HLE’s Disappointing Loss in the Quarterfinals of World Championship 2024
After LNG’s elimination, it was HLE’s turn, the team with a 3-0 Swiss round record, to disappoint at the World Championship 2024. Showing an incredibly destructive performance, many thought HLE would easily defeat BLG, but all they managed was a win in the first game. After that, HLE continuously made critical mistakes, allowing their opponents to seize the advantage and ultimately win convincingly with a score of 3-1.
It’s worth noting that before the quarterfinals of the World Championship 2024, LCK teams (except DK) were highly rated for their convincing performances in the Swiss round. However, HLE’s defeat has significantly diminished this confidence. On the contrary, the LPL’s spirits were lifted as BLG and WBG would meet in the semifinals, meaning this region is guaranteed to have a representative in the finals.
HLE’s Top Lane Heavily Criticized After the Loss
After HLE’s match concluded, top laner Doran was the one who faced “heavy criticism” from fans to experts. This stemmed from Doran’s poor performance in all three of HLE’s losing games, significantly contributing to this defeat. Even according to former caster LS, Doran was the one who dragged the entire HLE team down, making him reminiscent of a past “villain of LCK” named Sword from Griffin.
For those who follow the LCK regularly, they will remember the incredibly strong team named Griffin from 2018 to 2019. This team introduced a “golden generation” to the LCK with future superstars like Chovy, Viper, Lehends, Tarzan, and Doran himself. However, this team could not achieve any LCK titles and only made it to the quarterfinals of the World Championship 2019 due to Sword’s poor performances. The lawsuit between Sword and coach cvMax was also seen as a direct cause of Griffin’s decline and eventual dissolution. Therefore, for many fans, Sword is no different from a “villain of LCK”.
Fairly speaking, former caster LS may have exaggerated when comparing Doran to Sword after the recent loss. However, this also shows that this player had a terrible match and significantly contributed to HLE’s three consecutive losses and elimination from the World Championship 2024. It wouldn’t be surprising if HLE parts ways with Doran after the World Championship 2024 and seeks a higher quality top laner to pursue title aspirations next season.