While the VIS League and Vaingloryleague Challenger Series teams may not have been able to choose their opponents, this weekend’s set of games ended up as perhaps one of the most hype Challenge Battles yet. The opportunity presented (either retaining or gaining a spot in the Vainglory8) was not lost on a single team, although some embodied this mindset more than others. Ultimately, two Vainglory8 spots from each region were earned by Challenger Series teams, with the point distribution as shown:

G2 eSports and Hollywood Hammers held tight to their spots and didn’t let go. Calamity Reborn had the most points for Europe, and should do very well in the Vainglory8; they should be able to beat any team they set their sights on as they’re extremely talented, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see top Vainglory8 teams mimic their play style. Saltypotatoes picking up a spot served as redemption for Sn3aKy, who has made his way in multiple times now. Rogue came out on top for North America and are returning to the Vainglory8; they have a solid balance of fundamental skills and will probably find themselves in the middle of the pack. While Immortals didn’t acquire the most points this weekend, don’t be surprised if they outperform everybody else in the coming weeks.

Let’s move on to more in-depth reviews of the streamed games, as well as clips of my favorite plays.



SATURDAY, July 22nd / Europe

SERIES 1 G2 eSports (6) vs Calamity Reborn (1): Going into this, G2’s only points in Split 1 had come from their stellar Week 3 performance. Their consistency was called into question, and this was the opportunity for them to prove that their victory there was more than a one time thing.

GAME 1 –



Unsurprisingly, Blackfeather was picked on side of G2 eSports in this European draft, and true to form, DarkPotato bought a luminescent blue item and set out on the CP path. First Blood went to AeOn, who capitalized on Hundor as he crept too far forward. This early-game kill was truly a sign of what was to come; what could have been a wall of power rising up to meet the other team ended up crumbling against AeOn’s relentless Petal. Ryuren was also immensely helpful as he showed no fear with his Ardan. L3oN didn’t let anyone forget that he’s one of most talented European players, supplying a shifty Kestrel to the winning team. AeOn’s expert use of Trampoline! allowed him to chase down anyone who caught his eye, as he leapt at and absolutely punished anyone that Petal and her Munions were able to lock onto. Exactly 11 minutes in, a double kill for AeOn and one for L3oN allowed them to secure their first Ace, followed by two turrets. Another massacre at 15:30 lead to a swift victory for the #1 Challenge Series team, Calamity Reborn.

~ Game 1 Hero Picks ~

G2 eSports: KeanuNakoa – captain – CATHERINE (0/3/0)

Hundor – carry – VOX (0/4/0)

DarkPotato – jungler – BLACKFEATHER (0/3/0)

Calamity Reborn: ryuren – captain – ARDAN (0/0/7)

L3oN – carry – KESTREL (4/0/4)

AeOn – jungler – PETAL (6/0/3)

GAME 2 –



In order to obtain a win, more thought had to be given by G2 eSports in this draft. They banned smartly, denying Calamity Reborn a Grace-Idris comp that could have wreaked havoc, and gave Hundor a second chance on Vox. As Calamity Reborn focused in and gave ’em hell in the first minute and a half, G2 eSports was chased back and forced to rethink things. First Blood went to ryuren, removing DarkPotato from the thick of it all as the timer struck 2 minutes. This allowed Calamity Reborn to steal the back camps and continue on to their side, and as any experienced Vainglory player knows, losing these camps early on in the game is a serious experience setback to move past. G2’s frontmost turret almost brought down the team’s first kill, but the opposing team backed off just in time. Eventually the Grace was brought down, but a triple kill in return for ryuren’s death only heightened Calamity Reborn’s momentum. They moved on to take the Ace and a turret after 11 and a half minutes, at which point only two turrets stood between them and the win. Hundor, with only the tiniest sliver of health left ended up finding a triple kill, but this wasn’t enough to turn the tides in G2’s favor. They managed to get a few more kills and unleash the Kraken, but ultimately were punished by their own aggression. Calamity Reborn annihilated their opponents, and rather than fending off the Kraken as she made her way to their last two turrets, they raced across the map and focused down the opposing turrets. They took the second game just after the 19 minute mark.

~ Game 2 Hero Picks ~

Calamity Reborn: ryuren – captain – GRACE (2/4/12)

L3oN – carry – BLACKFEATHER (8/3/8)

AeOn – jungler – PETAL (9/1/8)

G2 eSports: KeanuNakoa – captain – LYRA (1/4/6)

Hundor – carry – VOX (5/6/1)

DarkPotato – jungler – BAPTISTE (2/9/3)

OVERALL: L3oN showed up but AeOn really showed out in this series. Calamity Reborn won 2-0.



SERIES 2 Reliable Union (7) vs Saltypotatoes (2): Second in points in their respective zones, this series could have gone either way.

GAME 1 –



Ah. Not much makes me happier than seeing a Glaive pick, and Reliable Union was the team to bring him out first on stream. Grumpjaw was a questionable choice, and the double melee comp did not end up working in Reliable Union’s favor. Phinn was picked up by Saltypotatoes, and his Unstoppable perk was the perfect counter to Stuffed. First Blood at 3:35 went to ThejoKeR, and (if you believe in prophetic instances) this reflected the end of the game as well. The first intense team fight began when HFGuy swallowed Sn3aky, but his pal Samuel (ThejoKeR) helped him out with an Oblivion that sent two opponents straight to sleep. HFGuy appeared to be having some technical difficulties, and the game paused at 6:54; the Challenger Series team didn’t take advantage of him even as the game resumed and he remained still. Shortly after, Saltypotatoes locked down an Ace and nearly two turrets. Reliable Union countered with an Ace of their own, and the game appeared to even out a little bit. A couple more kills were traded back and forth as players died and respawned, and Reliable Union eventually seemed to have the upper hand. HFGuy denied Saltypotatoes another Ace, but they were still able to lock down the Gold Miner. A minute later, Saltypotatoes started the Kraken as HFGuy slinked around in the lower bushes. The beginnings of an engage called them off the Kraken, and a final team fight secured Saltypotatoes their final Ace; the game ended in favor of the super spuds within the next 30 seconds.

