Former League of Legends world champions, Dplus KIA, suffered a devastating loss at Worlds 2023 when they were eliminated by KT Rolster. One particular teamfight has caught the attention of fans, as it could have potentially changed the course of the series if Dplus ADC Deft had not made a crucial misplay.
In the second game of the Swiss stage series, 37 minutes in, a pivotal teamfight swung in favor of KT Rolster due to Deft’s unfortunate miss with his Aphelios ultimate, Moonlight Vigil. Instead of hitting the enemy team, the ability passed through an allied Jarvan IV, resulting in no damage and leaving Dplus KIA without one of their main sources of damage. Shortly after, Dplus’ ShowMaker attempted a solo flank but was caught out of position and quickly eliminated.
Deft, who was significantly ahead in the game, could have decimated KT’s backline if he had landed his ult. However, he seemed to have fallen victim to mini-map targeting, a feature that does not apply to Aphelios’ ultimate. In this case, Deft simply missed his shot.
At this point, both teams were tied in dragons and towers, but Dplus had a 3,000 gold lead. Winning this fight would have allowed them to push down the mid lane and potentially secure KT’s Nexus, thanks to their late-game advantage. Unfortunately, they were forced into another teamfight, resulting in another loss that sealed the game.
While it would be an exaggeration to solely blame this misplay for Dplus KIA’s elimination from Worlds, it is intriguing to speculate on what could have happened if Deft had landed his ultimate and forced a decider game. Nevertheless, KT Rolster advanced to the quarterfinals, while Dplus experienced their first-ever elimination before the bracket stage of Worlds.
KT Rolster will face JD Gaming in the quarterfinals on Sunday, November 4th.
Source: DOTESPORTS
