In the grand scheme of things both of these teams are extremely fresh to the scene and yet are making impressive showings. The core of GGU has been together for a while now, but with their recent acquisition of Shiphtur mid and I am anjo as support, some people were wary to trust the new line-up. Additionally, Dirtnap Gaming has not spent much time together, however they do sport an impressive roster of well-known high-ELO players.

Game 1:

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GGU comes out swinging and shows that they have a plan this game: get Vayne fed. In order to accomplish this they swap top/bot lanes, but unfortunately this lands Katarina in a 2v1 lane and she ends up losing their bot tower at 6 minutes. With the lane swap seemingly backfiring, DNG swaps their lanes to match GGU and eventually pushes top outer down with a near miss on a 20hp Nunu.

With the game slowly rolling out of control, GGU decides to wrest control of it back from DNG and full on runs at DNG while they are sieged up to GGU's mid inner turret. The fight does end in GGU's favour as they trade Shen and Katarina for Graves/Lulu/Nocturne, but with everyone remaining's health being less than 10% it just goes to show how even these teams are.

After some turret trading back and forth GGU heads to Baron to begin the time-honoured Baron dance with DNG. They are stopped short of it, however, when Kassadin riftwalks over a wall directly into all 5 members of GGU, allowing GGU to take a swift kill and Baron. With the Baron GGU manages to secure 2 more towers, but not much else as DNG constantly disengages from them.

The final act of this tournament was at the next Baron, where it's presence prevented DNG from going bot to clear it and allowing a massive wave to stack up against them. As GGU took a clean Baron, DNG found themselves caught on the other side of the Baron pit, with GGU between the team and home. GGU charges bottom and manages to take the inhibitor tower down easily with the huge wave of minions. DNG backs and panic-initiates onto GGU and loses 4 members and the game in the fight.

Winner: GoodGame University

Game 2:

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With an incredibly slow and measured start to this game, the only real point of note is that at 7 minutes Akali has twice the farm of Olaf, as she has been effectively zoning him out. Around when the top laners hit 6, Akali dives for Olaf but DNG's Mao'kai is there to answer the kill back on to Akali after she killed Olaf. Now for future reference, I'm naming this particular play "Pulling a Zion".

Now around the same time GGU's Orianna roams bottom to attempt a dive onto DNG's bot lane, but Graves' Barrier spell manages to bait GGU out too hard and he ends up getting a triple kill on Orianna and the opposing bot lane. A few minutes later, Akali pulls a zion and dies to a Mao'kai gank after engaging on Shen. Shortly after Akali pulls another Zion. And after that, another Zion (no I'm not kidding he actually did not learn his lesson).

DNG decides to finally act on this advantage they have built up and take top outer, mid outer, and the dragon successively. Akali then pulls a Zion. With Olaf and Mao'kai already top, they decide to push and manage to dive GGU's Shen and Orianna with the help of Kayle, picking up Orianna.

Some time later, DNG pushes up bot and notices Akali is top. This allows them to dive bot and pick up an eventual ace and the bot inner turret while only losing two of their members. With the lead obviously in their favour DNG takes a clean Baron and walks up mid lane. Olaf manages to scare GGU off their turret and secures their first inhibitor, and a nexus turret. When they come back after buying DNG makes short work of GGU and the rest of their base, giving them the win.

Winner: Dirtnap Gaming

Game 3:

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Feeling confident in their last game DNG picks the exact same line-up for game 3. However this round GGU are prepared. Leading in with a bot/top swap for GGU, DNG aims to capitalize on this and ganks it early. Mao and Olaf do eventually prove to be too much for the support Lulu, but they neglect to realize they fed Twitch an early double kill.

Later on a good gank by Cho'gath bot lane nets GGU a kill, which allows Cho'gath to get early Boots of Mobility which he uses to secure another gank on a level 5 Kayle caught in river. Cho'gath takes charge and secures another kill on Graves shortly after. As DNG had swapped their lanes to match GGU, a 2v2 between the bot lanes top ends in a kill for GGU as the fastest Cho'Gath alive comes sprinting in for the assist, and GGU take DNG's top inner turret at 10 minutes.

After this event, however, GGU slows the pace of the game down considerably, taking safe objectives like Dragons and towers. GGU attempts a Baron as they head into the late game, and manage to catch on to Olaf and Mao'Kai, which lets them take the Baron clean. After they base GGU positions outside top inhibitor tower and engages huge on to DNG, but it's just a ploy to get them off the tower so GGU can take top inhibitor.

With a slow and steady style not typical of GGU, they force down mid-inhibitor and then siege up bot lane. When GGU sees graves defending his nexus turrets it's their queue to get in there and finish this game. And with an Anivia pentakill, what a finish it was. GG to GGU, and good luck in LCS and Season 3!

Winner: GoodGame University