Invictus Gaming vs ahq e-Sports Club

For our third match of the day we have a really interesting match-up between the Chinese third seed -- the defending World Champions -- Invictus Gaming, and LMS' second seed ahq Esports Club. Now, quite frankly, this isn't a must watch. If you skip this game you're definitely not going to regret it much, but then again, it has quite a fair bit of potential, considering the meta and just how aggressive and mechanically gifted these two regions are. (China especially)

If there's one reason why you should tune in, however, it has to be because of Invictus Gaming. The way they plowed through all opposition back a year ago was awe-inspiring. There wasn't a team on face of the planet that could match their individual mechanical prowess and in-game aggression. They absolutely obliterated anyone put in front of them. While they weren't always perfect in execution, they got the job done when it mattered the most.

Now, their 2019 wasn't exactly a dominant year. To say the least. The fact that they're entering Worlds as China's third seed tells you all you need to know, frankly. But the things that made them great, the virtues that allowed them to win the World Championship never went away. They might not be as evident or as strong as they were a year ago, but they're still present. That kind of skill and talent doesn't go away in a year's time.

And that's the one thing that everyone is wondering about. Will Invictus Gaming step up, now that's it's do or die? Will they defend their throne, or will they succumb to the immense pressure? There are so many question regarding the LPL challengers, and we cannot wait to find out.

Finally, the meta didn't change that much, which means their strengths didn't dissipate. In theory, all they need to do is to simply adjust ever so slightly and tap into that talent which already propelled them to greatness. Easier said than done, but the odds are definitely stacked in their favor. We also want to see how strong and in-sync they are because this is one of the most competitive and stacked World Championships in history.

The only reason we're not going all-in on this one is because we want to see how well Invictus perform first. They have all the right tools to dominate, but they will still need time to acclimate and find their groove. Once that happens, they'll surely dominate much like they did back in 2018. Fortunately for them, they have a fairly mild challenge in the first week to warm up.

Ahq is no slouch, but they definitely lack the depth and the skill which are necessary to tango with the defending champions.