~ Game 1 Hero Picks ~

Reliable Union: Likhodedov – captain – LYRA (0/6/5)

HFGuy – jungler – GRUMPJAW (3/5/1)

DareDEvil – carry – GLAIVE (3/5/0)

Saltypotatoes: KLast – captain – PHINN (0/2/15)

Sn3aKy – carry – VOX (8/2/6)

ThejoKeR – jungle – SAMUEL (8/2/8)

GAME 2 –



Simply picking Phinn in the first game resulted in Saltypotatoes outdrafting Reliable Union, as they essentially shut down 1/3 of Grumpjaw’s viable victims for Stuffed. An ability that can shift the power dynamic at the onset of the engage relies heavily on its available targets. First Blood here was taken by KLast, the unlucky target being HFGuy’s Kestrel. Another two kills for the Lyra and our Saltypotatoes had put themselves in a very comfortable position, once again. Within the next couple of minutes, the first turret had been demolished, HFGuy deleted, and their back camps depleted as Saltypotatoes finished their rampage with the Gold Miner; they ended up with a 5k gold lead. Twelve minutes in and Reliable Union’s second turret had gone up in flames, they didn’t even dare try to contest as their Crystal Sentry was killed. I can’t help but give praise to Sn3aKy’s epic Glaive here. Sometimes, you just can’t get anything better than a heavily aggressive WP Glaive. A series of impressively consistent pushes brought Saltypotatoes to Reliable Union’s final turret, just as the clock showed 15 minutes; they ended the game without even a sniff at the Kraken.

~ Game 2 Hero Picks ~

Saltypotatoes: KLast – captain – LYRA (4/0/4)

Sn3aKy – carry – GLAIVE (5/0/3)

ThejoKeR – jungle – SKAARF (1/0/6)

Reliable Union: Likhodedov – captain – ARDAN (0/2/0)

HFGuy – jungler – KESTREL (0/4/0)

DareDEvil – carry – VOX (0/4/0)

OVERALL: Sn3aKy did not disappoint. AT. ALL. His aggression both in the lane and during the chase contributed hugely to Saltypotatoes’ success. Saltypotatoes won 2-0.

SERIES 3 Avalanche (8) vs Team Queso (3): I’m obsessed with queso, like actually obsessed with it, so I was beyond stoked that the team bearing this name made it so far. This was our first 3-game series, and it was filled with tension and excitement up until the last second.

GAME 1 –



Team Queso took down Reliable Union off stream, and entered this series with a couple of points already under their belt. Conversely, Avalanche lost to Calamity Reborn; both of these teams had to be feeling very differently as they entered this matchup. Up until this point, Baron was banned away every single time. Avalanche took advantage of the opening and snagged him for their first pick. Although Team Queso’s hero picks were questionable in terms of synchronicity, they were able to apply more pressure than Avalanche in the early game. The Challenger Series team appeared unfazed when they took down Phinn for the second time, and Bashn for a third time at 7 minutes. Team Queso then took advantage of their opponents’ absence and chunked the turret down to practically nothing. They eventually showed mercy on Bashn for what would have been his 6th death in order to take the Gold Miner. Despite what may have appeared as a beatdown, Avalanche was able to take away the first turret on the side of their opponents. After they shut DarkGhost00 down, they actually ended up snagging the Kraken! The game did end up turning around here for a bit thanks to DarkGhost00’s, in THIS PLAY. The opposing team was able to gain the Kraken on their side for a bit and both teams were down to their final two turrets at the 21 minute mark. Although Team Queso was up 11-2 in kills here, the power seemed evenly split. A double kill proved just how deadly WalDeMar is on that double Tyrants Monocle Baron in the late game. Avalanche unleashed the Kraken again and looked to finish the game, but failed. Team Queso then unsuccessfully tried to take down the other team near their base, and the successful retaliation by Avalanche was the extra push to seal the deal and take the game in a stormy comeback.

~ Game 1 Hero Picks ~

Avalanche: Bashn – captain – PHINN (1/9/6)

WalDeMar – carry – BARON (7/3/2)

radha – jungler – SAMUEL (1/3/6)

Team Queso: PRZ – captain – ARDAN (0/3/11)

MrKcool – carry – KESTREL (7/4/4)

DarkGhost00 – jungler – SKAARF (8/2/6)

GAME 2 –



The draft immediately looked like it ended up better for Team Queso this time around, as they snagged Baron, Lyra, and Kestrel. This being said, First Blood couldn’t be stopped for their opponents as Avalanche wiped Baron out before the 2 minute mark. Team Queso then used the Kestrel to capitalize on Avalanche’s momentary lapse in attention, and fired back with a kill. A spectacular One Shot, One Kill from DarkGhost00 right after the 5 minute mark took out radha, but Celeste’s Solar Storm revenge decimated MrKcool. As the spawning of the Kraken drew within a minute, Team Queso secured a couple kills and further catapulted themselves towards victory. They took a turret and then disengaged, as they were forced back. Avalanche didn’t give up the chase, but this persistence ended up being their demise as PRZ and DarkGhost00 secured an Ace against them. A battle for the Kraken tilted in Team Queso’s favor, and they pushed with the beast to take the game.

