SK Gaming Prime vs Istanbul Wildcats Preview and Predictions: EMEA Masters 2023 Spring Playoffs

Both SKP and IW have been dominant in the playoffs, but can the Turkish squad get to the Finals of the first EMEA Masters they attend?

Only 4 team remain in the 2023 EMEA Masters Playoffs: Unicorns of Love Sexy Edition has gotten farther than last year after defeating Movistar Riders in the Quarterfinals, while their opponent, Los Heretics got one step closer to defend their title. On the other branch, Istanbul Wildcats continue their journey to prove Riot Games wrong, while SK Gaming Prime are on fire after beating Macko Esports 3-0. But who will ascend to the Finals of this year’s first EM?

SK Gaming Prime vs Istanbul Wildcats Preview

SK Gaming Prime

While the Academy team of SK Gaming wasn’t really that special in the Group Stage, they have proved their worth in the Quarterfinals. Janik “JNX” Bartels and his teammates were the second seed of the German Prime League, and almost failed to make it out of Group D after losing 2 times to Team GO and failing to defeat Anorthosis Famagusta Esports.

However, they managed to pull through, so Fabian “FEBIVEN” Diepstraten had another shot at claiming an EMEA Masters title. SKP faced off against Macko Esports, who were almost flawless in the Group Stage, but their magic vanished when they needed it the most, and SKP beat them easily, without letting them score even one point.

Istanbul Wildcats

But the one Turkish squad that remains is something else. Istanbul Wildcats have swept through the TCL Winter Split like a storm, and as the first seed of the league, they did not disappoint. They only lost their first match in Group A of the EMEA Masters, then going on a 5-match win streak: they beat Los Heretics and Zero Tenacity twice, and while Arabian League champs Geekay Esports surprised them at first, they were no match to Emre “Kofte” Akça the second time around.

The Wildcats didn’t slow down in the Playoffs either, as they knocked out one of the strongest teams in the competition, LDLC OL. Like the Group Stage, they lost the first match against Jesper “Jeskla” Klarin Strömberg and co. even though they started to come back. But after the first showdown, the Turks didn’t stop, defeating the French squad three times in a row, and qualifying for the semis.

SK Gaming Prime vs Istanbul Wildcats Predictions

SK Gaming Prime certainly got their act together after a weaker showing in the Group Stage, with FEBIVEN and JNX bringing the stability, and Tim “Keduii” Willers picking Tristana – and destroying everyone with the Yordle. But overall, Istanbul Wildcats seems like a much more capable team: Korean imports Yoon “Destroy” Jeong-min and Jeong “BAO” Hyeon-woo are a scary pair, and the 3 Turkish players are just as good as them, as every member of the team could step up to carry. Thanks to this fact, I believe IW will be the first participant of the EMEA Masters Finals.