimmers past ECHO PH
With Dylan “Light” Catipon’s Chou, RSG was able to gain a strong lead in Game 1. His decision to aggressively invade the jungle forced ECHO to immediately respond, and when they did, Light stunned key threats, hampering the Orcas.
Due to his aggression, Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno’s Fanny was nerfed.
It was no easy task for ECHO PH as they tried to go all out, but RSG’s counterattacking setups were phenomenal.
Arvie “Aqua” Antonio’s damage outburst forced KarlTzy to retreat. Then Nathanael “Nathzz” Estrologo’s Yu Zhong to harassed the backlines, limiting Frederic Benedict “Bennyqt” Gonzales and Alston “Sanji” Pabico.
With so much zonal control, RSG cruised past Game 1.
While Game 2 saw the Raiders given a taste of their own medicine due to ECHO’s Chou pick and the extreme mobility from the Orcas, Game 3 was their bounce back moment.
RSG started strong as Jonard Cedrix “Demonkite” Caranto capitalized on his emblem build to weaken KarlTzy.
In fact, it was Demonkite who took control of the jungle matchup in Game 3, even weakening KarlTzy's grasp of the jungle objectives, especially the Lord.
But it wasn't just Demonkite who commanded the final game as the other players likewise stepped up, most notably Nathanael "Nathzz" Estrologo with his signature Esmeralda. With him hounding the backlines, RSG had so much space to work with.
Then the Raiders were blessed with a surprise factor from Arvie "Aqua" Antonio's Valentina pick. The stolen abilities was a clutch factor in most teamfights.
In the end, it was the Raiders who stood tall in the series, securing the 2-1 win.