~ Game 2 Hero Picks ~

Team Queso: PRZ – captain – LYRA (2/0/7)

MrKcool – carry – BARON (3/5/7)

DarkGhost00 – jungler – KESTREL (10/2/1)

Avalanche: Bashn – captain – LANCE (0/5/6)

WalDeMar – carry – CELESTE (5/5/2)

radha – jungler – IDRIS (2/4/2)



GAME 3 –



This game was noticeably slower than the first two, but significantly more tense. The Baron ban came out for the first time in this series. Avalanche may have been looking for redemption with Celeste as they picked her for the second time in a row. Eight minutes in and there were still no kills, but a quick Gold Miner capture put Avalanche a bit in the lead. First Blood at 9:35 went to Team Queso, followed by a second kill and a turret. Avalanche answered shortly after by acquiring the Gold Miner again. Bashn was taken out for the first time at 17:30, followed by radha, which left a lone Glaive to guard the turret as Team Queso captured the Kraken. This allowed them to remove two turrets from the opposing team. Team Queso jumped on the Kraken again as soon as she respawned, but were distracted by Avalanche as they came out to contest it. The fight continued, and a One Shot, One Kill from DarkGhost00 ended up snagging the Kraken for Team Queso! This may have slowed their opponents, but it didn’t gain them another turret. No one was able to make anything happen for a while, until DarkGhost00 showed just how well he can play Kestrel. Team Queso could probably have raced across the map and taken the win here, but they chose to go for the Kraken again, which in turn gave Avalanche the opportunity to respawn; it comes down to an all-out fight at the Avalanche Vain Crystal. Bashn died, and although its 3v2 in Team Queso’s favor, the wildcard team didn’t want to risk it. A misstep worked in Avalanche’s favor and they went for the Kraken, fending off attempts at a steal and starting off towards the right side of the map. After 36 minutes, Avalanche takes it.

~ Game 3 Hero Picks ~

Avalanche: Bashn – captain – GRACE (0/4/2)

WalDeMar – carry – GLAIVE (3/3/1)

radha – jungler – CELESTE (1/2/3)

Team Queso: PRZ – captain – ARDAN (1/2/5)

MrKcool – carry – VOX (2/1/6)

DarkGhost00 – jungler – KESTREL (6/1/2)

OVERALL: Wow. I honestly thought that the Challenger Series team was going to take this one. Team Queso came out strong but ultimately melted under the force of the opposing team. Avalanche won 2-1.



SATURDAY, July 22nd / North America

All of these teams have experience in the Vainglory8. They’ve tasted greatness, some have lost it, and either way, three of the teams are walking out of here with it again.

SERIES 1 NRG (6) vs Immortals (1): These two teams have skills off the wall… but once Immortals sunk their teeth in, they didn’t release until they tasted sweet success.

GAME 1 –



As we saw from Europe, Baron was banned away first, in addition to Grace. First Blood went to NRG at 1:22 when an expertly placed Imperial Sigil from Bradley took out DNZio. LightningT was next to fall as he was quickly brought down by ttigers. Eleven minutes into the game, Immortals began to show what they’re truly made of as they demolished two members of the opposing team. NRG unfortunately disintegrated at the next team fight, leaving Immortals up 8-1 in kills. Right before the Kraken spawned, Immortals took the Gold Miner and looked to finish. A final fight right around the Kraken ended with Immortals snagging it, and taking the game.

~ Game 1 Hero Picks ~

NRG: Bradley – captain – LYRA (1/4/0)

juanhernandez – carry – KESTREL (0/7/1)

LightningT – jungler – SAMUEL (0/6/1)

Immortals: MaxGreen – captain – CATHERINE (3/0/11)

DNZio – carry – VOX (5/1/10)

ttigers – jungler– BAPTISTE (9/0/6)

GAME 2 –



Here, Immortals’ confidence in their comp showed in how quickly they locked everyone down. Yet, no sooner had the jungle intensified when NRG started to apply heavy pressure to the Immortals frontmost turret. An early triple kill for juanhernandez got the Ace for NRG, and they seemed to have the upper hand. This was short lived at the 13 minute mark as Immortals locked down a double kill in front of the NRG turret. NRG locked on and then backed off of the Kraken, thinking twice before they fully committed. Eighteen minutes had passed before Immortals decided to go for Kraken, and NRG’s lack of vision allowed Immortals to take it nearly to the end. LightningT sensed something was up, and a One Shot, One Kill towards the center of the map appeared to steal it; it ended up very nearly missing. NRG retreated as the Kraken and Immortals began knocking at their door. Taking a third turret, DNZio and ttigers fell, which left the Kraken to remove the final two turrets. A three turret push from this fight was definitely worth it, as Immortals had only lost one turret themselves. While they were behind in both gold (around 2k) and kills (3-6) in this game, they appeared to still be very much in control of their destiny with this one. They swiftly moved towards the opposing Vain Crystal and broke it down.

