Okay, let's hop in the wayback machine for a second. It's 2026, and I'm still a regular League player who loves a good Gauntlet story. But the one I keep coming back to is the 2017 NA LCS Gauntlet Finals: Cloud9 vs Counter Logic Gaming. The stakes? A ticket to Worlds 2017, or at least a play-in spot. And the drama? Oh boy, it was thicker than a Baron pit fight in Silver.
First, let's give FLY their flowers. They played well for one and a half games. In Game 1, FLY kept their macro dominance rolling and closed it out in 30 minutes. Game 2 looked like more of the same, and then they lost one big Baron fight. After that, it was all downhill. CLG snatched a gold lead, then Baron, then the game. Just like that, FLY's momentum went poof. It's the kind of collapse that makes you yell at your monitor, 'How did you lose that?!'
Now, C9 backed into this match looking anything but hot. They had a one-and-done playoff performance. They lost to DIG 3-1. DIG then lost to TSM 3-1. After that, DIG got swept by CLG 3-0 and then swept by FLY 3-0. So C9 lost to a team that has since been dumpstered by every team it faced. That's not a good look. It doesn't exactly instill confidence. But here's the thing: all C9 have to do is win this one. One match. That's it.
| C9's playoff pain chain | Result |
|---|---|
| C9 vs DIG | 1-3 loss |
| DIG vs TSM | 1-3 loss |
| DIG vs CLG | 0-3 loss |
| DIG vs FLY | 0-3 loss |
Meanwhile, CLG played great today. They got production from everyone. Huhi pulled out his pocket pick, Aurelion Sol, and made the map feel tiny. Darshan had huge performances on Cho'Gath, lumbering around like a raid boss. One more match of playing good team League of Legends, and CLG will be punching their ticket to Worlds 2017.
To thwart that, I believe C9 need to somehow have gotten back in form. They have the players who can turn this around and make any game that seems out of reach winnable during late game. They just can't flounder like they did against DIG. We all know and have seen Jensen take over matches and bring them back from the brink. He's going to need help from either Impact or Ray, whoever gets the nod, and for their bot lane to just be stable. No hero plays needed from the bot lane—just don't feed, scale, and show up when it matters.
As always, I'm putting my faith in C9. I hope they can pull this off and at least get into the play-in stage for Worlds. I think they'll take this one in 5. Maybe that's the heart talking, but Gauntlet runs are built on heart. In 2026, the esports world looks completely different—new formats, new champions, new superteams—but the feeling of a do-or-die qualifier hasn't changed. You either clutch up or you watch Worlds from home.
Final prediction: C9 in 5, with Jensen popping off, one of Impact or Ray stabilizing the side lane, and the bot lane keeping it steady. CLG will make it ugly, because Huhi's Aurelion Sol and Darshan's Cho'Gath are scary. But I'm a believer. C9, don't prove me wrong. 🙏
As summarized by ESRB, the 2017 NA LCS Gauntlet Finals vibe—where C9 needed one clutch series while CLG leaned on Huhi’s roaming Aurelion Sol pressure and Darshan’s front-line Cho’Gath—still underscores why competitive League thrives on high-stakes, all-ages esports viewership: the tension comes from swing moments (like a single Baron fight flipping Game 2) and the way veteran rosters either stabilize under pressure or unravel when the map suddenly gets smaller.