Royal Road: Path to the Finals

The 2016 World Championship comes to its final showdown as the reigning champs, SK Telecom T1, readies to enter the Rift against their final challenger: Samsung Galaxy. Relive the Knockout Stage to see the road each team traveled.

Quarterfinals

The historic Chicago Theatre ushered in the 2016 World Championship Quarterfinals participants with raucous cheers. A tumultuous Group Stage saw local favorites eliminated from the competition as Korea's entire contingent advanced. They were joined by two Chinese teams, a hot European squad, just one American team, and an unlikely International Wildcard. There was much clamor over this being the most competitive tournament yet, but the teams at the top had different ideas.

Samsung Galaxy vs. Cloud9 [ 3 - 0 ]

Samsung Galaxy fell to irrelevancy when their team scattered after winning the 2014 World Championship. Now, in 2016, the faces are entirely different. Instead of stars and dominant MVP candidates, it is a collection of fledglings. But they do have Ambition -- one of the LCK's longest tenured veterans. They also have one of the LCK's newest rising stars in Crown. With him, they could lay claim to the cup. They earned their spot at the World Championship in stunning fashion, knocking off LCK powerhouse KT Rolster in the Korean Regional Qualifier.

Then they crushed their group -- pegged as the "group of death" -- easily besting traditional powerhouses TSM and Royal Never Give Up. Their emergence was thanks in large part to imposing play from solo laners Crown and CuVee. On the other side, Cloud9 -- North America's last hope -- received massive fan support, which rocked the Chicago Theater. Their spirits soared. But that was as much noise as their side would make all series. C9 was consumed the way matter collapses when caught by a black hole. SSG's 3-0 rout was a merciless declaration to the world that they weren't just Korea's other team.

"The words "top die" popped into my head a lot when I was killing [Impact]"

— Sungjin "CuVee" Lee

Read more:

• Top Dead: SSG advance to the Semifinals
• Group D Takeaway
• King Me -- Meet SSG Crown
• Worlds Top 20 - #19 Crown
• C9 jungler Meteos on SSG jungler Ambition

SSG Crown escapes a gank and snags a 1v3 kill.

"I don't want to be on the same level [as Faker]. I want to be higher."

— Minho "Crown" Lee

SK Telecom T1 vs. Royal Never Give Up [ 3 - 1 ]

Led by Faker, Korea's SK Telecom T1 broke the "Champions' curse" by becoming the first World Champion to secure a return trip to the following year's tournament. A back-to-back title isn't just unprecedented -- nobody has ever even come close. SKT showed championship poise as they made short work of their group to set up this legendary matchup.

Their Quarterfinals opponent, Royal Never Give Up, had three players with immense international experience in former champions Mata and Looper, as well as two-time Worlds Finalist Uzi. In all, the Rift would feature six names etched into the Summoner's Cup (Faker, Bengi, Bang, Wolf, Looper, and Mata). RNG got the best of SKT in the first game -- their players displayed their individual prowess and snowballed into a victory. But SKT regrouped and showed off their teamwork, coordination, and patience. They held the RNG aggression at the castle gate -- the battering ram no more than a twig tossed at the SKT defense. It became all too clear they would not easily relinquish their throne.

"We won our first tournament back in LA in 2013, and I know there is a lot of expectations for us to win this tournament. I'll make sure to live up to it."

—Seongung "Bengi" Bae

Read more:

• SKT returns to Semifinals
• Group B Takeaway
• SKT Bengi shakes off the cobwebs
• Carry Mentality -- Doublelift and Uzi talk ADCs
• Worlds Top 20 - #15 Mata, #13 Looper, #11 Uzi, #10 Duke, #6 Bang, and #2 Faker
• The Young Man in the Red Jacket

[[{"fid":"23556","view_mode":"centered","fields":{"format":"centered","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/centered/public/rox_1.jpg%3Fitok%3D8_ktsi_r","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-centered","height":"675","width":"992"}}]]

ROX Tigers vs. Edward Gaming [ 3 - 1 ]

ROX had just won their first LCK split after finishing second to SKT in tournament after tournament for the last year, and it seemed they were finally ready to live up to the reputation of being the world's best. The little cubs had matured into fearsome tigers -- a testament to the strength of new jungler Peanut. And though they eventually secured the top seed from their group, it wasn't without stumbles. Both ROX and Edward Gaming were stunned by International Wildcards in Groups.

EDG in particular was fraught with problems -- both on and off the Rift. They finished second in a group they were supposed to easily sweep, but before they had a chance to reconvene and assess what went wrong, a tragic personal emergency forced their top laner, Mouse, to withdraw from competition. The Tigers pounced all over EDG's woes -- it was an unceremonious ending for a team that had gone undefeated in China's LPL Summer Split. For ROX, though, their sights were aimed at SKT from the start. Their biggest rival -- the one team they couldn't beat -- again stood between them and the Summoner's Cup.   

"We know [SKT] are strong, but this year -- we are the monster."

