The LCK Regional Qualifier started with DWG KIA and Liiv SANDBOX locking horns for the third seed spot at the 2022 League of Legends World Championship. While both teams gave their all, it was DWG KIA who walked away with a 3-1 victory.
Fans had been worried about DWG’s form after they had lost their final four games in the regular season of the 2022 LCK Summer Split. But it feels like they have finally got their rhythm back.
In the first game, DWG KIA outplayed SANDBOX on multiple fronts. From Nuguri shutting down Dove in the top lane to deokdam outfarming Prince, the entire team had a dominating presence on Summoner’s Rift.
They secured all the map objectives (except for the first Baron), and snowballed to bag the first game of the series.
The story flipped 180 degrees in the second game. This time, it was SANDBOX who commanded the game. Although DWG managed to gain some control back in the mid game, SANDBOX crushed all their efforts by acing them after securing the Ocean Soul.
It allowed them to bounce back and equalize the series.
But DWG was not fazed by the loss. They came back even stronger in the next game, making it a completely one-sided affair. DWG stomped SANDBOX and secured all the map objectives while the enemy only managed to secure a single kill in the entire game. Thus, the game was over within 28 minutes with DWG taking a 2-1 lead.
With their backs against the wall, SANDBOX’s approach in game four was to play safe. It was only in the 18th minute that they got the first blood in the game. But this strategy backfired as Nuguri’s Aatrox became a monstrous frontline for DWG in the late game.
With him at the helm and deokdam in the backline, DWG was able to jump at the enemy lineup in skirmishes. SANDBOX was not able to hold up against this aggression and their defenses finally crumbled down.
With this victory, DWG KIA have now confirmed their spot in Worlds 2022, becoming the third seed from the LCK.
On the other hand, Liiv SANDBOX’s journey has not yet ended. They will face the winner between KT Rolster and DRX on Sept. 3. The winner of that series will be LCK’s fourth seed.
