Meet the teams in Group B of the Worlds 2021 Main Stage!
In the aftermath of an electrifying Play-in Stage, the 2021 League of Legends World Championship is now at its Main Stage. Now, the best teams in the world are ready to battle it out for a chance at the Summoner’s Cup. The remaining teams are split into four groups, with four teams in each. While there are exciting teams and matchups throughout each group, Group B is an intriguing one for sure. With legends rising and old kings coming back with a vengeance, the action in this group will truly be worthy of the World Championship!
Edward Gaming
First up in Group B is Edward Gaming, or EDG, from China’s LPL. The LPL is considered the most competitive region in the world right now and always seems to have a new team taking the throne. This split, that was EDG. They ended the regular season in second place with a highly respectable 12-4 scoreline. In playoffs, their run didn’t start off that well with a lost to Team WE, but they fought through the Lower Bracket to beat LNG Esports, Team WE in a rematch and, ultimately, former World Champs FunPlus Phoenix in the Finals. As the first seed from China, EDG has immense pressure on them to perform, and there’s little doubt they will.
Especially with such powerful pieces in their roster. The two that fans absolutely have to keep an eye on are ADC Park “Viper” Do-hyeon and mid laner Lee “Scout” Ye-chan. To start, Viper has been a huge carry performer for the team, boasting an incredible 30% on his team’s damage share in the Summer Split. Often times he’s the focal point of the team, and when he gets resources, he is a terrifying laner and team fighter. However, Scout is no slouch either. He has insanely high kill participation, at 72.3%, and plays a whole host of picks. From fighters, to enchanters, to assassins, to roam heavy champions, there’s nothing Scout can’t play.
As said before, expectations are high for EDG. Of course, after winning the LPL they’re considered tournament favorites. With that in mind, though there are some good teams in Group B, it shouldn’t pose too much of a challenge overall. This squad only has the Summoner’s Cup in their eyes and it will be a challenge for any team to stop their advance.
100 Thieves
Representing North America’s LCS is the rising 100 Thieves. The organization is making its first debut back at Worlds since 2018 and is looking really good heading into the event. At the start of the Summer Split, they added Felix “Abbedagge” Braun into the mid lane as well as hired Bok “Reapered” Han-gyu as their new Head Coach, which really leveled the team up. With the new star mid lane and coaching leadership, the team ended second place at the end of the regular season. Then they defied all expectations and defeated Team Liquid 3-0 in the LCS Championship Finals.
As mentioned before, Abbedagge was a huge boon for the team. 100 Thieves has often had problems in the mid lane role but Abbedagge is a strong and reliable player that does so much for the team. Alongside him is jungler Can “Closer” Çelik. Since he’s joined the LCS, many have praised him for countless impressive jungle performances. As well as for being one of, if not the best junglers in the LCS. Along with them, Ian Victor “FBI” Huang has come into his own as a top AD Carry player too. With the help of Choi “huhi” Jae-hyun, he’s proved himself as a star and will be a key player to watch in the Main Group Stage.
For NA fans, 100 Thieves are definitely an exciting team to have to represent the region. They seem to have very strong players in their roles, great teamwork and great coaching staff. However, being in Group B puts them in a tight spot with the caliber of teams in it. They won’t be favorites to make it out, but if they can, the sky’s the limit for the Thieves.
T1
As the third seed flying in from Korea’s LCK, we have none other than T1. Every LoL fan around the world knows of the former SKT T1, now just T1, domestic and international legacy. And the team has amassed a massive global following because of it. Though they’re not the same team as back then, T1 is still a solid threat at Worlds 2021. Their Summer Split was decent, as they ended the regular season at fourth place. Then they had a great playoffs, defeating the likes of Liiv SANDBOX and Gen.G to claim a spot in the Finals. T1 couldn’t quite take down DAMWON to win the split, but won the Regional Qualifiers to punch a ticket straight to the Worlds 2021 Main Stage.
Inevitably, the man in the mid lane, Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, is the one to talk about when discussing T1. As a three-time World Champion and longest-tenured player to a team, Faker has an international legacy as the best player of all time. He commands respect and has a wealth of experience that is invaluable for T1. But everyone knows all of that. So prying our eyes away from Faker, the bottom lane of T1 is another point of power. With both Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyeong and Park “Teddy” Jin-seong as ADC players, alongside Ryu “Keria” Min-seok in support, there’s so much talent it’s almost unbelievable. They’re all clearly world-class players already and can put a decent bid in for best players in their roles. They’ll certainly be crucial in T1’s success at Worlds 2021.
After missing Worlds last year, Faker and T1 will be back with a vengeance. They’re not as heavy favorites to win it all like DAMWON is, however, this team is capable of anything. They have the star power that’s needed to take on the best, and the hunger to do it. Right now, they’re a rather safe call to make it out of Group B because of that.
DetonatioN FocusMe
Finally, we have a team that made history once and is hoping to do so again. DetonatioN FocusMe, from Japan’s LJL. This is the first time a Japanese team has made to the Main Stage of a World Championship, and honestly, hopes are high for them. DFM has been a dominant force in their region for a long time, having a handful of Worlds experiences. This year is different though, as they assembled a true super team from players in the region and had an incredible Play-in Stage, only dropping a single game to Cloud9, who they later beat to clinch first in the group.
Those who know DFM will often say to keep your eyes on Lee “Aria” Ga-eul in the mid lane. He’s often touted as the best mid laner, and arguably best player in the region. And while that’s true, there are two other players who have really stepped up at Worlds so far for the team. First is support Yang “Gaeng” Gwang-woo. Gaeng has really shored up the weaknesses this team had to deal with at MSI 2021, and has been a rock-solid performer all around.
Along with him is top laner Shunsuke “Evi” Murase who, despite showing some weaknesses with champion pool, has been a great team player. Some of DFM’s defining moments in their wins have come off the back of Evi sacrificing lane to Teleport bottom and help his team secure kills. Of course, Aria will always be the star of the show. But the rest of DFM is stepping up to the occasion too.
With all that said, this is still a very, very hard group to make it out of. EDG and T1 are strong favorites with tried and true players and international legacies to uphold. But as they’ve shown the world, DFM is ready to tackle any challenge head-on.
Group B Predictions
Before seeing most of these teams in action on the Worlds stage, it’s fairly easy to predict the top two teams. But the bottom two teams are harder to call, even though being under top two still means you go home. There’s a good likelihood that the final standings for Group B look something like this:
- 1st – Edward Gaming
- 2nd – T1
- 3rd – DetonatioN FocusMe
- 4th – 100 Thieves
EDG and T1 are the obvious favorites to make it out. It’s foolish to bet otherwise. They’re both teams that have legitimate shots at making Finals, though to different degrees. Currently, EDG looks a tier above T1, but T1 should be content enough with getting to the Knockout Stage where they can show their prowess in best-of-fives. However, it is Worlds, and anything can happen.
In the bottom half, it’s difficult to determine whether DFM or 100T will take third. 100T were fantastic domestically in the Summer Split but it’s hard to put a ton of faith in them without seeing their form. On the other hand, DFM convincingly beat every Play-ins team they beat and went 1-1 against Cloud9, but their crucial tiebreaker win inspired a lot of confidence. At the end of the day, both teams are still probably a step below EDG and T1 though.
Between EDG and T1 being dominant forces, and 100T and DFM being potentially explosive upsetters, Group B will be one filled with action! Don’t miss out on any of it when the Main Group Stage starts tomorrow!
Source: https://estnn.com/lol-worlds-2021-main-stage-group-b-preview-predictions/
