The League of Legends World Championship (Worlds) 2021 group draw has been completed and the four groups have been confirmed.
Jankos, the jungler for G2, who failed to qualify for Worlds this time around, today drew the groups for the tournament which takes place in Iceland in October 2021.
Teams have of course been making preparations for the competition, with the likes of Cloud9 contracting Icelandic esports org Dusty as an exclusive 2021 Worlds partner to help them train ahead of the tournament.
Worlds 2021 groups:
Here are the four groups with teams from the LCK (Korea), LPL (China), LEC (Europe), LCS (North America) and PCS (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and Southeast Asia).
Group A
- DWG KIA (LCK)
- FunPlus Phoenix (LPL)
- Rogue (LEC)
- Play-ins team TBC
Group B
- Edward Gaming (LPL)
- 100 Thieves (LCS)
- T1 (LCK)
- Play-ins team TBC
Group C
- PSG Talon (PCS)
- Fnatic (LEC)
- Royal Never Give Up (LPL)
- Play-ins team TBC
Group D
- Mad Lions (LEC)
- Gen.G (LCK)
- Team Liquid (LCS)
- Play-ins team TBC
Worlds 2021 play-in teams:
These are the ten sides that start in the play-ins stage, with four making it through into the groups above.
- LNG (LPL)
- Hanwha Life (LCK)
- Cloud9 (LCS)
- Beyond Gaming (PCS)
- Unicorns of Love (LCL)
- Infinity Esports (LLA)
- Galatasaray (TCL)
- Red Canids (CBLOL)
- Detonation FocusMe (LJL)
- Peace (LCO)
What are Europe’s chances at Worlds 2021? ENUK editor Dom Sacco shares his thoughts
The top European League of Legends sides face another tough test at Worlds 2021. There’s no G2 this time around, leaving LEC Summer 2021 winners Mad Lions, Fnatic and Rogue to represent EU on the global stage.
First up, Rogue in Group A. They face an uphill battle in what’s being labelled the group of death, along with recent World champions DWG (2020 from Korea) and FPX (2019 from China). If LNG and Hanwha Life make it through, it’s going to be even harder for Rogue. Cloud9 could also make it through but on paper you’d expect Rogue to beat them.
This will be a huge test for Rogue, who are sadly not the favourites this time around. At Worlds last year, Rogue were also in a group with Damwon, and failed to get out of the group with five losses and one win. Saying that, upsets are possible, and Rogue did show consistency in the last few LEC seasons, finishing top of the most recent regular split, so let’s see how they fare at Worlds this year.
Looking to Group C and London-based organisation Fnatic, then, and you’d expect them to progress out of this group. They will be facing PSG Talon from the PCS and Royal Never Give Up from the LPL.
The Pacific Championship Series is not at the same level as the LEC, and Royal Never Give Up finished 5th-6th in the most recent regular split. Fnatic themselves only finished 5th in the Summer 2021 LEC, but they went on a fantastic run in the lower bracket of the playoffs to reach Worlds, and on their day they can compete with the best of them.
Also, Hanwha Life and Cloud9 may reach this group from the play-ins.
Fnatic top-laner Adam will be happy he’s going up against Royal Never Give Up top-laner Xiaohu, after Fnatic Adam told us in an interview he wants to go to Worlds and and ‘show the world there’s a top-laner in Europe that can match all the legends in Asia’.
Our freelance writer Megalodontus is not so sure, however, and feels this group may be more of a coinflip for Fnatic.
Finally, onto Mad Lions, the current winners of the LEC. They will go up against Korea’s Gen.G and North America’s Team Liquid in Group D.
Gen.G finished second in the LCK Summer 2021 Season and reached the semi-finals of the playoffs, which is no mean feat, while Liquid finished fifth in the LCS Summer 2021 Season and reached the final of the Championship, falling to 100 Thieves 3-0 in the final.
Mad have solid potential to qualify; many would expect them to beat Team Liquid and they are in my opinion good enough to pick up a win versus Gen.G, but it won’t be easy. I feel Mad will respect both sides, however, and will not go into Worlds too cocky.
Team Liquid also have the UK’s only player at Worlds this year in Alphari – the Welshman who came back strong after being benched by Liquid earlier this year. So if Mad don’t make it, I’ll be backing Liquid next!
How do you feel Europe will do at Worlds? Let us know in the comments below.
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