~ Game 2 Hero Picks ~

Immortals: MaxGreen – captain – FORTRESS (0/1/2)

DNZio – carry – VOX (2/2/1)

ttigers – jungler – KOSHKA (1/3/0)

NRG: Bradley – captain – BAPTISTE (1/1/3)

juanhernandez – carry – SKYE (3/0/2)

LightningT – jungler – KESTREL (2/2/3)

OVERALL: I think it’s safe to say we can expect only greater conquests from Immortals here on out. Every single player seemed to be at peak performance today. Immortals won 2-0.

SERIES 2 Echo Fox (7) vs Rogue (2): Supershottt plays a mean Kestrel, and ERWIN’s Samuel is downright terrifying, but it wasn’t enough to defend against a Rogue’s rampage.

GAME 1 –



Rogue immediately moved on Echo Fox’s jungle, and ERWIN’s spitfires were able to keep them out… for the most part. The five minute mark came and left, and still no one had really applied intense pressure. Hami was ultimately able to take out Supershottt, but his death timer was short, and he respawned quickly to rush back out to defend the turret. Rogue tried to take the Gold Miner and get things rolling, but a Spitfire from ERWIN stole it! Echo Fox jumped on Supershottt, and he ended up getting demolished by PONtheoriginal. This left ERWIN and Slayda to defend the turret. They backed off as Rogue jumped from the bushes, dove on the turret, and quickly set it to flames. Rogue lost another Gold Miner to a clever Echo Fox steal. Just before the Kraken spawned, PONtheoriginal released a From Hell’s Heart, missed, and almost went down; Rogue managed to turn it around and took two heroes and a turret. Echo Fox chased Rogue out of their side of the map, relentlessly following them to their turret. This still wasn’t enough against PONtheOriginal’s Krul. Nineteen minutes in and Echo Fox hadn’t secured a single kill yet, 0-6. Not even a minute later, Supershottt answered back with an Ace and two turrets, and they began running to the Kraken. It seemed to be in the bag for them. BUT WAIT! A Chakram from Hami stole the Kraken, and Rogue swiftly disarmed Supershottt and ERWIN. Rogue takes the game.

~ Game 1 Hero Picks ~

Echo Fox: Slayda – captain – LYRA (0/0/3)

ERWIN – jungle – SKAARF (0/3/3)

Supershottt – carry – KESTREL (3/5/0)

Rogue: eVol – captain – GRACE (0/1/6)

Hami – carry – IDRIS (6/1/2)

PONtheoriginal – jungler – KRUL (2/1/3)



GAME 2 –



Rogue began Game 2 with heavy pressure in Echo Fox’s jungle, taking their fronts and continuing to their own jungle rotation. Our first set of kills was a trade, PONtheoriginal for Supershottt, which left the teams more or less where they were before the engagement. Seven minutes in, Slayda picked Hami up in his jaws, and although Echo Fox didn’t make the kill, it was one of those prime examples showing how drastically Grumpjaw’s ultimate can change the course of a fight. As the game progressed, around 13 minutes in, Rogue began to gain a slight edge as they put on a few more kills over their opponents. As things started to heat up, Rogue looked for an ace but were unable to finish what they began, and Grumpjaw escaped with half health. The score was 3-3 but Rogue’s momentum was practically tangible. As Echo Fox fought back, they took a turret and traded two kills for two. Rogue finally secured an Ace as they caught Slayda too far out on their side. They also got the Kraken, but she didn’t make it far before falling to Echo Fox. Slayda was brought down again and his two teammates were close to death, which gave Rogue enough time and space to gain Kraken’s help again. This push ended up being the last, and Rogue takes the series.

~ Game 2 Hero Picks ~

Echo Fox: Slayda – captain – GRUMPJAW (1/3/5)

ERWIN – jungler – SAMUEL (7/2/1)

supershottt – carry – KESTREL (1/4/5)

Rogue: eVol – captain – GRACE (1/3/4)

Hami – carry – GLAIVE (2/2/4)

PONtheoriginal – jungler – CELESTE (6/4/3)

OVERALL: I’ll be keeping a very close eye on this team. Rogue won 2-0.

SERIES 3 Hollywood Hammers (8) vs Tribe Gaming (3): Who would have expected this outcome? Tribe Gaming didn’t let Hollywood Hammers win without contesting, but guys… Arkaik went in.

GAME 1 –



As a Glaive main, I sure do love me some aggressive jungling, and was waiting all day to see if this would be Status’s pick; Glaive actually ended up going to PlayboiAfro to be played in the captain role. The action began early, and the first fight put Hammers slightly behind Tribe Gaming in kills. A couple more swift executions went back and forth, and six and a half minutes in we were looking at Hollywood Hammers in the lead, 5-4. Koshka leapt onto Baron and absolutely decimated him, but got crunched by Grumpjaw shortly after. An Ace at 12:00 with an amazing double kill by Arkaik gave Hollywood Hammers the upper hand in a low-HP fight that could have gone either way. Tribe took the Kraken, caught out StartingAllOver, and removed the second turret. The fight moved to the other side of the map as Arkaik proved again how deadly that Koshka is; after being immobilized by Grumpjaw’s ultimate, the kitty girl escaped, wiped out Baron, and Hammers were able to back out without losing a single player. Status tried to apply pressure as Hollywood Hammers began the Kraken, but was knocked out quickly. MICSHE followed closely behind Status as his aggression worked against him. The Kraken put in work for Hammers as she left all but a half-life turret. Things were looking to be in Hammers favor as a final fight broke out in the middle of the map, ending in the jungle with a two player trade. Hammers rode out the momentum that they had built in the game and ended up pulling it out.

