Smurfing, do you know that expression? That feeling? When you play with your friends who have just started the game for the first time and you're rolling over all your opponents like a Challenger titillating some Bronze players? This was probably the feeling of the Europeans yesterday on the first day of the Rift Rivals.
For those who may have forgotten it because of the release of the best game mode of all time, the Rift Rivals — Europe's annual face-to-face match against America — began last night. The old continent crushed its long-standing opponents in the first four matches of the competition to a point where it is legitimate to ask if the tournament should not be stopped now. Just to avoid any more humiliation evenings.
The old-fashioned way
The evening begins with a show match of the veterans. A delicious mix of casters / former players now converted streamers or structure owners. To represent EU, Ocelote is a figurehead with his old-fashioned scarf, in duo with Deficio on the bot, as a symbol of the final of the LEC Spring Split. On the midlane, xPeke, the backdoor master — who will not be able to turn it upside down this time at Ocelote — and the six general stars of the toplane, Youngbuck. To complete this brilliant quartet, Medic, LEC caster. It must be said, his Jarvan was stinging our eyes. He and the Fnatic coach offered us a lesson on how to ruin a game. 2/18 for the duo. We're not going to spread out over this game, it was a stomp.
At the same time, NA cheated. They had Dyrus at his best.
The "serious" games began just after this show match. Well, "serious" is a big word. The four clashes of the day were more like a public humiliation than League of Legends matches between two so-called major regions. Maybe Europe simply has too much tryhard. Caps didn't do anything crazy at level 1 and all three teams played with the sidelanes. This is too much for America, which is only just beginning to discover the usefulness of the other two lines. Come on, let's give credit to Team Liquid who gave a hard time to Fnatic who were playing Dan in the jungle for the first time. And then, when you arrive on stage with Avengers jerseys, it's a good thing you don't get stomped in 20 minutes. As they say, in movies, "good guys" always get beaten up at first. We will see what happens tonight and Saturday.
Aram God
We will still notice America's double victory in the 2v2 ! A single line, snowballs, care, they are in their element on the Howling Abyss. It's hard to take them to their playground. Let's be sportsmanlike: NA won the show match as well as both 2v2s, so we're on a cumulative score of 4-3 favoring EU for the moment.
The Rift Rivals resume tonight at 9pm with five games. Five chances for America to seek their first victory or for Europe to consolidate its supremacy.
The third iteration of Rift Rivals 2019 has kicked off on June, 27. This year, NA was crushed by the EU region. Sadly, Americans can't deny that this year again EU > NA.
