Esports will have you on the edge of your seat. Whether streaming or attending a live event, one thing that is sure to be a part of any professional level match is the suspense. And while suspense is regular, there is usually a favorite to win. The action really starts happening when one of these favorites is upset by an underdog. Whether it’s a fast-paced Tekkan battle or a group matchup in Overwatch or League of Legends, the elation and the heartbreak are just as impactful. eSports upsets are a language understood around the world.
Join us to relive some of the best upsets in eSports. This is one time you’ll want take the long odds on sites such as Mobilebet.
AHQ vs EDG
Season 4 of the World League of Legends championship brought otherwise known EDward Gaming (EDG) to battle with ahq eSports club (AHQ). Called a David and Goliath matchup, EDG was the favorite by far. The groups were drawn with Samsung White, EDG, AHQ and wild card team Dark Passage, expecting EDG to battle for first with Samsung while the rest hung far behind. It was a division with heavyweights, or giants.
In addition to being the favored team, EDG’s star player Namei was considered one of the top in the world. This star status is what helped cause the great upset, as AHQ player Greentea managed a perfectly timed hook in Game 3 to take down Namei. This hook caused a cascade of of trouble as a failed rescue attempt took down 3 more EDG players, allowing the AHQ team to rush for the Nexus with all five players while the rest of EDG respawned.
This loss may have been an incredible upset, but it didn’t keep the team down for long, coming back to win a tiebreaker for second place in that same tournment. An admirable comeback despite an important misstep.
London Spitfire vs Philadelphia Fusion
The underdogs won out in this inaugural championship. In the first Overwatch League Championship (OWL) was supposed to be the apex of a perfect season, favoring either the New York Excelsior or the Los Angeles Valiant. Instead, the London Spitfire climbed from the bottom to overtake team after team, culminating in a championship win over the Philidelphia Fusion. Founded in 2017, the Overwatch is one of two professional teams based in Europe and one of the original 12 founding teams in a league that was otherwise favored much of North America. While based in a league named for London, these once underdogs have even more surprises, fielding a team currently comprised entirely of South Koreans and led by coach Hong “Agape” Cheol-yong.
This lengthy journey to the top may be the end of that tournament, but it’s only the beginning for this talented team. They soon hope to be directly based out of their London namesake city.
Kim “JDCR” Hyunjin Evo 2019
Widely considered the best Tekkan player of recent times, JDCR is an esports athlete that is expected to win. At least, that’s what the odds said at the Las Vegas 2019 Evolution Championship games, where Tekkan battles played a prominent role. Instead of racking up the usual winnings, something just went wrong as JDCR went down again and again. The first hallmark loss was to Takehiko “Take” Abe, where the Armor King just couldn’t take down Kazumi losing 2-0. Falling to the losers bracket wasn’t the end for this tournament, as the next battle with Daichi “Nobi” Nakayama of Japan at times looked close to redemption, but instead, JDCR fell again with the wrong choice of punish to lose the match.
While this upset is not dedicated to one simple match, a legend like JDCR missing from the winners bracket is incredibly unexpected. Definitely don’t expect this to happen again.
Esports has its ups and downs, even for time-tested and seasoned professionals. When trying to predict a winner, you can explore their record, watch their gameplay, analyze team members and solo squads. Training and leadership definitely matter, as does skill and talent — but even that isn’t a guarantee. No matter what the game, the only thing we can truly expect is the unexpected.
And that’s what makes eSport so great. It’s anyone’s game
