FENNEL sweep New Meta in the LJL upper final
FENNEL beat New Meta 3-0 in the LJL Summer Championship upper final. The Japanese side stayed in the upper bracket after winning every game. New Meta moved into the lower bracket and remained in the tournament.
The result followed strong runs from both teams. FENNEL had beaten L Guide Gaming in four games. New Meta reached the meeting after clean victories over Arneb and Uwinks.
FENNEL remain unbeaten in the upper bracket
FENNEL entered the match with an experienced group. Kkkkkkkkk played the top side of the map. Ellim worked from the jungle, while DICE held the middle lane. MayR and Bruce formed the bottom-lane pair. That group had already produced a steady domestic season. The upper-bracket final added another important result. FENNEL won all three games.
The victory gives FENNEL a shorter path through the remaining bracket. It also keeps the team away from an immediate elimination match. Those benefits came from the result, not from regular-season position. FENNEL had also beaten New Meta during the spring series. The summer meeting used a longer best-of-five format, but FENNEL won again.
New Meta arrived after two clean series
New Meta reached the upper-bracket final after beating Arneb. Another clear win followed against Uwinks in the next round. Advance, HRK, Alps, Godot and Koisi formed the active core around this stage. Their earlier results showed enough stability for a deep bracket run. FENNEL stopped that sequence in the direct meeting.
The defeat does not end New Meta’s campaign. It moves the team into the lower bracket. Another loss will end their tournament. New Meta still retain the work completed in the earlier rounds. Wins over two different opponents placed them among the leading teams in the event. The direct meeting showed that FENNEL were stronger on this day.
The rosters brought different kinds of experience
Ellim gives FENNEL experience from Korean competition. DICE also brings a calm central role. The two players now compete beside younger Japanese teammates in the current roster. MayR handles the main carry position in the bottom lane. Bruce supports him and helps organise movement around the map. Kkkkkkkkk completes the group from the top lane.
New Meta use a different domestic core. Advance plays on the top side, with HRK working from the jungle. Alps, Godot and Koisi cover the remaining three roles. The upper-bracket final placed those two groups in one best-of-five series. FENNEL completed a clean win. New Meta now continue through the lower bracket.
New Meta move into the lower final
FENNEL remain in the upper bracket of the Summer Championship. Their next appearance comes with room for one later defeat. New Meta no longer have that protection. A second meeting remains possible. New Meta now enter the lower final. FENNEL continue through the upper bracket.
The LJL Summer Championship closes the domestic season. Its later rounds therefore carry more weight than an ordinary league week. Each result changes the route toward the title series. FENNEL completed the sweep without allowing a fourth game. New Meta’s earlier six-game winning sequence ended in this round.
Both teams won twice before the upper final
FENNEL reached the upper-bracket final by beating L Guide Gaming in four games. New Meta arrived after completing two series without a game loss. New Meta followed another route. Victories over Arneb and Uwinks kept them unbeaten in the bracket. Neither opponent managed to take a game in those series.
Those results created an upper-bracket final between two winning teams. FENNEL then completed the clean result. New Meta moved to the lower bracket. FENNEL’s earlier round was their only longer series in this bracket. New Meta had completed six straight game wins before facing FENNEL. The final ended that run and sent the teams to different rounds.
The teams can still meet in the grand final
FENNEL and New Meta have met more than once during the season. FENNEL also won their spring meeting, which ended in two games. The current championship still allows another meeting. A successful lower-bracket run would return New Meta to the later rounds. FENNEL remain closer to the title series.
The first upper-final meeting ended with FENNEL ahead in every game of the series. That result now defines the different paths for both Japanese teams.
The championship uses one format throughout
The LJL Summer Championship contains six teams in a double-elimination bracket. Every series uses a best-of-five format. A team therefore advances after collecting three game wins. Fearless draft rules also apply throughout the event. Champions selected earlier in a series cannot simply return in the following games. FENNEL completed the upper final before that rule could reach a fourth draft.
New Meta entered the championship after Rising Gaming withdrew. The team then beat Arneb and Uwinks without dropping a game. FENNEL ended that six-game run in the upper final. The lower final and grand final are scheduled as offline matches in Shinjuku. The tournament winner also earns Japan’s place in the LCP promotion and relegation event.
