LEC: Royal Blue loses to Fnatic in the semi-finals of the LEC 2019 Summer Playoffs

The summer season 2019 of the League of Legends European Championship (LEC) is coming to an end. However, before the official final round of the LEC 2019 Summer Playoffs finals on September 8th in Athens, Greece, the six best teams of the regular season met again to compete for the finals. The Royal Blues, who finished the season in fourth place, also fought for their spot.

EU LCS 2018 Summer Playoffs

Already last year, the S04 Esports fought successfully in the finals of the former European League of Legends Championship Series (EU LCS) and met there on Fnatic. In front of 12,000 spectators in Madrid, Spain, Elias „Upset“ Lipp made his debut on Europe’s biggest stage in the summer finals of the EU LCS 2018. An overwhelming backdrop for the then18-year-olds. Lipp’s team-mates were visibly impressed by the enthusiastic audience, which cheered the teams passionately and vociferously. The miners delivered a duel on par with the alleged favorites. Ultimately, it was details that made the difference that evening. Royal Blue was an equal challenger throughout the match. The outstanding performance of the miners was accordingly recognized: The young Schalke team had indeed lost the final, yet the audience rewarded their performance with a thunderous applause.

The summer season 2019 ended for Royal Blue with eleven wins from 18 matches and thus the miners qualified successfully for the LEC 2019 Summer Playoffs. As fourth of the regular season the Royal Blue had to compete in the first round of play-offs against the French Esport organization Team Vitality (3:1). In the quarterfinals, the miners beat Rogue (3:1) and thus solved the ticket to Athens. There, Schalke met again on record champions Fnatic in the semi-finals of the LEC 2019 Summer Playoffs .

LEC 2019 Summer Playoffs

Schalke started very committed. The audience in Athens watched with delight as the miners played fearlessly but with due respect for Fnatic. However, to the disappointment of the Royal Blue, it was Fnatic, who decided the first game of the evening for themselves. The miners pressed for the equalizer. But Fnatic also managed to win the second match.

In the following encounter, the miners were trying to keep the level high, although only a few seconds passed before Fnatic surprised Schalke’s Kang-Yun „Trick“ Kim with one move and thus earned a conceivable early advantage. Royal Blue left no stone unturned to turn the tide. After about 40 minutes, the seven-time winner of the European League of Legends Championship series (EU LCS) also won the third match of the evening. With the „final whistle“ of the game it was clear: FC Schalke 04 Esports loses the semi-finals of the LEC 2019 Summer Playoffs against Fnatic. The record champion solved the final ticket and meets on G2 Esports in the finals on Sunday (8.9.).

For FC Schalke 04 Esports the season is not yet over: Royal Blue has the further chance to take part in this year’s League of Legends „Worlds“ . With a remarkable season, the team of Head Coach Dylan Falco’s team has already successfully qualified for the semi-finals of the LEC Regional Finals 2019. On Saturday (14.9.) The Royal Blues play for the last remaining ticket for the „Worlds“.