Cloud9 vs. 100 Thieves 7/12/20 - 2020 LCS Summer Split

Any time Cloud9 spawn on the Summoner’s Rift, those who tune in are not left indifferent. They’re so staggeringly dominant at this point in time, it doesn’t even make sense. There’s no second-best team in North America right now — it’s just Cloud9 on top, with a couple of challengers fighting for what’s left underneath. It’s a privileged position, that’s for sure, and they’ve earned it through incredible team play and awe-inspiring flexibility.

There’s just nothing you can fault them for, other than a few overaggressive blunders here and there. It is as if they hail from an entirely different part of the world, maybe the LPL or LEC — they’re that good.

Opposite them, however, we have a team that is nigh impossible to read right now: 100 Thieves. Now, if you’ve watched their games over the last couple of weeks, you’d probably think they’re one of the worst teams in the region — a fairly correct take, more or less. But even though they’re inherently flawed and lack the potential to leave much of a mark, they’ve been putting in the hours and have improved tenfold over the last two weeks or so. Their game against FlyQuest yesterday was an absolute masterclass, and for a brief moment in time, they actually looked like a very competitive, middle-of-the-pack contender. Heck, we might be cutting them a bit too short here — they looked fantastic, in no small part because of their rule-bending, awe-inspiring top laner. Unfortunately, this miniscule amount of momentum won’t be sustainable as they’ll have their hands full against the most capable and dominant champion in LCS history.

The odds are stacked against 100 Thieves and there’s a very good reason why that’s the case. Still, if their recent level of play is any indication, they won’t go down without a fight, and they might even make this into a somewhat competitive affair, should they start off on the right foot. Regardless, Cloud9 is the better team in every way, shape, and form.