League of Legends news » Wildcards snatch another win

It’s a fluke. They were underestimated. Over-aggressive. These are the excuses that flood discussions when an International Wildcard team pulls off an upset. The floods this year, though -- they are more frequent. And more violent.

On Day 1 of Worlds when Albus NoX Luna stormed out to an early lead against the ROX Tigers, fans and pundits thought it was cute -- like a feisty cat taking its free shots against the Tigers. Maybe it was nerves. Maybe ANX was a little better than credited. But their performance was quickly shrugged off.

And then INTZ stunned EDG. Suddenly, people took notice of the International Wildcard as more than just a nod to the breadth of League of Legends.

Counter Logic Gaming entered Day 3 with the chance to go up 2-0 in the group and secure a winning record for the first weekend. ANX, though, was seen as a trap game. CLG is famous for boneheaded losses, and losses to Wildcard teams wouldn’t be anything new for them. And again, they have found themselves on the wrong end of a Wildcard team.

ANX played a poke composition to perfection thanks to wild plays on Tahm Kench from their support, Kirill “Likkrit” Malofeev. He was everywhere on the map as he seemed to use his ultimate the second it was off cooldown. And for Likkrit, this win wasn’t a fluke -- he even expected it.

“People still think Wildcard regions are nothing,” he says. “But as for my team? My team is a team full of all-star players in our region. We literally can’t take anybody else to improve. So don’t underestimate the Wildcard region. Wildcard regions can do well. And if our friends Dark Passage were here, they would show you the same stuff we did.”

The International Wildcard Qualifier took place last month and featured an array of teams from non-major regions across the World. Likkrit thinks the level of competition between the IWCQ’s top teams is comparable to the level at Worlds.

He says, “The thing is that actually, if we didn’t get ROX Tigers in our group, it wouldn’t be harder than the IWCQ at its best. This Wildcard was spoiled because DP came in with two subs. But even with two subs, they got top four. If they came in at their best shape, we would have had four teams which could contend at Worlds.”

He wished they could have proved it against ROX, though, saying, “I was really upset about the loss. We could have actually won. People would have known a team from Wildcard that was supposed to be the No. 16 seed could win against the [perceived] No. 1.”

The journey to their upset is remarkable, though. While every other region traveled to Korea to bootcamp, ANX simply didn’t have the same luxury. Based on comments made by their fellow Wildcard competitor INTZ, even if they’d made it there, acquiring scrims would have been difficult -- if not impossible.

He laughs and says, “Thank you to INTZ e-Sports for being our scrim partners since June.

“No one wants to play with us. People think Wildcard regions are weak and that wins like these only happen because of Best of 1 or teams being over aggressive or underprepared. No, they are not. We are winning because we deserve it."

He continued, "If you get a lead like we did against ROX Tigers, but in one moment they just outclass you -- you lose. Versus CLG, everyone could see that we are actually teams of the same level. People don’t scrim us but we don’t care because you can improve not only as players but as people -- as teammates.”

The World Championship is a massive opportunity for a lot of teams. For some, it’s about trying to redeem their past failures. They aim to meet their expectations. But all of them -- from the top of the Korean pantheon to the new international challengers -- are there to justify the year’s work.

And for ANX, it’s not a life of luxury. Likkrit says, “In terms of money, we’re not supposed to be here. Even for the Wildcard region, we are extremely poor. It’s better than it used to be. We don’t need help, but we just need attention. I can’t even explain how poor our region is.”

However, he says Russians, like Americans, value winners. So their success is sure to turn the heads of larger organizations that’ve looked elsewhere for investment. And while they might not have the same amount of fans as some of their more established international counterparts, they’ve still got the ones that matter.

“The biggest fans of me are my grandmothers,” he says. “They really watch our games -- they don’t actually understand a lot, but they just root for me. And it’s a really big deal because you know, your family being behind you is like -- it’s hard to explain how important it is -- but everyone who has ever had problems with his team supporting him will understand me. Family is everything.”

That he was able to stand on stage and address millions of spectators is a far cry from where Likkrit spent the majority of the year. But it must have been a special moment for his home and his family. Just as it was special for the numerous players who dare to dream of standing on the greatest League of Legends stage in the world. But the moment was special for another reason -- that he opened the interview with an apology for his manners in the loss to ROX Tigers says everything about his demeanor. Everything about who he is as a person.

There’s a saying in Russia, he says, "If you want to know what a person is truly like, you have to see them go through three obstacles: fire, water, and fame. Fame is the hardest thing to overcome. Sometimes people forget that they are people. Not just characters who are famous. You always need to remain a person -- you aren’t special. Yes, I won. Yes, millions of people watched me win against CLG, but I’m just a person. Just like anyone else.”