FPX, the 2019 League of Legends Worlds Champion

Just hours ago, FunPlus Phoenix defeated G2 Esports in a dominant 3-0 finals. This is the second straight year that a Chinese team claims the Summoners’ Cup. The entire event, from opening to close, was quite the spectacle of events.

RAISE THAT TROPHY, @FPX_Esports! #Worlds2019 pic.twitter.com/D0psM2X2aL

— lolesports (@lolesports) November 10, 2019

The opening ceremony was certainly an event to behold. It opened up with a performance of Awaken, a song released at the start of the competitive year. True Damage then made their musical debut with their single, Giants.

“Giants” by True Damage [ft. @iambeckyg, @KekePalmer, SOYEON of @G_I_DLE, @DUCKWRTH, and @badboythut] #Worlds2019 pic.twitter.com/7rJzXA9bvg

— lolesports (@lolesports) November 10, 2019

Finally, a performance of this year’s Worlds song, Phoenix, and an unveiling of the Summoners’ Cup in a custom-made Louis Vuitton case led fans into Game One.

FPX mid-laner Kim “Doinb” Tae-sang found his signature Nautilus pick. G2 picked Pyke mid for Rasmus “Caps” Borregaard Winther in an attempt to match the roaming based gameplay.

However, FPX played the early-game perfectly, getting multiple picks and objectives. In mid-game, a clutch collapse in the bot lane by FPX helped take control of the game and close it out.

.@FPX_Esports catch one in the river and then a beautiful kick from Tian leads to two more kills before @G2Caps answers back with one! #Worlds2019 pic.twitter.com/XowYO9jdZx

— lolesports (@lolesports) November 10, 2019

Game Two saw G2 draft an unorthodox team composition with the hope of mechanically outplaying their opposition. While Martin “Wunder” Hansen performed well on a frequently banned Akali, the rest of G2 could not keep up with FPX.

An extended brawl around Dragon and mid-lane became unwinnable for G2. The quickest and most one-sided game of finals ended with a kill score of twenty to four.

.@G2esports look for a fight in the jungle and take down one, but @FPX_Esports collapse and get the ACE! #Worlds2019 pic.twitter.com/ZWIJJLEMYa

— lolesports (@lolesports) November 10, 2019

For G2’s last chance, they opted to try and take away key FPX champions. Their first rotation picked Nautilus and Doinb’s Ryze. And G2’s final pick was a wildcard in Veigar for Caps.

This game started off much better for G2, with the Europeans picking up first blood. The Veigar showed its worth, using Glacial Augment, allowing G2 to slow down the aggressive FPX side. Despite this, Gao “Tian” Tian-Liang and Doinb found a key flank onto G2’s carries, breaking the game wide open.

.@FPX_Esports collapse on @G2esports in the jungle and pick up three kills! #Worlds2019 pic.twitter.com/XTg6npMlWA

— lolesports (@lolesports) November 10, 2019

This was the beginning of the end for G2. FPX quickly controlled the game and choked the home squad out for a clean 3-0 finish. In just their first Worlds appearance, FPX are the world champions.

The series MVP went to Tian for his Lee Sin performance. FPX’s first pick rotation grabbed the champion for Tian in every game to great success.

Congratulations to Tian of @FPX_Esports for winning the 2019 World Championship Finals MVP Presented by @oppo! #Worlds2019 pic.twitter.com/RX6HYgMxuY

— lolesports (@lolesports) November 10, 2019

Props go to FPX’s bottom lane as well. ADC Lin “Lwx” Wei-Xiang didn’t die once in the match, and support player Liu “Crisp” Qing-Song made countless plays to save his teammates.

Lwx becomes the first player in Worlds history to not die a single time in the Finals!#Worlds2019

— LoLEsports Stats (@LoLEsportsStats) November 10, 2019

After the trophy presentation, the 2020 League of Legends World Championship was teased. Next year’s destination will be Shanghai, where China as a region will try to win on home soil to complete the three-peat victory.

We will see you next year in Shanghai for the 2020 World Championship Finals! #Worlds2020 pic.twitter.com/lLTTKIWIz6

— lolesports (@lolesports) November 10, 2019

As Worlds 2019 draws to a close, the similarities to last year’s final ring true. A Chinese team defeats a European team in a 3-0 thrashing once again. At this point, the LPL is the undisputed strongest league in League of Legends.

For FPX and Doinb, this year is the culmination of boundless hard work and discipline. He and the rest of FPX have carved out a unique style that no team could find an answer to. Whether or not picks like Nautilus mid will cause another mentality shift across professional League of Legends will soon be seen. Regardless, FunPlus Phoenix is now the best team in the world and hopes to continue their dominance in Season 10.

Written by Zakaria Almughrabi