The Swiss Stage at the 2023 LoL World Championship has come to an end. With a brand new format, there have been great and awesome games featured at Worlds, with triumphs and tears. Eight teams made it through to the knockout stage while the other eight teams were eliminated and sent back home.

Most of the games had great narratives surrounding them, but there weren't as many that lived up to them. For those of you who weren't able to watch all of them,  and if you don't have enough time to watch them, here are the best five games of the Swiss Stage.

Round 1 Team BDS vs. JD Gaming

The clash between BDS, who gained their spot at the Swiss Stage by having a great run from the Worlds Qualifying Stage, and JDG, the team poised to achieve the Grand Slam. JDG opted for the red side, banning Darius and Olaf. Adam responded with a blind Garen pick, his signature champion. 

BDS leveraged Adam's Garen effectively, securing the first turret within just 13 minutes, taking an early lead. However, JDG managed to keep the gap from widening too much through pickoffs. BDS continued to utilize Garen on the side lanes, and they were able to take down the second turret in the bot lane. Meanwhile, JDG efficiently secured Dragons. 

The fateful Baron teamfight started with a great ambush by Garen, but Ruler’s Kai’Sa got away effectively using its ult while Garen had to Flash away. That gave JDG control over the river. As BDS didn’t have vision, Sheo's Vi stepped into the river, but that was exactly what JDG was aiming for. JDG pounced on Vi and gained complete priority over Baron. The following teamfights went in JDG’s favor as they closed the game.

Despite BDS's impressive journey from the Worlds Qualifying Series, it was widely anticipated that they would not match up well against JDG, as JDG were the heavy favorites at Worlds. JDG secured the victory, but this match served as evidence that BDS is not an opponent to be underestimated.

Round 2 G2 Esports vs. Weibo Gaming

G2 had more of a late-game composition against WBG’s charging composition, with Broken Blade playing Yone into TheShy’s K’Sante. If the game goes on for long, G2 would have the upper hand. Even so, G2 gained a significant lead in the bot lane and took the lead. Although WBG secured first blood on Yone, they conceded a double kill, tipping the balance further in favor of G2.

However, G2 faced defeat while attempting Baron, and during the fourth dragon, they had a massive teamfight loss, allowing WBG to swiftly secure both Baron and the dragon soul. At this point, WBG seemed to have the victory almost in their grasp, amassing a significant 9.2k gold lead.

Refusing to give up, G2 relied on their team composition's strength and stalled for the late game. They made a perfect engage in the mid-lane, cutting off Xiaohu's Azir and securing Baron. In the following Elder Dragon fight, the ultimates from Xayah, Orianna, and Yone were executed perfectly as G2 scored an Ace, resetting the 10K gold gap back to none.

Riding the momentum from the Elder Dragon's power, G2 made a move on WBG's base, aggressively attacking. Although they managed to break only one of the twin turrets, they had to retreat as Xayah fell and Azir revived. WBG tried to cut off the remainder of G2, but G2 attempted a backdoor by using Teleport. G2’s backdoor attempt wasn’t successful, but they only left the Nexus.

As the second Elder Dragon spawned, WBG fortified their base and engaged in combat. WBG started a fight well on Orianna, who used Zhonya, and activated Xayah's Guardian Angel. It seemed like WBG pounced on G2 well, but again, Xayah and Yone's ultimates gained G2 another teamfight win. With that, the game went in G2’s favor.

Through this match, G2 gained two straight wins, proving why many players considered them one of the favorites.

Round 3 NRG vs. MAD Lions

A clash between NA and EU took place. NRG and MAD each secured a victory against their respective regional league teams, leading to a head-to-head match in a 1-1 situation. NRG drafted a late-game-oriented composition, while MAD assembled a snowball composition utilizing Rumble, Jarvan IV, and Nilah.

Early on, Palafox's Sylas secured 2 kills, giving NRG an advantage. However, MAD also concentrated on the top lane, accumulating 3 deaths on Dhokla's Jayce. Palafox also overcommitted and was caught, and although NRG secured two dragon stacks, the global gold remained relatively even.

