2022 League of Legends Worlds Play-ins day five recap

ByFeisal Merali Hours
Fans cheering during Worlds play-ins day three

The round robin is over, meaning that Worlds play-ins day five will be the first two best-of-five series to decide the last two teams in the group stage. Since Fnatic and DRX have already made it after they finished top two in their group, it’s time for LOUD to take on DetonatioN FocusMe, and Saigon Buffalo Esports to take on the MAD Lions.

This will be their first chance for the MAD Lions to win a best-of-five series since they didn’t win one during the LEC Summer Playoffs. Will they be able to defeat Saigon Buffalo Esports, or will the youngest team in the tournament be able to be the first to knock out a team from a major region?

For LOUD and DetonatioN FocusMe, this is their chance to fight for a spot against Royal Never Give Up. Will Brazil take their first step towards playing in the group stage, or will Detonation FocusMe stop them here, sending them home early? It’s all going to be decided today.

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2022 Worlds Play-ins day five results:

MAD Lions vs Saigon Buffalo Esports:

  • MAD Lions > Saigon Buffalo Esports
  • MAD Lions < Saigon Buffalo Esports
  • MAD Lions > Saigon Buffalo Esports
  • Saigon Buffalo Esports < MAD Lions

LOUD vs DetonatioN FocusMe:

  • LOUD > DetonaioN FocusMe
  • LOUD < DetonatioN FocusMe
  • DetonatioN FocusMe > LOUD
  • LOUD < DetonatioN FocusMe

Two teams advance, and two are sent home

Saigon Buffalo take a bow after being eliminated during Worlds play-ins day five
(Credit: Chris Betancourt / Riot Games)

With every winner in a best-of-five series, there has to be a loser. Today, two more teams have had their Worlds journies ended at the Play-ins stage. For Saigon Buffalo Esports and LOUD, the bus stops here.

For Saigon Buffalo Esports, their trip to Worlds was not smooth. Alongside GAM, they had issues getting their Visas to play at Worlds in the first place, only landing a day before the first game was played, severely limiting their time to scrim other teams and prepare themselves for what was to come.

They are still a young team, and this should not be seen as a full failure, but rather a step in the right direction. They did play at MSI, so this was not their first time on the international stage, but it was the first time it was due to their own merits. They played well and grew as the stage went on. If they continue their growth, they should be a team to watch out for next year at international events.

LOUD take a bow after being eliminated during Worlds Play-ins day five
(Credit: Liu YiCun / Riot Games)

For LOUD, they also put up a good fight. Brazil as a region has grown a lot in the past two years. From RED Canids to LOUD, they have shown a lot of fight and growth for such a large region. They have firey fans and a huge player base that is bound to produce results given enough time.

The results for LOUD during Worlds Play-ins day five should fire up the fan base, not make them upset with how it all ended. The best thing to take away from this all is how far such a new organization got in only its second year of existence, and how far they can go next year as something to look forward to.

MAD Lions, on the other hand, finally won a best-of-five. After only dropping one game, they looked good. Nisqy, the LEC MVP, played well on Sylas especially, dominating his lane and seemingly never dying in team fights. The rest of the team played around him well, with solid performances coming from every part of the map. Their next series against Evil Geniuses will be one to keep your eye on.

DetonaioN FocusMe is one step away from repeating history. With their win today during Worlds Play-ins day five, they have one more series to play against Royal Never Give Up before they are sent to New York City. Can they beat the best team in play-ins? We have to wait and see.

READ MORE: 2022 League of Legends Worlds Play-ins day four recap

Worlds play-ins day five is in the books, and day six is the final day of the stage. Who will make it out? Find out tomorrow. You can find the schedule for the day at lolesports.com. You can also find all the vods from Worlds Play-ins day five here.