paiN Gaming's historic journey at Worlds 2024, the League of Legends world championship, ended this Monday (7), after a 2-0 defeat to Team Liquid. The match, held at the Riot Games Arena in Berlin, marked the Brazilian team's third defeat in the Swiss phase of the competition. Before this setback, paiN had already lost to G2 Esports and T1, consolidating their elimination from the tournament.
- Silent Hill 2 and Dragon Ball Sparking Zero are highlights of the week's releases
- eSports Brazil Awards reveal this year's nominees
In the first game of the series, paiN Gaming struggled from the start, being forced to adopt a defensive posture. Despite managing to capitalize on some execution errors by Team Liquid, the North American team's strategic dominance was evident. The standout player of the match was Liquid's ADC, Yeon, who finished with an impressive 9/0/3 score, securing the victory for his team in the first major fight, which put the team ahead in the series.
paiN Gaming's performance in the second game
In the second match, paiN demonstrated a more competitive performance, managing to balance the game in the first few minutes. The Brazilian team staged good mid-game battles, with an effective combination of Orianna and Nocturne, resulting in important victories in objective fights. In this phase, paiN managed to secure six kills and even won a teamfight at the Herald without losing any players, rekindling the fans' hopes.
However, at the decisive moment, Team Liquid managed to reorganize and capitalize on a strategic flank by their midlaner, APA. This move resulted in a clean ACE against paiN, turning the game in Liquid's favor and sealing the Brazilian team's fate at Worlds. Team Liquid demonstrated total map control, nullifying paiN's attempts to impose their rhythm and finishing the series with another victory.
Decisive mistakes and Team Liquid's dominance
paiN Gaming's elimination can also be attributed to some moments of hesitation in key decisions. Although they had good moments, such as controlling fights and securing kills, the team couldn't maintain the consistency needed to reverse Liquid's advantage. The North American team's tactical dominance and precision prevailed, forcing paiN to play reactively for most of the series.
In the final minutes of the second game, Team Liquid consolidated their advantage with a decisive fight at the 36-minute mark, eliminating four paiN players and securing a 2-0 victory in the series. With this, the Brazilian team was officially eliminated from Worlds 2024, while Team Liquid advances in the competition, still seeking a spot in the knockout stages.
The future of paiN Gaming and the impact of their elimination
With paiN Gaming's elimination, the Brazilian organization now needs to evaluate its performance and set new goals for the future. Despite the defeats, the team demonstrated that it has the potential to compete at a high level, especially in the moments when it managed to balance matches against strong opponents.
paiN Gaming's participation in Worlds 2024 also reinforces the importance of international experience for the Brazilian esports scene. The lessons learned from matches against elite teams, such as G2 Esports, T1, and Team Liquid, will certainly contribute to the organization's growth and improvement in future championships.
In contrast, Team Liquid remains in contention in the tournament, seeking to solidify its place among the top eight teams that will advance to the playoffs. The competition continues intensely, with high expectations surrounding the next stages of Worlds 2024.