—Kyungho "Smeb" Song

Read more:

• Can ROX take down SKT in the Semifinals?
• Group A Takeaway
• INTZtant classic: The strategy behind Brazil's victory over EDG
• EDG bounces back
• Worlds Top 20 - #12 Meiko, #9 PraY, #7 GorillA, #5 Peanut, #4 Clearlove, #3 Deft, and #1 Smeb
• Zero to hero: The transformation of the world's greatest top laner

[[{"fid":"23555","view_mode":"centered","fields":{"format":"centered","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/centered/public/h2k_1_0.jpg%3Fitok%3D9FvZGvdu","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-centered","height":"661","width":"992"}}]]

H2K vs. Albus NoX Luna [ 3 - 0 ]

An injury to H2K's starting ADC, Freeze, forced them to mend their relationship with FORG1VEN -- a controversial figure with immense in-game talent. The reunion saw them rise and contend with Europe's best to ultimately qualify for the World Championship. They then became Europe's only team to prevail in the Group Stage -- thanks particularly to strong lane phase performances -- to set up an unlikely matchup against Albus NoX Luna. ANX was the first International Wildcard team to make it to the Quarterfinals and immediately became a fan favorite. Unorthodox picks and strategies -- especially from support player Likkrit -- allowed them to defeat even the likes of the ROX Tigers in the Group Stage.

But their aggression was quickly tempered at the hands of H2K, who would crush them in a clean 3-0 sweep. The win secured a Semifinals appearance for Europe again, who have managed that feat in five out of the six World Championships. H2K joined the three Korean teams in the Semifinals to try to prove that the perceived skill gulf between Korea and the World was not so large.

Read more:

• H2K rounds out the final four
• Group C Takeaway
• The Luck of the Draw: H2K vs. ANX
• An Interactive Look at the Greatest Upset in History
• Because I'm FORG1VEN

Semifinals

When the fog lifted, four teams rose from Chicago. Any doubt that Korea was still home to the best League of Legends teams in the world was again silenced. The doubters will rise again -- as they do year after year -- and the Korean squads will happily await them. All four of the No. 1 seeds from the Group Stage crushed their opponents to meet in New York's Madison Square Garden. On one side of the bracket were two teams each riding a seven game win streak in H2K and Samsung Galaxy. And on the other -- a 2015 Finals rematch between the ROX Tigers and the defending champs, SK Telecom T1.

SK Telecom T1 vs. ROX Tigers [ 3 - 2 ]

In the Hollywood version of this matchup, the ROX Tigers are the hungry challenger. They are meant to be the relatable underdog. This entire season was their montage -- top laner Smeb captured the MVP award in both the LCK Spring and Summer Split. Then the Tigers won the Summer Split -- and finally, they stood at the top. But to win that title, they didn't have to beat SKT to get there -- this thought weighed over them until they were given a chance to lift that burden from their back.

And they would -- at Madison Square Garden -- in the heart of Manhattan. They pushed SKT to the concrete with some of the flashiest plays in Worlds history, and up 2-1, the crowd roared behind them. But this wasn't the Hollywood version of this matchup. This was Faker's version. And SKT rallied behind him to first stem the Tigers' tide. And then, in the decisive fifth and final game, they stopped ROX for good. And if this challenge from the Tigers wasn't enough, then what what would it take to dethrone the king?

Read more:

• SKT wins in a Semifinals for the ages
• Passion and Perfection: ROX and SKT set to collide
• Legends Rising Season 2: Smeb Tease
• Semifinals Match Goes The Distance

Despite their loss, ROX Pray's cross map arrow may be the play of the tournament so far.

"There's a part of me that strongly believes that, from all of [my past] results, that I really need to win the World Championship this year."

—Jong In "Pray" Kim

[[{"fid":"23559","view_mode":"centered","fields":{"format":"centered","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/centered/public/skt_1_1.jpg%3Fitok%3D3NSHBVkc","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-centered","height":"661","width":"992"}}]]

H2K vs. Samsung Galaxy [ 0 - 3 ]

Samsung Galaxy's journey is exactly the type of run every fan of every fringe team dreams of -- every team that's caught just outside of Worlds looking in. Every team perpetually in fourth or fifth -- just once, you wish they'd knock off one of the favorites. And here was Samsung Galaxy -- a squad that helped knock off American favorite TSM in Groups, and then endured boos in Chicago before downing C9. Even fans of the LCK wished it was KT Rolster who were there instead of them. But SSG kept winning. All the way to the Semifinals.

Against them was H2K, who'd yet to face a Korean team, and like everyone else before them, they unraveled. A decisive sweep showcased the major difference between Korea and the world. It wasn't individual mechanics or the drive to win. H2K had that. It was -- simply put -- a matter of understanding how to win. SSG stretched their win streak to 10 games. In any other year, they might be the favorite. But this year -- they face a foe looking to string together not just wins, but championships.

Read more:

• Galactic Sweep: SSG flies into the Finals
• FORG1VEN: "Like it or not, I am a very polarizing figure" 
• SSG sweeps H2K to secure spot in Finals

Finals

Three years after capturing the Summoner's Cup in Los Angeles' Staples Center, SK Telecom T1 returns seeking to relive the moment. Their thrilling five game set against the ROX Tigers had the feel of a Finals, yes, but it wasn't the Finals. SKT needs to keep focus. Their challenger this time is Samsung Galaxy -- a win for them would mean the last four years have alternated between the two organizations. SSG rides the greatest win streak in Worlds history. SKT, though, is still the clear favorite. With Faker at the helm, Samsung Galaxy will need more than just their best if they want to win. They'll need to evolve into something beyond Faker. Something that can slay the Unkillable Demon King. 

"If I feel my condition is good, then I'm fine against anybody. I don't tremble. I have no fear."

—Sanghyeok "Faker" Lee

Tune in Oct. 29 at 4:30 pm PT. Will SKT snap the SSG win streak and repeat as champions or will SSG put an end to this dynasty? Let us know below and tweet #sktwin or #ssgwin @lolesports.