~ Game 1 Hero Picks ~

Hollywood Hammers: PlayboiAfro – captain – GLAIVE (2/4/12)

StartingAllOver – carry – IDRIS (7/8/7)

Arkaik – jungler – KOSHKA (10/3/9)

Tribe Gaming: e36 – captain – ARDAN (0/5/14)

MICSHE – carry – BARON (6/8/4)

Status – jungler – GRUMPJAW (9/6/4)



GAME 2 –



Things were strange from the get go as both final picks in the draft ended up being the captains. A one for one trade at the three minute mark was the first real bit of action in this game, and two minutes later we had our first fight in the middle of the lane. Arkaik finessed his Samuel and slew Status even as he escaped past his turret. StartingAllOver helped out next with an extremely impressive triple kill right under Tribe Gaming’s first turret. Sixteen minutes in and Tribe stealing the Kraken was a stick flying into Hammers’ wheel, halting their momentum and putting them in a dangerous place. This gave Tribe Gaming the advantage for the first time. At this point, they had three turrets, and Hammers had two; while Tribe was 5-8 and nearly 1k gold behind, things could go either way for Tribe. Status and Arkaik went down, and it was 2v2 in front of the Tribe’s base area. StartingAllOver showed how skilled he can be on that Kestrel as he deleted Micshe, who was hunting him with with the help of e36. Another fight ended with only the captains on the map. They returned to heal, let their teammates respawn, and went at it again. An Ace for Hammers at 21:00 allowed them to run down the lane and take the turrets without the help of Kraken, ending the game shortly after.

~ Game 2 Hero Picks ~

Tribe Gaming: e36 – captain – PHINN (0/4/3)

MICSHE – carry – VOX (4/5/2)

Status – jungler – CELESTE (3/4/1)

Hollywood Hammers: Playboiafro – captain – ARDAN (0/1/8)

StartingAllOver – carry – KESTREL (10/5/3)

Arkaik – jungler – SAMUEL (3/1/9)



OVERALL: I think it’s safe to say not many thought Hollywood Hammers would take it, but boy…. these guys know how to play the game. Truly an upset, who would have expected them to dominate the series in the way that they did? Full synergy was definitely achieved as this dark horse rose to the top. Hollywood Hammers won 2-0



SUNDAY, July 23rd / Europe



SERIES 1 G2 eSports (6) vs Saltypotatoes (2): G2 went down and Saltypotatoes rose up on stream yesterday, but if you thought that would have any bearing on this series… I’m sorry to tell you that you’re mistaken.

GAME 1 –



Just like we saw yesterday, Baron and Grace were banned away first here. A CP Ringo for Hundor was an interesting choice that he was fully able to stand by. First Blood before the 3 minute mark went to KeanuNakoa, which left Saltypotatoes with two players to defended their jungle. Saltypotatoes looked for an engage six minutes later as they hovered around the G2 turret, and a shaky fight resulted in two kills for the aggressors. DarkPotato returned the kills by shutting down Sn3aKy shortly after, and he managed to delete the Skaarf as well. At this point, G2 had taken out the Gold Miner a few times, and were 3k gold ahead despite having two less kills. The next fight ended in their favor as Skaarf got Stuffed by Grumpjaw; DarkPotato’s use of this skill in this game was absolutely on point. The clock showed 17:45, and G2 took the Kraken without any trouble from Saltypotatoes. If Saltypotatoes had more vision in the middle of the map, this would have turned out very differently. The Kraken made it to the last two turrets but fell after laying down one hit. A fight in front of the Kraken a bit later left only the captains on the map, and they kicked each other a bit before unhurriedly peeling away. Everyone respawned, and a massive Hellfire Brew from Hundor started another fight. This didn’t do much as Saltypotatoes returned fire and, with the triple kill from Sn3aKy under their belt, took the Kraken and pushed to the Vain Crystal, leaving G2 eSports with the barest sliver of one turret left. Despite the Kraken practically tapping the glass of the Vain Crystal, G2 took out ThejoKeR and KLast, and Sn3aKy barely escaped. G2 came close to capturing the Kraken, but the presence of Saltypotatoes made them rethink that decision. Still riding on that courage, they turned on their opponents instead. Skaarf went down, followed by Ardan, and then the Kraken. The fight led them to the jungle where they caught Saltypotatoes off guard; despite nearly reaching the Vain Crystal themselves, they fall to G2.

~ Game 1 Hero Picks ~

G2 eSports: KeanuNakoa – captain – LYRA (0/3/9)

Hundor – carry – RINGO (5/4/5)

DarkPotato – jungler – GRUMPJAW (5/4/4)

Saltypotatoes: KLast – captain – ARDAN (1/2/8)

Sn3aKy – carry – VOX (8/2/2)

ThejoKeR – jungle – SKAARF (2/6/8)



GAME 2 –



The first ban and pick were exactly the same as the first, but instead the Lyra went with Saltypotatoes and the Vox to G2 eSports. Saltypotatoes took First Blood as ThejoKeR’s dragon melted DarkPotatoe’s shady mage. Samuel did indeed get his revenge as the next kill went to him, against the Lyra. G2 fell on the turret and deleted both it and the Lyra. The aggression here felt so natural, and G2 really seemed comfortable. Right before the 15 minute mark, KLast and ThejoKeR got blasted away, leaving Sn3aKy to defend the turret; it fell, and he was forced to escape with an Afterburn. G2 eSports came out so strong and were able to finish this way; they marched to take their third Saltypotatoes turret with the Kraken at their heels. At this point, they looked to win. Thanks to the support of the Kraken they were able to do it.