In the third dragon fight, MAD faced a complete wipeout due to Carzzy's Nilah's hasty initiation. NRG secured the third dragon, simultaneously extending their gold lead, and took the lead. However, NRG played complacently with their lead and got cut off one after another, handing over Baron to MAD. The once nearly 5k gold gap dwindled to less than 2k, and MAD continued to catch up.

In the fourth dragon fight, NRG created another Ace, securing the dragon, turrets, and Baron, ultimately shifting the momentum in their favor. After breaking the mid and bottom inhibitors, NRG waited for the Elder Dragon fight. MAD attempted to stop NRG from taking the Elder Dragon, and eventually took the Elder Dragon themselves, but they failed to respond to Palafox and Dhokla’s backdoor.

After a fierce battle, it turned into a backdoor ending. NRG took the lead but couldn't solidify their position, showcasing their potential while leaving room for improvement. MAD, on the other hand, demonstrated resilience even in unfavorable situations, continually seeking opportunities throughout the match.

Round 4 KT vs. LNG Game 1

KT faced LPL and LCK teams throughout the Swiss Stage. In Round 4, their opponents were LNG. The first game's draft witnessed seven bans exclusively focused on the bot lane, as the two teams banned five bot lane champions and two support champions. In response, KT picked Jinx-Alistar, while LNG went for Aphelios-Renata Glasc.

Early in the game, Cuzz's Maokai ganked the bot lane, and KT secured an early kill. However, GALA's Aphelios caught Alistar with splendid skillshots to keep the game even. KT then capitalized on a mid-lane gank, taking down Neeko and securing a teamfight win in the top lane. KT even managed to steal the dragon while LNG was attempting it and got ahead. KT aimed to maintain their lead but, while attempting Baron, a well-timed Neeko ultimate disrupted them, enabling LNG to make a comeback.

LNG consistently kept the global gold close and tried to seek openings. KT went ahead again with a good teamfight following the third dragon, but as LNG snuck Baron and won the following teamfight, the game started turning in LNG’s favor. In the next teamfight in the river, Neeko landed a 4-man ult, enabling LNG to take down three champions and finish the game.

While the global gold gap wasn't substantial throughout the game, the match showcased the standout performance of Scout's Neeko, who consistently landed crucial CCs, and GALA's Aphelios, who dealt massive damage despite KT's advantageous situation.

Round 5 G2 vs. BLG Game 2

Despite starting the Swiss Stage with two wins, G2 faced two consecutive losses, putting them in a precarious position. In the final round, their opponent was the formidable BLG. In Game 2, G2 was backed up against the wall as they lost Game 1. They came up with an extreme chrging composition consisting of Olaf, Nocturne, Neeko, Kai'Sa, and Lissandra. In contrast, BLG went for the meta picks, including Renekton, Maokai, Jayce, Zeri, and Rakan.

G2's early aggression paid off, as they secured first blood by hitting the mark with their dive-focused composition. They also managed to take down Zeri, when it was overextending and putting too much pressure on the bot lane. G2 appeared to have the upper hand as they successfully executed their second mid-lane gank. However, after securing the dragon but losing their jungler in the process, they stumbled momentarily.

Given G2's need to snowball, they continued to engage in battles all over the Rift, securing kills. Still, they couldn't get far ahead due to BLG's strong counter-attacks. Even in the third dragon fight, where Neeko landed a massive five-man airborne, they seemed on the verge of winning, but Renekton's fierce retaliation secured the two teams three kills each, and the teams backed off.

As the game entered the late game, G2's charging composition started losing its effectiveness. While they managed to pick off one or two champions in reckless dives, they couldn't secure teamfight victories, and the game remained closely contested.

The lengthy match was ultimately decided at the second Elder Dragon. BLG, who was going after Neeko in the bot lane, suffered a teamfight defeat, as G2 pounced from behind. This loss handed over the Elder Dragon and Baron to G2. Empowered with double buffs, G2 closed out the game by attacking the top lane.

Although G2 went on to lose Game 3 and were eliminated from Worlds 2023, they showed their strength and unique strategies through this game, making it one of the most memorable matches of this stage.

All images by LoL Esports