League of Legends' 10th anniversary has been celebrated with a slew of announcements for new games Riot are working on. However the real celebration is 10 years of pro LoL plays to look back on. Whether it's classic moments that spawned memes and names we all know and love, or plays that made us realize how woefully inferior our reaction times are, the best plays of LoL's 10 years are a wonderful trip down memory lane. Here's what we consider to be the 10 greatest pro plays on League of Legends' 10th anniversary.
Empire's wombo combo vs SK Gaming – IEM Kiev 2011 qualifiers
One of the earliest memories people have of LoL's pro community creating an earth-shatteringly good highlights reel is this teamfight during the IEM Kiev qualifiers. Back when Riot's esports dreams were just budding into life with the first Worlds season and there were still only about 80 champions. Empire pulled off one of the most textbook wombo combos we'd ever seen and ignited many people's love of competitive League of Legends.
xPeke backdoor – IEM Katowice 2013
Truly what legends are made of. After a failed push on SK Gaming's Nexus, everything looked dire for Fnatic. A death march up mid from their opponents was sure to end the game before they could mount any sort of defence. So xPeke chooses the only solution: take his Kassadin back to the enemy base and Rift Walk his way around the Nexus until it was gone, dodging every attempt to stop him. Possibly the greatest moment in League history.
The Insec kick – OGN LoL Champions Spring 2013 Quarter-Finals
There are very few moves in LoL named after pro players or teams, we've already seen two of them: the Empire combo, and the xPeke backdoor. One final tribute must be paid to the InSec: flashing behind your opponent, optionally placing a ward that you then W to and using your kick to punt an enemy out of position and into your own team. The mechanical ability on play was absurd for the time, but today it is practically necessary for professional play. That hasn't stopped InSec from continuing to be a beast on Lee Sin.
Uzi vs OMG – Worlds 2013 Quarter-Finals
Uzi’s debut appearance on the Worlds stage made a big name for himself with this Vayne play. As the two powerhouses of China faced off in Worlds' first quarter-finals, Uzi danced his way around what looked like a certain death at the hands of OMG to come away with not just his life, but an Ace for his team and an easy win to take them to the semis.
Faker's comeback Ace vs NJS – Worlds 2013 Semi-Finals
It wouldn't be a top 10 pro LoL plays list without our old friend Faker. The Demon King has rightfully made a name for himself with an impeccable understanding of his champion pool, and the mechanics to outplay most players on the Rift. In this dangerous teamfight against Najin Black Sword, Faker decides that the correct moment to engage is after Bengi goes down and they're at a numbers deficit. In the ensuing chaos, they take out most of Najin except for the tanky, and very angry, Expression. With some well co-ordinated taunt saves from Impact, Faker heals off the minions and lands his nukes for that final kill.
xPeke vs Dade – Worlds 2014 Group Stages
There is no competition more pure than a 1v1. The ultimate decider of skill in online battle. Here, xPeke – famed for his heroic single-handed defeat of the SK Gaming Nexus – takes on a more-or-less evenly matched dade, after accidentally running into him in the jungle. Knowing your opponents weaknesses is important in the gentleman's duel, but knowing your own limits is much more valuable. xPeke pulls out a series of well-timed spells leaving him inches from death, but his enemy on the floor, and still goes back to farming the lane.
Pray and Peanut 2v4 SKT – Worlds 2016 Quarter-Finals
You'd think there comes a point at which you don't take a teamfight against SKT. For most people that's the second they enter the game, for most pros that's the second you go down a player. For Pray and Peanut, they thought about it, sure. They thought about running away and letting a teamfight end at a 2-for-1 trade against them, but then, well. Sometimes up against the 3-time Worlds champions, you need to just take a chance.
Faker's Orianna escape vs ROX – Worlds 2016 Semi-Finals
However, later in the same tournament, Faker got his revenge by dodging a three-man gank with masterful prediction. Knowing ROX was likely about to try and cocoon him to secure their kill, the god of the mid lane took an ever so slight detour to the north to side step the trap. After that, a few well-placed autos to discourage diving and he was home free with health to spare.
SKT 10k gold comeback vs EDG – Worlds 2017 Group Stages
In order to defend their Worlds title for the third year in a row, SKT needed to overcome a particularly tough group featuring the EDwards Gaming summer LPL Champions. After gaining a sizeable gold lead against them, EDG gathered up for a death push up mid to finish of SKT. Sadly for them, it wasn't the death push they were thinking of. Despite being 10k gold down, SKT executed a perfect ambush and wiped the entire team, swinging the match entirely in their favor.
TheShy vs G2 – Worlds 2018 Semi-Finals
In last year's Worlds semi-finals, Invictus Gaming looked to be in a solid position to book themselves a slot in the finals. However their third game match-up against G2 wasn't the pushover they wanted, and after losing jungler Ning while securing a messy Dragon with the scores tied, IG probably should have backed off to regroup. However TheShy decided then was the perfect time to show off his new 4-man dunk and takes the fight back to G2 in spectacular fashion.
What have been your favorite moments of League of Legends' first 10 years? Do you have any pro LoL plays that you think were better?