~ Game 2 Hero Picks ~

Saltypotatoes: KLast – captain – LYRA (0/3/1)

Sn3aKy – carry – GLAIVE (0/0/0)

ThejoKeR – jungle – SKAARF (1/2/0)

G2 eSports: KeanuNakoa – captain – PHINN (0/0/4)

Hundor – carry – VOX (2/0/3)

DarkPotato – jungler – SAMUEL (3/1/2)



OVERALL: I would consider this one an upset. G2 eSports won 2-0.

SERIES 2 Avalanche (8) vs Saltypotatoes (2): In this matchup, the stakes were quite high: the winner was guaranteed a place in the Vainglory8, and who ever lost was out.

GAME 1 –



And who else to fight the big one than the warrior woman Rona? First Blood went to radha, who took advantage of Samuel’s squishy nature, followed shortly after by WalDeMar killing the Lyra. At the five minute mark, the kills were spread out evenly for Avalanche as Bashn did Lyra in as well. Sn3aKy hadn’t made much of a mark with Rona yet, and Glaive bested her to secure two kills for himself. Once she respawned, we were shown just how Rona does it with an Into The Fray landing on Bashn, ending in Saltypotatoes’ first kill. Sn3aKy did it again and took out WalDeMar, but his confidence resulted in him falling as well. Twelve and a half minutes in, a team fight went poorly for both; Sn3aKy was traded for WalDeMar, and the rest of the players were forced to retreat. When the score evened up a little bit, WalDeMar questionably set out to secure a kill against ThejoKeR, even as the dark wizard ran to his turret with Lyra by his side. Solar Storm nearly stole the Kraken but Saltypotatoes still took it at 18 and a half minutes. Sn3aKy’s Rona laid waste to Avalanche, and allowed Saltypotatoes to crack the Vain Crystal right after the timer struck 20 minutes.

~ Game 1 Hero Picks ~

Avalanche: Bashn – captain – GRACE (1/4/6)

WalDeMar – carry – GLAIVE (2/5/3)

radha – jungler – CELESTE (4/1/2)

Saltypotatoes: KLast – captain – LYRA (2/2/7)

Sn3aKy – carry – RONA (5/4/3)

ThejoKeR – jungle – SAMUEL (3/1/6)



GAME 2 –



There was a lot of pressure on Avalanche to pull this one out, and radha was actually able to get First Blood on the Grace. He made good use of Stuffed, munching Samuel and carrying him towards the red team’s turret before wiping him out. ThejoKeR wanted revenge though, and immediately upon his respawn came out to decimate Grumpjaw. The next fight also went the way of Saltypotatoes, who took out all but Skye and finished with the Gold Miner. Who would have guessed that within the next 15 seconds, WaldeMar would secure a triple kill and completely change the direction of the game?

As Saltypotatoes put down a few more kills of their own, things looked as if they could go either way. One more solid fight and the pendulum had definitely swung back their way. Sn3aKy ended the game with an absolutely ridiculous Blackfeather performance, and guaranteed Saltypotatoes a place in the Vainglory8.

~ Game 2 Hero Picks ~

Saltypotatoes: KLast – captain – GRACE (0/2/11)

Sn3aKy – carry – BLACKFEATHER (11/1/3)

ThejoKeR – jungle – SAMUEL (4/2/10)

Avalanche: Bashn – captain – ARDAN (0/5/2)

WalDeMar – carry – SKYE (3/4/2)

radha – jungler – GRUMPJAW (2/6/0)



OVERALL: Saltypotatoes took it all, 2-0.

SERIES 3 G2 eSports (6) vs Team Queso (3): After G2 mashed the Saltypotatoes earlier on stream, they had the opportunity to go ham on a plate of nachos here. Just like the day before, Team Queso took a series to three games, but were unable to finish.

GAME 1 –



First Blood went to Team Queso as they destroyed the yeti Joule, but she respawned quickly and made her way back out to the lane. DarkPotato locked down G2 eSport’s first kill, but not much else came out of the interaction. Just past the seven minute mark, an aggressive push from Team Queso resulted in two more kills for them and the first turret gone on the side of G2.

They managed to keep the upper hand and secure an Ace in the middle of the jungle, as they moved further into the lead. Team Queso only further applied the smack down as they deleted two more G2 eSports players and ended their rampage with the Gold Miner. The next fight supplied them with an Ace, which in turn allowed them to take the Kraken at 16:45. G2 attempted to defend but couldn’t quite pull it out, and Team Queso took Game 1.

~ Game 1 Hero Picks ~

G2 eSports: KeanuNakoa – captain – GRACE (0/3/1)

Hundor – carry – JOULE (0/6/1 )

DarkPotato – jungler – BLACKFEATHER (2/5/0)

Team Queso: PRZ – captain – LYRA (4/0/8)

MrKcool – carry – BARON (9/0/5)

DarkGhost00 – jungler – SAMUEL (1/2/12)

GAME 2 –



First Blood went to the other team this time, as G2 tried their best to not let Team Queso knock them out of the Vainglory8. The next fight almost went down in the middle of the lane, but neither team was truly prepared to commit to something like that. As Team Queso rotated down to the jungle, G2 eSports took advantage of their absence and set afire their frontmost turret. The cheesy team were having none of that as they rushed up to return the favor, easily and quickly removing G2’s turret. The even score didn’t last for long, as the next push from G2 removed Team Queso’s second turret. No sooner had they backed off and healed when G2 knocked at the door again, breaking that turret down before deciding to take the Gold Miner. Thirty seconds after the Kraken spawned, G2 found the Ace and moved towards the enemy team’s Vain Crystal, leaving one teammate to lock down the Kraken. Now it was time for an Ace from Team Queso, who shut down the Kraken right before it would have ended the game in their enemy’s favor. A final team fight in the Team Queso jungle secures G2 the Ace, and they end the game with a win. Just like yesterday, our final European series was going to end with a third game.

