But none of the matches we saw today made it to Game 3. In three of the four sets, teams from China and Brazil were knocked out by NA and EU superpowers. The last match of the day pitted two EU teams against each other, but the set was still one-sided.
Here are the highlights from the Quarter Finals:
Paradigm vs. Oh My God
2-0, favor of Paradigm
At the outset of Game 1, it looked like Chinese team OMG was going to be trouble for Paradigm (EU). They took first blood and an early lead, but Paradigm stole the first Gold Fury kill. A few key kills helped Paradigm even out the game. OMG made themselves vulnerable by splitting up too much before they were ready, and Paradigm nailed a 4-1 wipe on them. They took the second Gold Fury, then traded 2 members for 5 OMG kills just a few minutes later. Then they repeated themselves with another Fury kill and one more 5-2 trade in their favor. They took down the Fire Giant, then pushed into OMG’s base to take the game.
OMG had a lot at stake in Game 2, but Paradigm was unstoppable. They took first blood with only 19 seconds on the clock. They took the Gold Fury early on and earned a strong lead. They consistently locked down team fights, picking off OMG’s gods in every lane. This lead snowballed, and Paradigm took the game with an 18K EXP and 10K gold lead, along with an impressive 30-8 kill count. This second victory knocked OMG out of the running for SWC this year.
Enemy vs. Pain Gaming
2-0, favor of Enemy
NA team Enemy took on Pain Gaming (Brazil) in this set, and Pain got off to a good start in Game 1. They took first blood and the Gold Fury, but the objective came at a price. Pain lost two towers consecutively, and Enemy nabbed the advantage from them. The Gold Fury went to Enemy, then they landed a 4 kills on Pain. They brought down the Fire Giant shortly after, and a 3-0 trade cleared the way for them to take the Titan and the game.
Game 2 did not go well for Pain. They took first blood, but Enemy landed the Gold Fury just a few minutes in. Better teamwork and superior map farming gave Enemy a strong lead in the early game, and this snowballed into a landslide win. A second Gold Fury, the Fire Giant, and a 5-0 wipe were just a few of the major plays from Enemy. It wasn’t long before they went for the Titan and won the game. They did so with total map control, as well – Pain didn’t take a single objective the whole game.
Enemy will move on to the semi-finals, but the road has come to an end for Pain.
Cloud9 vs. Qiao Gu Reapers
2-0, favor of Cloud9
The reigning world champs, Cloud9 (NA), took the stage for the first time at SWC 2016. They dominated the entire match, completely shutting out Chinese team QG.
In Game 1, Cloud9 had 5 kills on the board at 2 minutes in. QG didn’t get their first kill until the 10-minute mark, leaving the kill count at 10-1. Cloud9 took two Gold Furies and forced several team scuffles. With 19 kills on the board at the 23 minute mark, Cloud9 moved in on the Fire Giant. A 5-1 encounter cleared QG’s base for them to take the Titan. They wrapped up the game at 27 minutes with a 25 kills – exactly five times as many as QG.
Game 2 went much the same way, with 6 kills under Cloud9’s belt at the 3 minute mark. They took the Gold Fury early on, and QG only managed to get one kill in while Cloud9 racked up 15. QG’s mid-lane phoenix fell at 18 minutes in. A Fire Giant kill and a few more team encounters earned Cloud9 the second game, with a hefty 30-6 kill lead over QG. This knocked the Chinese team out of the running for the World Champ title.
Fnatic vs. Epsilon
2-0, favor of Epsilon
This seemed to be the only fairly matched game of the day. In their regular season, EU teams Fnatic and Epsilon are scrim partners. So they know each other’s play styles fairly well.
Game 1 was the longest game of the day. We didn’t see first blood shed until Fnatic landed a kill at 12 minutes in. Epsilon tried to make up for Fnatic’s early lead by taking the Gold Fury, but Fnatic made two members pay for it. This was the last scuffle where Fnatic came out on top. Epsilon came from behind and took the second Gold Fury, then landed a 5-0 wipe on Fnatic during a scuffle at the Fire Giant. With no Fnatic members to stop them, Epsilon turned their attention from the FG to their base instead, quickly taking the game.
Epsilon dominated from start to finish in Game 2. Fnatic made a grave mistake by allowing Janus through the ban phase. Epsilon’s mid player, Yammyn, is a master of Janus play – perhaps the best in the world. And his performance today was no exception. Epsilon took first blood and the first Gold Fury, racking up a healthy 9-3 kill lead early on. Fnatic had absolutely no map control at any point, grabbing only two tower objectives as Epsilon farmed camps and Gold Furies. After slowly picking off all 5 members of Fnatic, Epsilon took the Fire Giant and began pushing into their base. Fnatic knew their run was over, and they surrendered as soon as the base was breached.
What’s Next
Tomorrow we’ll be moving into the Semi-Finals round, and we’ll see the second semi-final game of the Xbox One Invitational. The PC matches will be best of 5, and the Xbox match will be best of 3. Here are the upcoming games for Saturday, January 9:
11:15 AM: Paradigm vs. Enemy 3:45 PM: Cloud9 vs. Epsilon 8:15: Eager vs. EnvyUS
To keep up with the action, you can watch the official stream on the SMITETwitch channel, or follow @SmitePro on Twitter. And stay tuned to GameSkinny for more updates as we continue to cover this event live from Atlanta!
