Yesterday, April 29, the elimination match of the LCK Summer 2020 Promotion Round between SANDBOX Gaming and Griffin took place. Beyond fans’ expectations, SB achieved an easy 2-0 victory over GRF.
For Griffin, this match was the last chance to cling to hopes of staying in the LCK. However, the team continued to show a weak performance, poor strategy, and disorganization, quickly succumbing to defeat in the fateful Bo3 matchup.
With the loss to SANDBOX, Griffin has officially taken the relegation ticket, ending their impressive journey of 4 seasons in the LCK. In the 2 years of participating in the biggest tournament of League of Legends in Korea, the bird team has finished as runners-up 3 times and made one appearance at the World Championship.
Faced with this reality, Tarzan – the brightest star of GRF could not hold back tears and broke down crying right after the match ended.
The reality is that Griffin’s relegation is certainly a big shock for the fans of this team. From being a competitive championship team, GRF has shattered too quickly after a series of backstage scandals.
Coach cvMax, Chovy, Lehends, and Doran have all left, leaving a lifeless Griffin, and Viper’s efforts have not been enough to help this team “survive”. Tarzan himself has also had an underperforming season, but given Griffin’s current state, it’s hard to blame any individual.
The more we talk about Griffin, the more reasons we have to lament, as this team once represented the rise of a generation of young, talented players that League of Legends in Korea possesses. However, three consecutive failures in the finals have prevented these young stars from reaching the heights that their predecessors achieved.
After Griffin’s relegation, names like Viper and Tarzan will certainly be highly attractive transfer targets for LCK teams, but this also means that the GRF roster will continue to disband, and likely, the name Griffin will only be a thing of the past for LCK fans.