Who Made it to Quarters? Who Went Home? | Swiss Stage Day 9 Highlights | All Games
Swiss Stage Day 9 delivered the fireworks we wanted: desperate fights for survival, game-changing objectives, and three separate thrillers that decided who moved on to the top eight and who packed their bags. I walked you through every moment, and here are the clean, play-by-play recaps and takeaways from the night’s three must-watch matches: CFO vs FlyQuest, TES vs BLG, and MKOI vs T1.
CFO vs FlyQuest — Doggo and the Oysters Strike First
This one was a roller coaster. FlyQuest looked comfortable early: they secured dragons, kept tempo with smart resets, and threatened objective control. At one point I said, “everything is coming up Flight Quest” — and for a while it felt true. But this game is a reminder that one clean teamfight, one objective swing, or one hypercarry unlocking can turn everything on its head.
Early pace and Dragon control
FlyQuest established early priority with dragon control and strong skirmishing. That early soul point looked like it would snowball into a safe game for them.
Rather than a slow siege comp, CFO found angles: they played for picks and punished overextensions. FlyQuest’s attempts to answer were met with quick responses and clutch ultimates from both teams, but CFO began to find rhythm around bot and mid lane fights.
Mid game explosion and Baron swing
The turning point was a chaotic Baron sequence. After a string of fights around the Drake and mid lane, CFO managed to secure Baron. That Baron came with a flurry of follow-up kills. The comment “it’s a level 17 Azir with a big lead” sums up the reality: Azir was stomping, and CFO’s marksman turned into a wrecking ball.
Doggo on Draven was the centerpiece: huge damage, massive positioning plays, and multiple multi-kill moments that carried teamfights.
FlyQuest had moments of bravery — aggressive flanks, flashes into enemy lines — but overextensions cost them. When a team is split and the Draven is fed, the result is predictable.
Clutch plays and the finish
Once CFO had the Baron and map control, they methodically dismantled FlyQuest’s base. Teamfights were wild: emperors divided, seismic shoves, Curtain Calls disrupted by shields and flashes, and a dizzying amount of engage and disengage. The game finally ended with CFO finishing the Nexus after capitalizing on superior teamfight execution and Doggo’s relentless DPS.
“It took a little longer than we may have expected, but the Oysters strike first.”
Result: CFO advance to quarters. FlyQuest’s run ended here; they fought hard but could not contain CFO’s scaling and decisive fights.
CTBC Flying Oyster arrive to compete at League of Legends Worlds 2025 Swiss Stage on October 25, 2025 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Yicun Liu/Riot Games)
TES vs BLG — A Back-and-Forth LPL Brawl
This match was classic LPL chaos: skirmishes everywhere, rapid rotations, and massive outplays. Both teams wanted control of the map, and both made plays to secure it. Ultimately, Top Esports edged out BLG in a dramatic, high-octane finish.
Early trades and lane skirmishes
Bin and 369 on top were constantly dueling. Bin’s aggressive plays, including multiple flashes into engagement, swung early skirmishes in BLG’s favor on several occasions.
Ziggs and Jax matchups influenced wave control and objective timing. Ziggs’ minefields prevented easy sieges; Jax threatened the later 1v1 scale.
Midgame turns and objective fights
BLG executed beautiful flanks and collapses. Their map play looked coordinated: Herald plays into turret plates, well-timed pop blossoms, and TP flanks that forced TES into awkward defensive fights. BLG repeatedly turned fights around, using clever angles and forcing TES to respect the dive threat.
Shadow and On created massive havoc with flank engages, and Bin’s aggressive counter-strikes were pivotal in multiple teamfights.
Top Esports did not crumble. They held steady, found clutch engages with counter-strike follow-ups, and slowly wore BLG down in objective fights.
The decisive moment
As the game reached the late midgame, TES’ superior teamfighting and methodical approach began to reassert themselves. A desperate base defense from BLG gave up ground — TES cleaned up a decisive fight in the base and cracked the final inhibitor towers.
“That was the best game of Worlds thus far. That was so fun. Such an incredibly back and forth set up.”
