Kurumx wins the Runeterra Reforged Mid-Set Finale!

Against 31 of the best Teamfight Tactics (TFT) players in North America (NA), Kurumx proved himself to be the best across three days of competition. With this win, Kurumx became the first professional TFT player in NA to win three major Riot-sponsored tournaments. He also became the first player to win two tournaments in the same TFT set. Most importantly for Kurumx, he secured a spot at the Runeterra Reforged Championship to compete for the world title.

Kurumx qualified to the Mid-Set Finale when he won the Freljord Cup, the first major tournament of Set 9. The Mid-Set Finale featured steeper competition, as all 32 competitors qualified through top tournament performances across Set 9. While his previous tournament performance at Shurima Cup was not quite up to standard, there was a world championship spot on the line this time. So Kurumx showed up to play.

With 33 points, Kurumx cemented a top-five finish on Day 1. He then topped that with a top-two finish on Day 2 with 34 points, earning himself two bonus points for the final day of competition. After five games of play on the final day of the Mid-Set Finale, Kurumx demonstrated no signs of slowing down. With placements of fifth, third, fifth, second, and first, Kurumx, with 31 points, had a six-point lead over his competition prior to the final game.

Heading into the final game of the Runeterra Reforged Mid-Set Finale, Kurumx needed to place sixth place or higher. If he avoided seventh and eighth place, he would be the guaranteed victor of the tournament. It seemed impossible for anyone to surmount the lead he created.

As game six of the Runeterra Reforged Mid-Set Finale commenced, Kurumx put on a statement finish. His game plan was clear — look for an uncontested AP flex line to take home the tournament victory. The bottom finishers of the final game contested each other's Aphelios carry line, making way for Kurumx to play a 6 Sorcerer Lux carry with relative ease. He only needed a sixth place, but to widen the gap of victory, Kurumx placed second in the final game of competition. This brought his total points on the day to 38, winning the tournament over Dishsoap by eight points.

Kurumx only placed below fifth place twice throughout the entire tournament. A single sixth place on Day 1 and a single sixth place on Day 2 were his lowest finishes. He ended the tournament with a 3.33 average placement, with the next closest being Dishsoap at 3.83. It was pure domination from start to finish by NA's first representative at the Runeterra Reforged Championship.

This is how the competitors split the $25,000 USD prize pool:

You can check out the full scores and standings of the event here.

While Dishsoap already qualified to the Runeterra Reforged NA Regional Finals via ladder snapshot, Kurumx, Darth Nub, Prestivent, and Tleyds also qualified to the Set 9 NA Regional Finals through their incredible Mid-Set Finale performances.

Kurumx last represented NA at the world championship in Set 4 Fates. Ever since then, he has not stopped trying to return to the world stage to win the coveted title. Now, he hopes to make it a back-to-back win for his region.

A B-patch for TFT was deployed a few days leading up to the competition. This affected the preparation, strategies, and skill level of players before the tournament. For Kurumx, it turned out to be his biggest advantage.

Kurumx confidently declared a promise to thousands of viewers.

Here's a look at what's next for NA competitive TFT in Set 9.5. Be sure to tune in to the broadcast of the next tournament, Noxus Cup, between Oct. 7 to 8 at 1 p.m. PT.

Stay tuned to esports.gg for the latest TFT news and updates.