Cloud9 qualifies for Worlds after Gauntlet win vs. Immortals

Cloud9 has become the final North American team to qualify for Worlds, defeating Immortals three games to one in the Regional Final Monday. This is the fourth straight Worlds appearance for Cloud9.

Cloud9 joins Team SoloMid and Counter Logic Gaming as the North American teams who have qualified for Worlds. Last year, NA sent TSM, CLG and C9 to Worlds, so it’s the exact same group. With Cloud9’s win, the field is completely set, with 16 teams punching their tickets to Worlds.

Impact’s Gnar and Sneaky’s Jhin led Cloud9 to a dominant Game 1 win, as Immortals jungler Reignover was limited to a 0/7/3 performance on Rek’Sai. Cloud9 won Game 2 after another strong game from Sneaky, this time on Lucian.

Immortals struck back in Game 3, utilizing a strong Yasuo game from Huni to stay in the series. But even Huni’s Yasuo was not enough to close out Cloud9 in Game 4, as C9 took the game and the series.

It was another phenomenal series for Impact, who has looked like the best player in North America over the past month. The former world champion with SK Telecom T1 has stated his desire to return to the game’s biggest stage, and he’ll get that opportunity this year in North America.

After a slow start to the split, Cloud9 turned it around towards the end of the season under new head coach Reapered, formerly with SK Telecom T1 and EDward Gaming. C9 occupied third place for the last seven weeks of the regular season before taking down Immortals 3-2 in a dramatic semifinal. C9 fell to TSM in the finals in Toronto, losing three games to one.

For Immortals, this is a bitter end to a season with high points but not hardware. After a 17-1 Spring Split regular season, Immortals bottomed out in the semifinals, getting swept by sixth-seeded TSM. After a 16-2 regular season in the Summer, Immortals once again lost in the semifinals, and now misses out on Worlds.