Is there anything better than a reverse sweep?
Watching a team get pushed to edge of destruction, mere moments away from defeat. Then seeing them come back to absolutely destroy the opponents who just had them on the ropes.
For Fnatic fans, we’re probably describing their nightmares after LoL Worlds 2020. Whether they left you in tears or had you screaming at your monitor for more, we’re taking a look at the ultimate comeback.
These are the Top 5 reverse sweeps in esports.
Number 5: Top Esports vs Fnatic
To start us off, we have Top Esports taking down Fnatic in the first ever reverse sweep in the history of the League of Legends World Championship. Top came back in stunning fashion from a 2-0 deficit to win the series 3-2, but there was more at stake here than just a ticket to the semifinals. This was China against Europe, a pairing that almost always ends in European defeat. And this series was Fnatic’s chance at revenge on Top Esports’ Jackeylove, who embarrassed them in the 2018 Worlds Finals with a 3-0 sweep in his rookie season.
Going into Game three, Rekkles and Fnatic were on the verge of securing vengeance for their team and their region. But the losses in the first two games and the relentless attacks woke JackeyLove up. He went on to brutally remind Fnatic of why he was named world champion two years prior.
Top Esports won the final three games, each one faster than the last. They practically speedran game five to snuff out the last bit of hope left for Fnatic and their fans. Top were one of the two big favorites at Worlds, and if Fnatic had sent them home in the quarterfinals, they would’ve found revenge and made a statement for the entire European region. Instead, Top reversed the series, marking yet another time where China brutally eliminated Europe from an international event.
Number 4: Team Nigma Defies Odds
For number four on this list, we have Team Nigma stealing away a Dota2 grand finals victory from Team Secret in the WePlay! Tug of War Series Finale, Mad Moon. Team Secret had just come off a first place finish in the DreamLeague Season 13 Major a month before. Nigma, on the other hand, had just come off a less than stellar 9th-12th finish at that same event.
Before they found themselves in this finals match, Nigma and Secret met at the beginning of the tournament’s playoff stage, with Team Secret taking the set and knocking Nigma into the lower bracket. One more match loss, and their tournament would be over, but Nigma battled through the competition to secure a rematch for the $130,000 first place prize.
With the first two games of the best-of-five won by Secret and the upper bracket results still fresh in fans’ minds, the finals felt all but over by game 3. It was now or never for Nigma. And somehow, they found their footing and won games three and four, bringing the series to one final sudden death game five. In a rare grand finals reverse sweep, Nigma overcame the juggernaut that was Team Secret, who were far and away the best team in Dota in 2020.
Number 3: Na’Vi Gets Reverse Swept Twice
For number three on our list for top five reverse sweeps in esports, we may or may not be cheating. But we have two entirely separate reverse sweeps sharing a spot on the list. Because you see, both Astralis and Vitality reverse swept Natus Vincere less than two months apart from each other. Ouch.
Astralis started things off by taking Na’vi down in the ESL Pro League Season 12 grand finals in what was a nearly six hour long series. Na’vi almost took the whole thing with a clean 3-0 sweep too, holding a 12-6 lead in what would’ve been the final game if they had closed it out. But, since you’re watching the above video, you know that’s not what happened.
But of course, tying the series at 2-2 was not enough for the Danes. They came for the title. For Vitality, the win against Na’Vi was a much needed victory after losing four straight finals in the last half year leading up to their reverse sweep at IEM Beijing. And the first two games of the grand finals made it seem almost destined to happen again, with convincing victories for Na’vi. But ZywOo and company had other plans in mind.
Twice in just 50 days, Na’vi were reverse swept in the Grand Finals of big-name tournaments, and both Astralis and Vitality ended their own dry spells to make it happen.
Watch more great videos like this one on Upcomer’s YouTube page.
More Upcomer videos:
The Top 5 VCT Masters 2 Plays That Made Us Lose Our F@!king Minds
The Top 5 CRAZIEST Plays from MSI 2021
The Rise and Fall of CLG — The Slow Death of NA League of Legends’ Fallen Kings
Trending
