EDward Gaming showed why it should be feared in the League of Legends Pro League Spring Split playoffs, taking a 3-0 sweep over Newbee in the quarterfinals on Thursday in Shanghai.
EDward Gaming made it abundantly clear from the outset of Game 1 that Newbee would have to play its style of League of Legends, beginning with AD carry Hae "Zet" Sung-min's Ezreal picking up first blood in a duo lane outplay at 10 minutes. While Newbee found scattered kills in the mid game, EDG methodically rotated around the map and sieged towers to earn a formidable gold lead. EDG then used a 22-minute Baron to run through the top lane, picking up towers and kills to solidify its lead. After a bit of a lull in the action, EDward Gaming secured a second Baron buff, and immediately pushed into Newbee's base on the back of Zet's game-high 22,900 damage dealt to give EDG a 36-minute win.
Newbee came firing back early in Game 2 as jungler Baek "Swift" Da-hoon's Rumble picked up first blood at six minutes on EDG top laner Chen "Mouse" Yu-Hao's Kennen. EDG quickly responded with a 3-for-1 teamfight win, snowballing in the mid game to a gold lead. Falling further and further behind as the game progressed, Newbee went for a hail mary teamfight at 25 minutes which ended 4-for-4 and gave NB a 26-minute Baron. Newbee threatened to keep inching back into the game with a 4-for-1 teamfight win that led to a second Baron, but Zet's Caitlyn shut things down with his game-high 42,500 damage alongside a 9/3/8 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) to keep EDG ahead. Despite falling behind early, Mouse found a way to dominate late game teamfights, dealing huge damage while setting the rest of EDG up to take a 4-for-0 fight and ensuing Game 2 win in 44 minutes.
In a do-or-die Game 3, NB mid laner Shin "Coco" Jin-yeong's Twisted Fate helped pick up a double kill at seven minutes in the bottom lane, but EDG quickly reasserted itself in the driver's seat. Taking first tower gold just a minute later, EDG put the discrepancy of macro play between itself and Newbee on full display, securing a 2,000-gold lead, a couple of towers and an Infernal Drake by the 20-minute mark. A 3-for-1 teamfight led to a 22-minute Baron for EDG, who then swatted a desperation teamfight attempt aside, turning a Newbee initiation into a 3-for-2 win. It was merely a matter of time before EDG claimed the series sweep, as mid laner Lee "Scout" ye-chan's Taliyah controlled the battlefield to great effectiveness, earning MVP honors with a 3/2/10 KDA. With clever uses of Weaver's Wall and rotations, EDward Gaming took a final extended 5-for-0 ace and closed out a convincing 3-0 sweep with a 33-minute Game 3 win.
EDward Gaming next takes to the Rift in the semifinals to face Royal Never Give Up on Saturday at 7 a.m ET. Newbee will watch the remainder of the playoffs from home after getting eliminated today.