Result: Top Esports take the win and secure their quarters spot. BLG showed resilience and stellar map coordination, but TES’ late-game coordination and clutch teamfights earned them the series victory.
knight of Bilibili Gaming is seen back stage at League of Legends Worlds 2025 Swiss Stage on October 25, 2025 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Yicun Liu/Riot Games)
MKOI vs T1 — Faker and T1 Hold on and Push Through
This game had everything: solo-lane duels, chaotic mid skirmishes, clutch shockwaves, and a tense late-game push. T1 showed veteran composure, leveraging Faker and Doran’s impact to close the series and clinch a top eight berth.
Early blood and lane intensity
Early dives and jungle pressure set the tone. Owner and Doran both had aggressive starts, but T1 responded with crisp playmaking and teamwork.
T1’s bottom lane coordination and rotations were particularly punishing for MCOY. Early dives into bot and synchronized TP plays swung tempo.
Midgame chaos and Baron control
Midgame came down to temple control: securing Baron and fighting for the soul. There were massive moments — three-man shockwaves, death realm cancellations, and perfectly timed ultimates. Faker’s positioning and burst potential kept swinging fights even when MCOY threatened to snowball.
T1 managed to secure Baron at an important moment, which allowed them to pressure and choke MCOY’s map access.
MCOY refused to roll over: clutch spellshields, walls, and teamfight turns kept the game competitive until the very end.
Final minutes and a hard-fought finish
The endgame was a textbook mix of split pressure and coordinated collapse. Doran threatened backdoors and split picks, while Faker and the rest of T1 coordinated to force the fights they wanted. When the objective pushed into the base, T1 executed the final series of engages and cleanly took the Nexus.
“Faker finishes off Super and holds the game for T1 in his hands.”
Result: T1 advance to the top eight. MCOY leave the Swiss stage with pride, but T1’s veteran experience and late-game decision-making propelled them forward.
T1 bow onstage at League of Legends Worlds 2025 Swiss Stage on October 25, 2025 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Christian Betancourt/Riot Games)
Day 9 Takeaways — What We Learned
Objectives still decide games. Dragons, Baron, and Rift Herald plays swung multiple matches. Teams that lost the objective battle rarely recovered without spectacular individual outplays.
Scaling carries win late fights. In the CFO game, a hyper-fed Azir and a fed Draven were the ultimate difference makers. When a hypercarry is allowed to scale, coordinated teams must find ways to contain them early or accept being outscaled.
Map control and flanks matter. BLG’s flanking angles nearly toppled TES. On the opposite end, TES tightened up and punished those attempts when they mattered most.
Experience in crunch time counts. T1’s veteran presence — specifically precise ultimates and objective calls from Faker and Doran — helped them close out a tight match against an aggressive MCOY squad.
Players of the Night
Doggo (CFO) — Multiple multi-kills, constant presence in fights, and the decisive DPS that turned Baron into a map control tool.
Faker (T1) — Clutch shockwaves, spotless late-game teamfight positioning, and a veteran finishing touch when T1 needed it most.
Bin (BLG) — Aggressive engages, timely counter-strikes, and key flanks that created opportunities for BLG to swing tempo.
Who Moves On and Who Goes Home
After a dramatic Day 9 of the Swiss Stage, the teams that punched their tickets to the top eight are:
CFO — advanced after a momentum-shifting performance against FlyQuest.
Top Esports — overcame BLG in a tactical, fight-heavy match.
T1 — used veteran experience and clean execution to close out MKOI.
Eliminated from the Swiss Stage: FlyQuest, BLG, and MCOY. Each team had bright moments and signature plays, but the Swiss Stage is unforgiving — only those who can convert objectives into wins and keep their carries contained move forward.
Final Thoughts
Swiss Stage Day 9 was everything competitive League should be: urgency, clutch plays, and the kind of drama that separates the best from the nearly-best. From Baron steals and double shocks to multi-kill Dravens and Faker-led finishes, this was a day that lived up to the hype.
For fans of macro mastery and explosive teamfights alike, Day 9 was a reminder why Worlds moments matter. Quarterfinals are heating up, and the teams that advanced proved they can both weather chaos and create it when necessary.
Stay tuned: the knockout stage is next, and the pressure only goes up from here.
