Rogue's 3-0 quarterfinal upset victory over playoff contenders Splyce on Friday sent shockwaves through the LEC. As Splyce's nexus gave way for the third and final time, excitement overcame the underdogs.
The players were excited for good reason: they had showcased excellent macro play, controlled team fights, skirmished from beginning to end, and forced mistakes from a usually vigilant Splyce -- a team known for its slow and steady approach. Rogue put Splyce under pressure; unlike their opponents, they had nothing to lose.
"Honestly, no one expected us to win, so it felt like we were fighting without any pressure," Rogue AD carry Paweł "Woolite" Pruski said. "That was really good for us, you could see a different Rogue. We just played like on scrims."
"[Splyce] played too safe -- [more] than usual," Rogue jungler Kacper "Inspired" Słoma added after noting Splyce's lack of early-game aggression. "We weren't really better [individually], but we were better as a team -- on the shot-calling of the game, on our plan of the game."
Before the quarterfinals, Inspired knew how even the best teams can have terrible days. Indeed, five months prior, Rogue's academy squad narrowly won the Ultraliga Season 1 finals against the weaker devils.one 3-2. Like Splyce, they were heavy favourites to win the tournament, better than their opponents in every position. A series loss would have reflected poorly upon them.
"We had VandeR, who was in the finals of the LEC [in 2018, playing] in the Polish league," Woolite said. "We had to cope with the pressure that we had to win everything [there]."
In the end, the academy players qualified for the European Masters, the top European tournament outside of the LEC. Despite their group stage exit, the Rogue's management took note of their performance.The academy team's performance contrasted with that of the main team, which finished last in the LEC spring split with a poor 2-16 record -- the two victories a by-product of short impressive stints from two academy players, top laner Finn Wiestål and veteran support Oskar "VandeR" Bogdan. In the end, management promoted them to the LEC.
This time around, the players could no longer rely on their mechanics to make the difference as was the case in Ultraliga. Their competitors were now equal to them, if not better. As such, they had to develop a playstyle and adapt to the LEC stage. The pressure was on, especially for mid laner Emil "Larssen" Larsson and Inspired, who hadn't played at the top level in 2019.
As the team's inexperience showed in botched team fights and miscalculations, so did their potential. During the regular season, Finn, Inspired, Larssen, Woolite and VandeR stood as equals against opponents outside of the top two teams G2 Esports and Splyce. At times, fun debates emerged in the community regarding their ability to beat North America's Team SoloMid -- a "very easy" matchup and one that Woolite and Inspired agreed they would win "eight times out of 10."
At the time, the playoffs were not a goal. The team wanted to evolve first. Intense practice often included new picks, new macro objectives, and how to sacrifice one's position for victory's sake.
"We were making sure that we were taking things step by step, game by game," Woolite said. "We thought 'let's play our best in this game, leave our hearts out on the stage, and play with no regrets.' People went out of their comfort zones, and I'm happy for that."
Although they were in dire straits on Week 6, following defeats to Team Vitality and Excel Esports, with playoff hopes fading, Rogue got their second wind and would not shy away from taking risks -- a key to pushing their boundaries.
"You have to get used to the stage," Inspired said. "It takes some games. You need to play [as] you do in scrims. Before, I was really shy on-stage and didn't want to take any risks. Today, I think I overcame that."
Much as Inspired did, Rogue overcame the odds thanks to the reassuring presence of their veteran players, bot lane partners VandeR and Woolite. Whenever doubt creeped into their rookie teammates' minds, they brought their focus back into the game, reminding them of the next play, or the next step in their plan.
With the younger players fully focused when things go south on their end, Rogue weren't as vulnerable. Indeed, the veterans' leadership by example has also influenced the rookies to do their part when they were struggling.
"If one of us has a bad game, the other one will carry," Woolite said. "That's how a good team should work: if you only have one good role and play around it every time, you will get exposed really fast."
Eventually, Rogue became the dark horse in the LEC, knocking favourites out of contention left and right. On Week 9 of the regular season, Origen paid the price and crashed out of the playoff race. In the quarterfinals, Splyce followed suit against all expectations.
Full speed ahead, Rogue have spotted their next target, Schalke 04. Stakes extend beyond an Athens trip for a chance to win the LEC summer crown: the winning team may contend for a World Championship spot should they fail to win the crown. As for the loser, their season will end then and there.
"We won't be scared of anything," Woolite said. "I think we have the mental advantage already."