In a highly anticipated rematch of the 2023 LCS Spring Split finals, Cloud9 emerged victorious against Golden Guardians in this year’s League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational (MSI).
C9 secured a 3-1 series win, mirroring their LCS finals victory and securing their spot as the top seed from North America in last month’s tournament.
The second round of MSI featured several rematches of domestic finals, but the outcome of the LCK rematch between Gen.G and T1 was the only one that differed from their spring finals matchup. T1 reversed the result with a 3-2 win after losing 3-1 previously.
C9’s triumph over Golden Guardians harkened back to their previous encounter, particularly in game two, where Golden Guardians squandered a mid-game gold lead, reminiscent of the opening contest of the spring finals. After C9 gained momentum in the latter half of game two and took a 2-0 series lead, they maintained control throughout the remainder of the series. Despite a game three victory from the underdogs, it wasn’t enough to hinder C9 for long.
In the decisive match, C9 swiftly secured an early advantage, accumulating six kills to none by the 10-minute mark. They executed a methodical 35-minute victory without ever falling behind in gold throughout the final game.
The standout player for C9 in this series was their mid laner, Emenes, who showcased exceptional performance for the team. Emenes consistently fulfilled various roles, whether initiating team fights on champions like Annie or providing sustained frontline damage with picks like K’sante and Sylas. With a combined scoreline of 12/7/25 (5.2 KDA), Emenes played a pivotal role in C9’s success.
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