Great draw! Quarterfinals matchups revealed: AL faces T1, TES goes against G2! HLE and GEN clash in a fierce internal battle.

The S15 World Championship Swiss stage is fully complete, and the BO5 quarterfinal knockout rounds are about to begin. Immediately after the Swiss stage, the quarterfinal matchups were drawn. Let’s take a look at the draw outcomes!

The teams involved in the quarterfinal draw are GEN, AL, KT, G2, TES, T1, CFO, and HLE. The 3-0 teams are KT and AL, each placed in separate halves to face 3-2 teams, which include CFO, TES, and T1. The 3-1 teams are HLE, G2, and GEN. The final draw results are AL vs T1, KT vs CFO, G2 vs TES, and GEN vs HLE.

The AL vs T1 matchup is the biggest highlight because historically, LPL teams have never defeated T1 in a World Championship BO5 series. This time, however, presents the best opportunity. On one hand, T1’s form is shaky, especially after a change in their top lane weakening their strength, and their Swiss stage performance was inconsistent with many mistakes and openings given. On the other hand, AL has shown strong form at Worlds, defeating two top LCK teams, GEN and HLE, steadily advancing to the quarterfinals. Though these wins were in BO1 format, they prove AL’s capability to compete with LCK teams. AL is the team most likely to break the “LPL can’t beat T1” curse.

However, if AL fails to overcome T1 and gets eliminated in the quarterfinals, LPL’s results this year might not be very promising. TES has been struggling recently; even their win against BLG was riddled with mistakes and poor form. Moreover, TES hasn’t beaten any LCK team this year, not even a single game. So if AL also falls, LPL’s chances of reaching the final or winning the championship this year will be quite slim.

TES drawing G2 is also a favorable outcome. Among the quarterfinal opponents, G2 and CFO are considered relatively weaker teams. TES facing G2 increases their chances of advancing to the semifinals. However, G2 has never lost in the quarterfinals stage, and TES’s current form is not ideal, so the result is still uncertain. Nevertheless, having a good draw, we hope TES can use the short break to adjust well and seize this opportunity to show their true strength.

Additionally, with two LPL teams in the upper half and GEN, HLE, and KT grouped in the lower half, this is good news for LPL. There is a strong chance for LPL to get into the semifinals. Meanwhile, HLE and GEN, currently the strongest LCK teams, must eliminate one another, which weakens LCK’s overall power.

Of course, luck in the draw is one thing, but ultimately it depends on the players’ performance on the day. AL drew the seemingly weakest LCK team, and TES also got a non-LCK opponent, both favorable draws. As long as they make the most of these chances, the possibility of LPL teams reaching the final is quite high.

So, what are your thoughts on this draw? Feel free to share and discuss in the comments below.