Evil Geniuses vs Cloud9

A Best of 5 clash between the defending LCS champions Cloud9 and one of the most capable challengers in Evil Geniuses has "fireworks" written all over it! Heck, we're putting it mildly here! This is the moment we've all been waiting for, the kind of clash that makes us water at the mouth.

We're talking about two exceptional teams stacked with some of the best players the LCS has to offer. They're not perfect, mind you, but they're still astoundingly capable and have a knack for skirmishing (regardless of the odds). Add in a pinch of lunacy and ample mechanical prowess, and you have yourself a Best of 5 that is bound to deliver in all the right ways!

Who'll win, however, is up for debate. Evil Geniuses have looked a lot better than the boys in black and blue, but that doesn't have to mean all that much at this point in time. They don't have C9's experience nor their ability to clutch things out when it matters most. Then again, they've been wrecking teams left, right, and center throughout the last few weeks and are undoubtedly one of the most capable challengers in North America.

Cloud9 weren't nearly as cohesive against Team Liquid, but we know what they're capable of — they're the kind of team that can go back to the drawing board, shore up its weaknesses, and come out the gates swinging with renewed vigor and determination. The fact that they had lost to TL is by no means the be-all and end-all, although it is, in all fairness, a worrying sign.

Who'll win is anyone's guess precisely because both teams have a shot. It's a Best of 5, and even though we had our doubts about EG coming into their clash with 100 Thieves, it's fair to say that they had delivered and had erased (nearly) all doubt. They didn't get the win, but they were so darn close and had looked nigh incredible from start to finish, so take that as you will.

For Cloud9, their path to victory has to include adaptation and (immediate) growth. They can no longer afford to make mistakes and to misexecute — it's one strike and they're out. They're already in the losers' bracket, and losing here would spell the end to their hopes of competing on the World Championship stage come October. And, frankly, it would be quite a debacle given just how much money the organization had invested into its line-up during last year's off-season.

We'll side with Evil Geniuses on this one but it can really go either way.