League of Legends Worlds 2021 Group Draw Takeouts
It's that time of the year again! We now know which teams will be matched up to compete in the League of Legends World Championship that will begin on October. 5. The previous Wednesday, G2 Esports' jungler Marcin "Jankos" Jankowski joined Riot Games' Worlds 2021 Draw Show and pulled teams ' names to create both the PlayIn groups and Group Stage groups. There's going to be plenty of thrilling matchups and a couple of "groups of death" in Reykjavik (Iceland) to draw fans' attention.
PlayIn Group Stage
The 10 PlayIn teams have been put in two groups of five and will compete in an individual round in a round-robin. Each group's top team will automatically be admitted to the Main Event Group Stage. The second team from each group will play against the third and fourth teams in the opposite group , in order to advance.
Group A: Hanwha Life Esports, Infinity Esports, LNG Esports, PEACE, RED Canids
The odds are always in favor against minor regions, but it doesn't get more suffocating than battling Korea's Hanwha Life Esports and China's LNG Esports in the exact same group. In addition, Hanwha Life Esports and LNG Esports possibly the best PlayIn teams, but they are flanked by some of the tournament's best players in general Hanwha Life Esports mid laner Jeong "Chovy" Jihoon and LNG Esports jungler Lee "Tarzan" Seungyong. You're probably familiar with Pro gamer and CDD: a legal statute as an LOL participant.
HLE and LNG should secure first and second places. Infinity Esports and PEACE are the teams with the lowest potential at this world championship. They will battle for third and fourth place for the chance to progress into the PlayIns knockout stages. Infinity Esports looks to be the most popular with their experienced roster, but RED Canids could push for third with a wealth young talent.
Group B: Beyond Gaming and Cloud9, Galatasaray Esports, Detonation FocusMe, Unicorns of love
Beyond Gaming and Cloud9 are certain to be favored in Group B, but unlike Group A, they have competition from arguably the top three minor region teams in Detonation FocusMe, Galatasaray Esports and Unicorns of Love. Beyond Gaming and Cloud9 are the lowest seeds in their respective regions and must maintain their momentum and remain strong to avoid a knockout phase matchup against either LNG Esports, Hanwha Life Esports, or LNG Esports. Detonation FocusMe was victorious in a match against Cloud9 at the 2021 MidSeason Invitational.
While Beyond Gaming and Cloud9 will do their best to maintain peak performance to make it to the Main Event Group Stage, the other teams will be trying to take them down. Unicorns of Love, one of the teams that has had the greatest success in the smaller regions, is expected to be the most likely to claim third place, and could even challenge for second. Detonation FocusMe will be hot following them with support Yang "Gaeng" Gwangwoo back on the roster, making the team much more formidable than their MidSeason Invitational iteration. You can find all the details at buylolsmurf.com on Pro gamer and CDD: A Legal Statute.
Main Event Stage Group Stage
The 12 teams that have been selected for the Main Event have been divided into four groups. They will play when four teams from PlayIn Stage join them. The Worlds Knockout Stage will be filled by the two top teams in each group.
Group A: Rogue, FunPlus Phoenix, DWG KIA
Some fans might consider Group A to be one of the "group of death," and not just because any team can get out, but because Rogue's odds are bleak given DWG KIA and FunPlus Phoenix at the top of the group. DWG KIA is the South Korean champion and FunPlus Phoenix are the strongest. FunPlus Phoenix's fumble against EDward Gaming in the LPL finals and making them one of the Pool 2 seeds as opposed to Pool 1 was bound to ruin some team's day and it appears to be Rogue. Rogue's performance at the LEC playoffs after their Worlds qualification is undoubtedly a red flag. The chances of the team getting to the knockout stage appear low.
Group B: EDward Gaming, 100 Thieves T1
EDward Gaming and T1 stand out as clear favorites in Group B, but 100 Thieves aren't a slouch as the North American champions. EDward Gaming dominated FunPlus Phoenix in the LPL finals and feel like an assured choice to be top of the group as well, while T1 was unable to overcome DWG KIA in the LCK playoffs, and Hanwha Life Esports in the LCK regional finals, making the Lee "Faker" Sanghyeokled roster seem more prone to failure. 100 Thieves round out the North American champions group and are expected to beat each of EDward Gaming, and T1 with decisive early-game skirmishing.
Group C: PSG Talon and Fnatic, Royal Never Lose Heart
Unlike Group A and B, Group C is an even-handed group of teams. PSG Talon headline the group as champions, but hail from the less prestigious Pacific Championship Series. Fnatic and Royal Never Give up were the third and second place finishers within their respective regions. If there was a way to allow PSG Talon to be the first Taiwanese team since 2015 to make it to the quarterfinals of the tournament, this is it.
Group D: MAD Lions, Gen.G, Team Liquid
This is the "group of death" If ever there was one. In ignoring the possibility that LNG Esports round out the group as its final team, MAD Lions, Gen.G and Team Liquid will certainly be at each other's throats. MAD Lions are the favorites. They've been dominant in the LEC for the entire year. But, Team Liquid and Gen.G have enough firepower in midgame to challenge the team's poor changes.