Sometimes, schadenfreude is the only winner of an NA LCS match. That’s certainly the case with this breathtaking series of miscues in the opening minutes of today’s Renegades vs. Dignitas League of Legends match, where the map itself scores the first four kills of the game.
In the space of a minute, two players from Dignitas misjudge a turret takedown and it kills them both as they attempt to run away. Then, to offset things, two players from Renegades lose a 2v1 against the Rift Herald.
This is not something that happens much in a pro game. Taking down a turret with teammates is a basic task, and so is killing a minion. One is a fixed fortification that can’t chase you if you run away, and the other is an AI enemy that’s about as difficult to fight as a monster in an MMO. It requires a bit of coordination with a friend, and maybe some mana for spells, but fundamentally it exists to be killed.
It was early in the game, so the weaker characters mean that small mistakes are very dangerous for players. Still, these are not the things that are meant to challenge in League of Legends, at the pro or the amateur level.
Dignitas eventually lost thanks to a sneak-attack on their base from Renegades’ Shin “Seraph” Woo Yeong, giving Renegades their second win of the season. Dignitas and Renegades are now next-to-last and last in the standings, respectively. Future historians will mark this day as “Peak NA”.
Rob Zacny is a freelance writer and esports journalist. You can reach him at zacnyr@gmail.com