Dark Passage’s First Trip to the World Championship
Riot·9/10/2014, 6:39:01 PM·1 votes·6,847 views
Dark Passage may be a relative unknown, but they have dominated the Turkish Region as thoroughly as SK Telecom T1 K in Champions Winter or Cloud9 in their first two NA splits. They maintained a 36-7 record in the 2014 Turkish Champions Season, including a 14-0 Summer Split, and have extended their dominance into the playoffs, with an overall playoff record of 22-5, including a 12-1 Finals record. As a result, they have taken 1st place for six splits over two years.
Dark Passage has always performed better at regional events, thanks to their spectacularly talented - but young - AD Carry. Throughout Season 3, HolyPhoenix had to sit major international tournaments out, due to age restrictions. However, Dark Passage has been untouchable in tournaments where HolyPhoenix has played, and with him officially eligible this year, they qualified for the 2014 World Championship with the momentum - and the drive - to prove themselves.
Crystal has been described as an extremely serious player, earning the nickname “no smiles, just kills,” and is known for shutting down the enemy jungler with control picks like Nunu and Lee Sin. His first showing for Dark Passage was in the 2014 Turkish Champions Winter League, where DP took down Crystal’s ex-team 3-0 in the finals. From there, they would continue their dominant sweep all the way to the International Wildcard Qualifier at Gamescom 2014.
Passport issues prevented their support, TrieLBaenRe, from joining them at the Wild Card Qualifiers, and so they brought in Touch. However, this change did not slow DP down, and they dominated the Qualifier 6-1, easily securing their spot at the 2014 World Championship.
After two years of regional dominance but international ineligibility, Dark Passage will be looking to make a point at the 2014 World Championship - they, and their region, are not to be underestimated.
A Free Pass to Victory
Dark Passage struggled to maintain a consistent roster prior to Season 3, and only Naru remains from their original lineup. Their first tournament yielded a lackluster fourth place, and they made a host of roster changes. Most notably, they added HolyPhoenix, who would go on to be known as the best AD Carry in the region. From then on, Dark Passage was the team to beat. They took home first place at the 2013 Winter, Spring, and Summer seasons of Turkey’s competitive league, with an overall playoff record of 9-2 against their main competition, HWA Gaming. This performance even earned them a trip to Dreamhack Summer 2013, where they lost in the amateur tournament finals to the Copenhagen Wolves. That blip aside, they went on to win the 2013 Turkish Championship, completing their full sweep of Turkey’s 2013 Season.Smouldering Potential
However, HolyPhoenix’s age reared its head, and with a substitute AD Carry, Dark Passage failed to qualify for the 2013 World Championship with a disappointing 2-5 showing. They tried to rebound for the 2013 WCG Cyber Games, but China and Korea dominated the bracket, with World Elite, CJ Entus Blaze, and OMG taking the top 3 spots. Dark Passage won every game they played but for those against OMG and CJ Blaze, but found themselves out after the quarterfinals.Rising from the Ashes
HolyPhoenix coming of age reinvigorated the team. They had remained dominant in the Turkish scene for the entire 2013 Season, and focused their eyes on the 2014 World Championship. First came the roster swaps. They replaced their support, and picked up Crystal, an extremely aggressive jungler who had previously played for their primary rivals: HWA Gaming.
Crystal has been described as an extremely serious player, earning the nickname “no smiles, just kills,” and is known for shutting down the enemy jungler with control picks like Nunu and Lee Sin. His first showing for Dark Passage was in the 2014 Turkish Champions Winter League, where DP took down Crystal’s ex-team 3-0 in the finals. From there, they would continue their dominant sweep all the way to the International Wildcard Qualifier at Gamescom 2014.
Passport issues prevented their support, TrieLBaenRe, from joining them at the Wild Card Qualifiers, and so they brought in Touch. However, this change did not slow DP down, and they dominated the Qualifier 6-1, easily securing their spot at the 2014 World Championship.
After two years of regional dominance but international ineligibility, Dark Passage will be looking to make a point at the 2014 World Championship - they, and their region, are not to be underestimated.
