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The League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) Summer 2024 lower bracket semi-final saw Cloud9 face off against 100 Thieves for a coveted spot at Worlds 2024.
Cloud9, after a tough 3-1 loss to FlyQuest, found themselves in the lower bracket, while 100 Thieves rebounded from their defeat to Team Liquid by edging out Dignitas in a closely contested series.
The match began with 100 Thieves drawing first blood, outclassing Cloud9 to take a 1-0 lead.
However, Cloud9 quickly responded to even the series at 1-1 heading into the third game.
Game 3 was a struggle for Cloud9, especially with Joseph “Jojopyun” Pyun on LeBlanc, as 100 Thieves took the lead again, going up 2-1.
In the final game, Cloud9 appeared lost, leading to a 1-3 series defeat and their elimination from the LCS Summer 2024, marking a heartbreaking miss at Worlds for the once-dominant team.
The victory for 100 Thieves secured their spot at Worlds 2024 and propelled them to the LCS Summer 2024 lower final, where they will face FlyQuest for a place in the grand final.
100 Thieves qualify for Worlds and #LCS Championship weekend 🏆#100WIN pic.twitter.com/FDWmLrmFmW
— LCS (@LCSOfficial) September 1, 2024
This win was particularly special for rookie player Rayan “Sniper” Shoura, who gave a shoutout to his brother and his family following the match.
Sniper, in his first year in the LCS, is now set to showcase his skills on the LoL Worlds stage, expressing his excitement to face T1’s Choi “Zeus” Woo-je.
Cloud9’s elimination is a significant upset in the LCS, especially given their consistent presence at Worlds for over a decade.
Despite a strong Summer Split, their hopes for redemption were shattered by 100 Thieves, who delivered standout performances, particularly from Lim “Quid” Hyeon-seung and Frank “Tomo” Lam.
Reflecting on the series, Quid remarked that 100 Thieves outplayed Cloud9 in terms of macro, even in their one loss.
100 Thieves’ journey to Worlds is a remarkable turnaround after a difficult summer split, where they suffered four consecutive losses.
Many had written them off, but after a critical win over Dignitas in the playoffs, they found their rhythm.
Support star Bill “Eyla” Nguyen credited the team’s mid-season work for their resurgence, which ultimately led to their victory over Cloud9.
As 100 Thieves prepares to take on FlyQuest, Cloud9 is left to reflect on what went wrong this season.
With changes already made before summer, including the departure of Coach Alfonso “Mithy” Aguirre Rodríguez and veteran top laner Ibrahim “Fudge” Allami, it’s unclear what the future holds for the team as they face their second-ever miss at Worlds.
Meanwhile, 100 Thieves will aim to continue their momentum, hoping to challenge Team Liquid’s undefeated Summer Split in the grand final.
