With 16 hours left till the World Finals, here a look back on 8 things to appreciate from this year's Worlds

Just a few things I enjoyed about Worlds this year. What else did you guys enjoy?

1- Play-Ins buff. 3 out of 4 teams that advanced from the Play-Ins stage made it out of Group Stage to Quarterfinals (EDG, G2 and C9). They got to experience the stage and the crowd earlier and were able to settle in before the seeded teams. Unfortunately for some of them, they also burned out earlier and did not perform as highly in their later matches. Still, C9 and G2 advanced all the way to Semi-Finals, giving hope to future Play-Ins teams looking to win it all. Anything is possible (especially if Worlds was shortened further to minimise burnout).

2- Shern getting fired. Hope it's a wake up call, not just for him but OCE as a whole with their history.

3- Rap God CaptainFlowers has been a revelation unto us blessed Western viewers. All the casters have done a fine job this year, but he has been the standout and will deservedly cast the Finals

4- Thank Mr. Buffalo. In a game that was meaningless for Phong Vu Buffalo as they had already been eliminated, they beat Flash Wolves, giving G2 a chance to advance from Group Stage if they won the last scheduled game of the day against Afreeca Freecs. G2 proceeded to lose the game and went into a tiebreaker with Flash Wolves and ultimately came out on top, exiting the group along with Afreeca Freecs.

5- The rise of EU as a region and all EU teams showing up and showing up big (still undefeated in Tiebreakers, btw), giving us performances and moments to remember, including:

- The UNDEFEATED HjarnanDonger & Perkz's Akali from G2. Also Wunder routinely getting 20-40 CS leads solo, Wadid's exploitation of broken Tahm mechanics that should be removed (but seriously, he plays a MEAN Tahm) and IcyHot Jankos (this is like saying coinflip but not as mean). Overall, G2's Macro was one of the most clean Worlds has seen, even lulling analysts to sleep over how they systematically dimantled their opponents.

- Vitality beasting in all their games, their unrelenting (sometimes mindless) aggression and their unwavering confidence that led them to show the world that the favourites to win it all, RNG, were not invincible. The Italian Stallion (BabyBabyFaker), Jizuke popping off on off meta Ekko and Attlia's unusually calculated yet nasty Draven were my favourite highlights. Cabochard get's an honorable mention for being cool as a chard of ice in their chaotic comms. Jactroll played pretty consistent and Kikis played well considering his main champion was nerfed right before Worlds. I was going to give Yamato a separate point, but this has enough EU love as it is. Nevertheless, he was a MASSIVE influence on his players. To get such outstanding performances out of a ragtag bunch of Rookies and Vets, he is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable coaches in the West (and the man will be getting paid, I can guarantee that). Yamato's and Vitality's confidence impacted the Worlds meta and other teams so much.

- And Fnatic living up to and even surpassing expectations as the Favourites from the West. Remarkable individual performances from ALL roles, and stellar coordination in teamfights and marco. Not a bumpless journey, but they have learnt well from their mistakes in draft and in-game. They are looking like the best team in Western History.

6- The downfall of many Eastern teams, but especially RNG and their 1-Carry Season 6/7 Playstyle. Those who cannot adapt are doomed to fall, and the best teams have adapted as the Worlds meta has shifted. Notable mentions are coincidentally our finalists: Fnatic and IG, who have gone as far as subbing out their Veteran Top Laners for their younger Carry-oriented Top Laners. Shoutout to Broxah for bringing Lee Sin back. It truly is Worlds with him.

7- Bwipo Cam. Need I say anything more?

8- Riot Games's balancing team for developing this meta. After a long and arduous Season with probably the most balance changes in the history of the game, we have been blessed with an exciting Meta that is entertaining to watch and sets a playing field that allows for multiple strategies to be successful: 1/3/1, Aram-ing, Blitz comps, a focus on Micro as well as Macro aspects of the game- these are all incredibly entertaining and this is the closest as we've been to the Golden Age of League in a long time. The only class that has been left out is Enchanter Supports (but I feel that you could make them work with a Mage Bot tbh, but no team wants to try it/has the resources to try it) since Tank Supports with engage are pivotal currently. Who knows? If Riot plays their cards right, this might even be a new Golden Age, a new era of growth and prosperity.