In a highly anticipated matchup to kick off the 2024 LCS Spring Split, Cloud9 delivered a statement victory over the defending champions, NRG. North American Mid Laner Joseph Joon “Jojopyun” Pyun made a memorable debut, earning his first Player of the Game award.
While Cloud9 seemed to pick up where they left off, NRG appeared flat and out of sync, failing to live up to the expectations set by their championship title.
Standard draft, unconventional results
Both teams opted for a relatively standard draft with little innovation. However, the real surprise came in the bottom lane where Cloud9’s duo, playing into Lucian and Milio, managed to secure an early advantage, taking turret plates much to the disbelief of onlookers, including Yiliang “Peter” “Doublelift” Peng, who provided commentary for the game.
With solo advantages secured by Ibrahim “Fudge” Allami and Jojopyun in their respective lanes, Robert “Blaber” Huang could claim the first set of Void Grubs uncontested. It wasn’t until the ten-minute mark that the first blood was drawn, with Cristian “Palafox” Palafox’s positional mistake allowing Cloud9 to secure an easy kill on Jojopyun.
As the dust settled from the first blood, NRG’s Contractz and the bottom lane swiftly retaliated by taking down Cloud9’s support, Philippe “VULCAN” Laflamme, evening the score. In the ensuing exchange, Jojopyun managed to secure a second kill, this time onto Ian Victor “FBI” Huang, setting Azir’s snowball in motion.
Despite losing the initial Infernal Dragon, Cloud9 maintained control over the map, systematically securing outer turrets thanks to their earlier advantage with the Void Grubs. With outer turrets down, they also dominated the Dragon Pit and the Rift Herald, effectively bleeding NRG dry of resources.
Cloud9’s commanding lead
As the game approached the 20-minute mark, Cloud9 had amassed a substantial gold lead of nearly 4,000. NRG seemed powerless against Cloud9’s aggression, watching helplessly as their chances of victory dwindled.
The turning point came at 21:31 when the FBI’s overextension allowed Cloud9 to capitalize. Vulcan’s flash and Nautilus ultimately quickly led to the FBI’s demise. Cloud9 seized the opportunity to secure the Baron, and despite Contractz’s best efforts, NRG couldn’t prevent the buff from slipping through their fingers.
However, a game-breaking bug disrupted the proceedings, causing a lengthy pause in the action. The game was halted for a remarkable time, exceeding the in-game timer itself. Despite this unexpected setback, Cloud9 remained composed and resumed play without letting the extended break affect their performance.
