The League of Legends World Championship is rapidly approaching, as 22 teams descend on Reykjavik, Iceland. Leading into the biggest LoL event of the year, social media is ablaze with debate. Why not join in on the fun? We have gathered our writers together to get their Worlds 2021 predictions on everything from Winners to MVP to which champion will be picked the most.
Tom Matthiesen
Though FPX has not won a Split in the LPL this year, they made it to the grand finals twice. Being the most consistent team in the strongest region League of Legends has to offer has to be respected. FPX returns to the international stage with only one change from their 2019 championship lineup: Nuguri roams in their top lane now.
FPX is looking revived and ready to hoist the trophy for a second time. Mid laner Doinb is considered by many to be the best player in the world at the moment, living up to his title of ‘supercarry’. With a controlled playstyle they play for a long game, in which they meticulously pick apart their opponent, adapting to every weakness shown. It’s time for the phoenix to fly once more.
It is high time people start putting some respect on the PCS teams’ names. When the LMS and LST merged at the end of 2019, the newly formed region took some time to adjust. But in 2021, the hype train is speeding up. At the Mid-Season Invitational earlier this year, we got a glimpse of the PCS’s rapidly growing power. PSG Talon, with Doggo as its substitute, reached the MSI semi finals, leaving Cloud9 to drown in the Rumble Stage.
Beyond Gaming heads into Worlds as the second seed of the PCS, but it’s only by a hair that they missed out on being the first seed. In the Summer Split finals, Beyond Gaming pushed PSG Talon to five games. All eyes will be on the aforementioned Doggo, who now gets to prove himself with his own team, and chances are Beyond Gaming will surprise the viewers.
Play-in Group Winners
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| Hanwha Life Esports | Beyond Gaming |
Group Stage Winners
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
|---|---|---|---|
| FPX | EDward Gaming | Royal Never Give Up | MAD Lions |
Worlds 2021 MVP: Doinb
The tradition for the past three World Championships has been that the jungler was awarded MVP of the finals, given the role’s ability to influence all lanes and guide the game. But this year it goes to the maniac in the mid lane: Supercarry Doinb.
Most Played Champion at Worlds 2021: Renekton
Top lane has one of the most stale metas on any given patch, and Riot just gave a buff to a top lane favorite: Renekton. It’s a safe pick, it’s a trusted pick, and League pros do not like deviating from what they know. Undock the croc!
Dan Smyth-Temple
Worlds 2021 Winner: EDward Gaming
In a region sending four teams that could all feasibly take home the trophy, EDG has shown itself to be the most consistent. The LPL curse is real, folks, but this tournament favorite is the least likely to tank out of group stage like so many LPL representatives before it. They put out consistent performances throughout the Summer Split and convincingly won finals against FPX, who most favored going in. They’re able to perform when the pressure is on, a crucial skill for international performance. If their botlane (the best in the world) is able to do what they do best, EDG can take it all.
Worlds 2021 Darkhorse: MAD Lions
There are a number of very strong LPL and LCK teams that few would be surprised to see win, but I believe MAD Lions, of all the Western teams, has the best chance of stealing the title. They do lack international experience, which we saw dismantle them last Worlds. The same could happen again, especially if Elyoya cracks under the pressure. If not, MAD’s mid/jungle duo can take on the best in the world. They’ve proven that they have the clutch factor and were able to take DWG KIA to game 5 back at MSI, but it’s yet to be seen if they can take up the banner of EU at Worlds that G2 once carried.
Play-in Group Winners
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| Hanwha Life Esports | Cloud9 |
Group Stage Winners
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
|---|---|---|---|
| DWG KIA | EDward Gaming | RNG | MAD Lions |
Worlds 2021 MVP: Doinb
Even if FPX doesn’t win it all, it’s hard to argue against Doinb. He’s proven himself a step above the competition in the very competitive LPL, and right now it seems like only Showmaker could match him. Group A is sure to be a spicy one.
Most Played Champion at Worlds 2021: Lee Sin
Death, taxes, Lee Sin at worlds. Even with his brief time as a solo laner seemingly at an end, the blind monk is sure to be a mainstay throughout. Keep an eye out for Tarzan on this pick.
Zakaria Almughrabi
The general consensus going around the League of Legends scene has been that DWG KIA is much more beatable than they were last year when they won it all. I still believe that they look like the most complete squad going into Worlds 2021. ShowMaker and Canyon are two of the best players in their roles. Their Mid Jungle synergy can hardly be beaten by anyone. Khan stepped up big time in the LCK Summer Playoffs, showing that he still has the potential to play a big game.
DWG KIA’s main problem has been bot lane. Ghost and BeryL looked like shells of their former selves throughout the back half of the year. However, the arrival of picks like Ziggs and Ashe for Ghost has allowed him to output decent value regardless. If these two can manage to stay level against their opposition, DWG KIA should outmatch the rest of the map.