~ Game 2 Hero Picks ~

Team Queso: PRZ – captain – PHINN (0/5/3)

MrKcool – carry – BARON (1/4/2)

DarkGhost00 – jungler – SAMUEL (2/4/1)

G2 eSports: KeanuNakoa – captain – LYRA (0/1/10)

Hundor – carry – IDRIS (8/1/4)

DarkPotato – jungler – BLACKFEATHER (5/1/6)



GAME 3 –



G2 started off strongly in the draft of Game 3. There was quite a bit of early horseplay going on down in the jungle, but neither team was able to turn it into a kill. First Blood went to G2, from which point they would move to take a turret almost immediately. They seemed to bite off more than they could chew though, as Team Queso caught them out mid-Gold Miner and killed two, finishing the Miner themselves. G2 tried again to gain some leverage as they killed the Crystal Sentry, but hung around too long and were picked apart. Eleven minutes in and a 2 for 1 went in favor of Team Queso. A fight in front of the Kraken resulted in a trade at 18 minutes, and the teams separated from each other in G2’s bottom jungle corridor. At this point, Team Queso were up in kills, but trailed 2.5k in gold. The opponents skirted around each other but both seemed hesitant to begin anything for fear of failing; so much rested in winning this match. Team Queso took two kills and G2 eSports got one, but the three remaining players were forced to return to camp and heal up. No one was in proper shape to sequester the Kraken. Twenty-four minutes in and only one turret was gone for each team, so when G2 got the Ace with only DarkPotato remaining on the field, he rushed up to put in work on the remaining ones. Next, the double tyrants monocle Kestrel does werk in a fight that left only DarkPotato on the map. G2 started the Kraken, but Team Queso just wasn’t going to let that happen. The next fight works in G2’s favor as Hundor absolutely wrecks the other team, finishing off Lance with a perfectly placed Glimmershot. G2 eSports take Game 3.

~ Game 3 Hero Picks ~

G2 eSports: KeanuNakoa – captain – LYRA (0/4/9)

Hundor – carry – KESTREL (10/6/3)

DarkPotato – jungler – SAMUEL (3/4/9)

Team Queso: PRZ – captain – LANCE (2/5/7)

MrKcool – carry – VOX (4/4/10)

DarkGhost00 – jungler – SKAARF (8/4/5)

OVERALL: G2 eSports ended up as the only European Vainglory8 team able to make it back in. They won the series 2-1.



SUNDAY, July 23rd / North America

SERIES 1 Echo Fox (7) vs Immortals (1): This was a tense matchup that would inevitably knock Echo Fox out of the Vainglory8.

GAME 1 –



First Blood went rightfully to ttigers with an aggressive Skye play at 1:30, and he landed another one on ERWIN not even 20 seconds later. Yet, he ended up hanging around too long, and Slayda ran him into a scout trap; I guess that’s called revenge. After a quick pause, the teams got two kills each, and now not a single player had been left untouched by a kill or death. Echo Fox definitely bit off a bit more than they could chew here as the Catherine and Skaarf strayed too far into the enemy jungle, and they were picked off quickly and efficiently. MaxGreen’s strength peaked in the next push as he showed just how efficient he is on Grace. Immortals took their first turret just before 9:00. A Blast Tremor took out ttigers in the next fight, but Immortals hit back with an Ace. Two of Echo Fox’s turrets had fallen when Immortals secured the Gold Miner a minute before Kraken was to spawn. Once the 15 minute mark was reached, Immortals were up 14-5 in kills and over 5k in gold. Right before Slayda was to respawn, Immortals managed to get an Ace and the Kraken. Echo Fox picked them off one by one and killed the Kraken as she was one hit from breaking the Vain Crystal. All it took was one more Ace for Immortals and they secured the first game.

~ Game 1 Hero Picks ~

Echo Fox: Slayda – captain – CATHERINE (3/8/4)

Supershottt – carry – VOX (2/7/4)

ERWIN – jungler – SKAARF (4/7/3)

Immortals: MaxGreen – captain – GRACE (3/2/12)

DNZio – carry – IDRIS (14/2/5)

ttigers – jungler – SKYE (5/5/9)

GAME 2 –



A minute and a half in seems to be the time for first engages and First Blood; in this case, that honor went to Supershottt. MaxGreen didn’t like that; he hunted down Slayda well beyond Echo Fox’s turret and even managed to escape afterwards. There was a lot of action during the early game surrounding Echo Fox’s turret, but Immortals didn’t look to make a move on the turret itself for a while. Two more kills at the six minute mark evened the playing field for Immortals, and they looked to be building back some of that momentum from the first game. They showed no fear for turret at all as they secured an Ace, hunting down Slayda beyond it and then heading back to finish the machine off. The kill score evened out to 8-8, and the next fight gave one more to Immortals; at this point, they were very slightly ahead in both score and gold. Ttigers on this Krul was so brutal. He led Immortals to an Ace at 18 minutes, bringing them up 16-8. They took the Kraken and finished the game.

