NRG defeated Team Liquid 3-1 on Friday in the upper-bracket quarterfinals of the League Championship Series Summer Split playoffs.
NRG advanced to face Golden Guardians in the second round, while Team Liquid dropped into the losers bracket and will square off with 100 Thieves next.
NRG opened with wins of 45 minutes and 38 minutes on red before Liquid got on the board by winning in 36 minutes on blue. NRG polished off its victory by winning in 30 minutes on red.
Cristian “Palafox” Palafox led NRG with a 26-6-35 total kills-deaths-assists ratio, while teammate Ian Victor “FBI” Huang of Australia finished with a 23-7-30.
For Team Liquid, Sean “Yeon” Sung had 14 kills, seven deaths and 20 assists, and Park “Summit” Woo-tae of South Korea finished with 14 kills, 13 deaths and 20 assists.
The first- and second-place teams headed to the upper-bracket semifinals of the double-elimination playoffs. The third- through sixth-place teams opened the playoffs in the upper-bracket quarterfinals. The seventh- and eighth-place teams entered the postseason in the lower bracket, while the ninth- and 10th-place teams were eliminated.
The top three teams in the playoffs will secure berths in the League of Legends World Championship, scheduled for Oct. 10-Nov. 19 in South Korea. The fourth-place team will head to the World Championship’s Wildcard Qualifier.
The tournament will continue Thursday with one match, Dignitas vs. TSM.
League Championship Series Summer Split prize pool
1. $100,000, berth in League of Legends World Championship
2. $50,000, berth in League of Legends World Championship
3. $30,000, berth in League of Legends World Championship
4. $20,000, berth in League of Legends World Championship’s Wildcard Qualifier
5-6. No prize money
7-8. No prize money
9. No prize money — FlyQuest
10. No prize money — Immortals
–Field Level Media