In the third stage of the LPL group stage, following over a month of battles, the advancing teams from the Summit and Phoenix groups have been confirmed. On the previous matchday, LNG was shut out 2-0 by EDG in their final game. With just 2 points, they couldn’t equal UP’s score, so UP moved on to the Knights’ Path. Hence, the four teams advancing from the Phoenix group and their order are NIP, EDG, LGD, and UP, respectively.

On the same day, another match in the Summit group featured AL versus JDG, a fierce battle for playoff spots. AL only needed to win one game to secure their place in the playoffs. The result was never in doubt as AL swept JDG 2-0, securing their eighth victory of the stage. This BO3 was one-sided, with JDG completely outplayed, and in the second game, they even set a new low by falling behind by over 20,000 gold in a single match.

Let’s review the match: in the first game’s early phase, both teams played cautiously and farmed peacefully. At 14 minutes, a team fight broke out over the dragon, where JDG scored a 4-for-0 exchange, gaining a strong early advantage. However, as the game progressed, JDG lost team fights repeatedly, allowing AL to extend their gold lead and methodically push down JDG’s base. The second game was a complete domination by AL from start to finish.

At 3 minutes, JDG’s top laner was solo killed, and a jungle skirmish resulted in Xun giving away a kill. By 15 minutes, JDG trailed by 5,000 gold. Subsequent team fights were consistently lost by JDG. The game ended at 27 minutes with AL leading by a staggering 20,000 gold. Such a gold deficit has never been seen in the Summit group before. JDG’s current form is extremely poor; even TES would struggle to lead by 20,000 gold within 30 minutes against TT.

Before the bottom lane phase even ended, the game had already collapsed. Peyz was clearly frustrated, initially intending to take over for Knight but instead facing a team in disarray. Scout’s performance in this stage sharply declined, giving the impression he was deliberately underperforming. After the match, the two Korean carries seemed to have exploded: Scout flew home alone, Peyz took a taxi and then a high-speed train, while the remaining three teammates rode back with the club’s vehicle.

With five players going home in three different ways, it seems there are indeed internal conflicts within the team. After this season, they will likely go their separate ways. JDG currently ranks sixth in the Summit group. If they cannot surpass WBG soon, their Knights' Path opponent will be LGD. Given their current state, except for UP, JDG doesn’t look stable against any team. They need to win one or two more games to try overtaking WBG, but it will be quite difficult.

From a galactic battleship to a roadside team in the Summit group, JDG’s performance this season is totally inconsistent with their investment. Blue Lotus probably regrets snatching players from LNG. The most absurd part is that JDG prepaid Scout’s salary to keep him, meaning next season the mid laner will likely still be Scout, as the junior player can’t afford the salary and must continue playing for JDG until his contract ends.

It’s certain that Peyz won’t stay with JDG after this season. Continuing alongside Scout would likely ruin his reputation. It would be better for him to return to the LCK and team up with BDD, possibly helping KT challenge the World Championship. After a whole season of trying to gel, JDG’s performance remains poor. Honestly, the World Championship is already out of reach for them; making the playoffs would already be a success.

In conclusion:

JDG’s last two matches are both against WBG. If they win both, they can claim fifth place in the Summit group. The recent form of these two teams is honestly quite close, and the matches are entertaining. However, personally, I think WBG has a better chance of winning because although they are timid, their teamwork is better than JDG’s.

So, what do you think? Can JDG make it to the playoffs?

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