Fnatic come into Worlds as Europe’s second seed. Despite a 3-1 loss in the Summer Finals to MAD Lions, I believe Fnatic can be the best performing Worlds team from Europe. Fnatic will be led by the duo of Bwipo and Hylissang. These two are likely the most underrated Jungle Support duo at the tournament. Fnatic will have many avenues to create advantages solely off of their macro play.
While Adam is untested at this level, he has shown great propensity to be a huge pressure sponge in the top lane. Upset is also stable AD carry presence that will be completely fine against most other bot lanes. While Nisqy is the biggest weakness for this squad on paper, the current mid lane meta is diverse enough that he will likely be able to stabilize on comfort picks. Fnatic is also led by Coach YamatoCannon who led both Splyce and Team Vitality to Worlds in 2016 and 2018 respectively.
Play-in Group Winners
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| Hanwha Life Esports | Cloud9 |
Group Stage Winners
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
|---|---|---|---|
| DWG KIA | EDward Gaming | Fnatic | MAD Lions |
Worlds 2021 MVP: Showmaker
While there are multiple candidates for Best Mid at Worlds, ShowMaker likely has the most versatility of all. He can easily play hard carry AD mids like Yone and Yasuo, aggressive AP picks like LeBlanc and Sylas, and safer control mages like Syndra or Ziggs. Showmaker has also been putting in plenty of solo queue reps on the flavor of the month Tryndamere mid.
Most Played Champion at Worlds 2021: Lucian
The Patch 11.17 changes to Lucian has made him a force to be reckoned with in the bot lane. While there was previously no reason to play him here over Mid or Top, the extra damage on his passive when buffed by an ally is incredibly oppressive in lane. Expect to see Lucian played with all kinds of picks, especially the new Electrocute Nami tech.
Michael Hassall
FunPlus Phoenix looks unstoppable. If it’s possible, this team looks in better form than they did in 2019. That said, their opposition also looks worse than in 2019. North America, Korean and Europe don’t have impressive fields of competition this year, in my opinion. Kim “Doinb” Tae-sang is the best mid lane player in the world right now. And the team has an even more solid backing for him than they did in previous years. With Jang “Nuguri” Ha-gwon supporting him in the top lane, there’s really not much I can see stopping FPX this year.
While many will be picking MAD Lions to win their group, or at least make it out, few would expect them to make a run for victory. This is due to some issues of inconsistency, not just from them, but from the entire European region this season. But in peak performance, there’s not a better team in terms of execution. İrfan “Armut” Tükek is really the star player for me in this lineup, but he also embodies the issues the squad has: He’s binary, either popping off or a liability. Let’s hope he pops off at Worlds.
Play-in Group Winners
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| Hanwha Life Esports | Cloud9 |
Group Stage Winners
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
|---|---|---|---|
| FPX | T1 | RNG | MAD Lions |
Worlds 2021 MVP: Doinb
I’ve already spoken a little about Doinb in my prediction for FPX, but to reiterate, this guy is the best mid lane player in the world right now. From both a decision-making and mechanical standpoint, there’s no one else you’d rather have as your mid. But what’s most impressive is how consistent he is under pressure. In big games, it’s always Doinb at the top of the table for his team: Always the carry, never carried.
Most Played Champion at Worlds 2021: Orianna
I think that with bans flying out against some of the stronger mid-lane champions, the most picked champion will be reliable Orianna. It’s a favorite among the Korean and China mid players, and it rarely draws a ban. But Orianna is never far from being a top-tier mid, and always seems to come out during Worlds.
(Photo via Michal Konkol for Riot Games)
Justin Hartling
Play-in Group Winners
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| LNG Esports | Beyond Gaming |
Group Stage Winners
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
|---|---|---|---|
| DWG Kia | EDward Gaming | PSG Talon | Gen.G |
Worlds 2021 MVP: Showmaker
The MVP pick, for me, comes down to Showmaker and Canyon. If DWG Kia wins Worlds 2021, it is because these two absolutely dominate. At the end of the day, I give a slight edge to Showmaker’s ability to takeover in teamfights.
Most Played Champion at Worlds 2021: Sylas
As much as I want to get cute and say something like Amumu support or Tryndamere mid, it is safer to pick a champion like Sylas. It seems to me that jungle will be heavily targeted in bans at Worlds 2021, leaving other pools more wide open. Sylas is able to carry, can match TF/Ryze/Galio for global pressure and is a favorite pick of some of the best mids in the world.
Final Tally
Worlds 2021 Winner
- DWG Kia (Two Votes)
- FPX (Two Votes)
- EDG
Worlds 2021 Darkhorse
- MAD Lions (Two Votes)
- Beyond Gaming
- Fnatic
- PSG Talon
Worlds 2021 MVP
- Doinb (Three Votes)
- Showmaker (Two Votes)
Most Played Champion at Worlds 2021
- Renekton
- Lee Sin
- Lucian
- Orianna
- Sylas
