This year is looking like a repeat in the world of professional League of Legends. Last year’s champions DWG KIA are the first team to qualify for the Worlds finals following a victory in a five-game series against T1 today. They march back into the finals after throwing one of the world’s best teams into the defeated column.
This battle between two of the LCK’s former championship teams resulted in some of the most diverse team compositions seen throughout the entirety of Worlds and proved why these teams made it this far into the tournament.
Ghost showed exactly why he earned a skin for Jhin just last year by establishing sheer dominance in kill pressure and a substantial gold lead against Gumayusi in game one. BeryL accompanied Ghost’s Jhin with a surprising Maokai pick, the first time the champion was played at Worlds and a resurgence from the beginning of the season. T1 had little room to maneuver a possible comeback as their talented players succumbed to large amounts of poke and burst damage—thus bringing about their second loss at all of Worlds.
Yet T1 turned it around completely in game two. Instead of flexing strength around the Rift, the T1 squad put together a composition centered around Canna in the top lane, flexing his first Yasuo pick of the year. Oner’s Baron steal put a halt to DWG’s small comeback and established the competitiveness of the series between these two former world champions.
T1 made another step forward in game three, and only one win separated them from knocking out last year’s world champions from Worlds 2021. Unfortunately for T1, DWG didn’t win last year’s World Championship as a fluke.
Game four looked very similar to game one, with DWG taking over all corners of the map and scoring a win. To make it to the finals, the winner would need to best the other in a game five, and the loser would end their hopes of the championship gold here.
Both T1 and DWG KIA brought out all the stops for the final game of the series—a silver scrapes that only heightened this game’s importance. The game picked up momentum as drakes continued to go in DWG’s favor, followed by T1’s continued failed attempts at Baron. A Canyon Elder Dragon secure resulted in a clear march down the mid lane for last year’s world champions, with the Summoner’s Cup clearly in their view once more.
T1 end their Worlds run here but head back to the LCK knowing their friends and rivals in DWG and Gen.G have the potential to bring the Summoner’s Cup home to the region for another year. DWG KIA return to the Worlds finals, where just a year ago they stood their ground against Suning and walked out with the gold. They’re looking to do the same this year, though they may have to fight against rivals from their own region to take the Summoner’s Cup.
Should DWG win yet again at this year’s Worlds, they will join T1—the team they bested to get here—as the only other team in League history to win back-to-back World Championships. Tomorrow’s match between the LCK’s Gen.G and LPL’s Edward Gaming will determine the other participant in the 2021 World Championship finals, which will take place on Nov. 6.
Make sure to follow us on YouTube for more esports news and analysis.
