A dramatic twist unfolded during the Lower Bracket semi-final of the LCS on August 13, as Team Liquid faced off against the Golden Guardians in a high-stakes showdown to secure a direct spot at Worlds 2023, the pinnacle event of the year. Team Liquid, with its formidable duo of previous Worlds champions, surged ahead by clinching the first two games of the series, signaling a swift victory. However, the Golden Guardians, displaying impressive resilience, managed to rally back, winning games three and four, setting the stage for a thrilling fifth and final match.
This crucial fifth game took an unexpected turn at the very outset due to a game-altering bug that unfairly impacted a Golden Guardians player. The issue stemmed from an unfortunate combination involving Huhi of the Golden Guardians, who selected Unsealed Spellbook but encountered a bug that inadvertently switched his summoner spell to Unleashed Teleport, causing him to be stuck with Teleport throughout the game instead of his intended original spell choices.
Recognizing the significance of the disadvantage this bug imposed on the Golden Guardians, the LCS, through its official Twitter account, announced a remake of Game 5 between the Golden Guardians and Team Liquid. Given that the problem couldn't be resolved using the standard in-game time-travel feature known as "chronobreak," League Officials made the call to reset the pivotal match.
The bug-related pause occurred approximately 12 minutes into the fifth game, causing a 40-minute delay in the broadcast as LCS officials deliberated the situation. Ultimately, the decision to remake the game was reached, aiming to rectify the unintended consequences of the glitch.
The reinitiated match resumed with the only change being Huhi regaining his original choice of the Unsealed Spellbook summoner spell, as initially intended, rather than being stuck with Teleport.
Regrettably for the Golden Guardians, their hopes for a stunning reverse sweep, reminiscent of a "silver scrapes" scenario, were dashed as Team Liquid managed to clinch the series with a 3-2 victory, thereby securing their coveted tickets to Worlds 2023.
In the aftermath of this dramatic event, questions emerged from commentators and fans alike regarding the potential outcome had the Golden Guardians not experienced the abrupt pause in their momentum due to the bug. Nonetheless, the Golden Guardians will now face the challenge of competing in the Worlds Qualifying Series against an LEC team, striving to claim the final Worlds 2023 slot designated for the West.
