FlyQuest made a substantial investment in their League of Legends lineup heading into 2024, securing a spot in MSI during their inaugural split together. However, their journey was cut short as they faced defeat against PSG Talon in the play-ins stage.
PSG Talon, known for their knack for upsetting prominent regions, continued their streak in MSI 2024. Despite FlyQuest’s prior 2-1 victory over them in the event, PSG Talon emerged victorious when it counted the most.
While this loss didn’t match FlyQuest’s record-breaking defeat against T1, it still marked the exit of the second-best LCS team from the tournament. Despite high hopes for FlyQuest, their performance fell short.
So, what led to FlyQuest’s downfall?
In Game 1, the match remained relatively calm for the first 20 minutes, with PSG Talon holding a slight advantage. However, an ill-timed engage by Bwipo resulted in FlyQuest being forced into an unfavorable engagement near Azir’s passive tower. This pivotal moment shifted the game in PSG Talon’s favor, with FlyQuest losing control and failing to recover. Despite Inspired’s reputation as a top-tier jungler, his impact in this game was minimal.
Game 2 began with an early misstep from FlyQuest, where Inspired’s decision to trade an early Drake for top-side pressure backfired. The subsequent failed gank and overcommitment put FlyQuest at a significant disadvantage from the start.
From there, FlyQuest’s performance crumbled. PSG Talon dominated every aspect of the game, executing tower dives, securing objectives, and exploiting weaknesses in both sidelanes. The match ended with FlyQuest’s defeat, evident in the lopsided kill count of 5 to 28 in favor of PSG Talon. The disappointment was palpable among the FlyQuest players as the series concluded.
With FlyQuest’s elimination from MSI 2024, the onus now falls on Team Liquid to reverse the trend of lackluster LCS performances internationally and reaffirm the region’s competitive prowess.