~ Game 2 Hero Picks ~

Immortals: MaxGreen – captain – ARDAN (2/3/13)

DNZio – carry – VOX (7/2/9)

ttigers – jungler – KRUL (8/3/8)

Echo Fox: Slayda – captain – CATHERINE (2/6/5)

ERWIN – jungler – SAMUEL (3/6/5)

Supershottt – carry – BARON (3/5/5)

OVERALL: This one knocks Echo Fox out of the Vainglory8. Immortals won 2-0.

SERIES 2 Hollywood Hammers (8) vs Rogue (2): After Hollywood Hammers’ performance yesterday, we were shown just how unpredictable they are. They took this team to three games but ended up falling to an over the wall Arcane Passage that sealed the deal for Rogue.

GAME 1 –



After yesterdays games, I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what Arkaik would pull out today. He spilled First Blood after catching eVoL slinking around in their jungle. Their second kill went to the turret, after Sibs missed a From Hell’s Heart. The next time he threw it out, it landed, beginning a fight that ended with an Ace for Rogue. StartingAllOver ran back out and was immediately deleted again. While they didn’t acquire a large amount of kills over the next couple of minutes, Rogue’s presence on the map seemed much more menacing than that of Hollywood Hammers. Having secured the Crystal Sentry at 15 minutes, Rogue had scout traps all over the map, and the vision allowed them to take the Kraken uncontested. The next fight ended with StartingAllOver left alone to defend the turret. Hami’s Baron really came online here, but he got too greedy as he attempted to delete Arkaik a second time; he himself got wrecked. At 19 minutes, Rogue lingered in the Hammers jungle, and the next fight went to Rogue. They secured the first game of the series within the next 45 seconds.

~ Game 1 Hero Picks ~

Hollywood Hammers: PlayboiAfro – captain – ARDAN (0/3/4)

StartingAllOver – carry – KESTREL (4/4/0)

Arkaik – jungler – SAMUEL (1/3/3)

Rogue: eVol – captain – CATHERINE (1/1/5)

Hami – carry – BARON (7/1/3)

Sibs – jungler – KRUL (2/3/4)

GAME 2 –



It looked like it was going to be Hami again on this Baron, and we just saw how that turned out for Hollywood Hammers in the previous game; not very well. This game also provided our second Fortress of the weekend, an unestablished pick that could go either way. The teams traded blows in the lane, and both captains were brought dangerously close to death. Even with his early game weakness, Hami played an extremely aggressive Baron. This ended up biting him as Hollywood Hammers found the First Blood by taking him out at the six and a half minute mark. He was brought down again two minutes later in a trade for StartingAllOver’s life. Things were relatively even at 21 minutes in until an engage in Hollywood Hammer’s jungle allowed them to pound down the Ace and ultimately end the game.

~ Game 2 Hero Picks ~

Rogue: eVol – captain – PHINN (1/2/4)

Hami – carry – BARON (2/5/1)

Sibs – jungler – KESTREL (2/2/2)

Hollywood Hammers: PlayboiAfro – captain – FORTRESS (0/3/3)

StartingAllOver – carry – IDRIS (7/1/2)

Arkaik – jungler – SAMUEL (2/1/4)

GAME 3 –



StartingAllOver brought the heat early on as he swept through and stole Rogue’s mids. First Blood came out of nowhere as Arkaik put it down on Sibs, who fell again to StartingAllOver; this allowed Hammers to sweep through the red team’s jungle. PlayboiAfro took Hollywood Hammers’ third kill. Arkaik showed us all how to play a fierce Grumpjaw, as he took a kill or more in each fight, eventually bringing Hammers to 7-0. The next fight went Rogue’s way with two kills, forcing the lone Hammers player to escape. The tides turned in Rogue’s favor next and they moved to take the Kraken. A fight at 19 minutes gave Rogue with the upper hand, in an encounter that really could have gone either way. Hammers had more kills and Rogue had taken more turrets, but this series was so up in the air at this point. Rogue deleted Arkaik and secured themselves another Kraken, and looked to secure the series. With 30 seconds left on StartingAllover’s death timer, Rogue and the Kraken make their way to the Vain Crystal. Like we’ve seen in quite a few the other games up until now, the Kraken made it within one hit of winning the game before Hammers destroyed her.

Hammers hovered around their Vain Crystal as Rogue lingered in their jungle, taking the Crystal Miner and pushing the minions in the lane before moving down again. Hammers flared over the wall and ran around, but a smart Arcane Passage from eVoL teleported every player into Hammers’ base. While they were initially in the lead, it ended up being all she wrote for our Hollywood Hammers; Rogue won the series. What a play.

This was one of my favvvorite plays, and you can find it HERE.



~ Game 3 Hero Picks _

Hollywood Hammers: Playboiafro – captain – GRACE (2/2/9)

StartingAllOver – carry – ADAGIO (3/4/6)

Arkaik – jungler – GRUMPJAW (8/4/4)

Rogue: eVol – captain – LYRA (1/2/7)

Hami – carry – VOX (7/3/3)

Sibs – jungler – (subbing for PONtheoriginal) KRUL (2/8/3)

OVERALL: Wow. What a play at the end there! Rogue’s persistence and skill allowed them to take the series 2-1.

SERIES 3 NRG (6) vs Tribe Gaming (3): They were both 0-4 going into this series, and were playing for second-to-last place. The series was unable to take place because Tribe couldn’t lock down enough players.



If you made it this far, thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time!