On the evening of September 22 (Vietnam time), the draw ceremony for the 2021 Worlds took place. The luck of the draw put FPX in the same group as the reigning 2020 Worlds champion – DWG KIA and Rogue – the team that finished 3rd in the LEC Summer 2021 after losing to Fnatic in the semifinals. Meanwhile, EDward Gaming will face T1 led by Faker in Group B, while Royal Never Give Up will compete against the European runner-up from the Summer season. FPX and DK’s Group A is called the “Death Group” as it gathers the two most promising candidates for this year’s Worlds championship.
However, according to some netizens, FPX’s chances of winning are “accidentally” looking very bright when compared to the 2019 season – the year the Phoenix reigned supreme. First, like the 2021 Worlds, that year the biggest tournament for League of Legends was held in Europe. This was pointed out by their fans as soon as Riot announced the change of venue from China to Iceland.
The second reason is that that year, FPX also qualified for the Worlds through a direct slot. Although the current rules had not yet been implemented, and FPX was also the champion of the LPL Summer 2019, it can be said that the way the Phoenix arrived at the Worlds in the year they became champions is quite similar, except that in 2021, they unfortunately stumbled in the Summer finals against EDG. Another important point is that in the group stage of 2019, they did not face any opponents from the LPL, and notably, that group also included one team from Europe (Splyce). Even in the case of one of the teams from the play-in stage, the chances of LNG Esports being in the same group as FPX are extremely low.
Besides, except for LNG that has to play in the play-in stage, the other three names, EDG has a poor track record against Korean teams. In 2018 (the last year EDG went to the Worlds), they only finished 2nd in a group with one Korean team (KT Rolster) and then lost to FNC 3-1 in the quarterfinals. As for RNG, they also do not have good results whenever they are in the same group as FNC or a team from Europe. Specifically, in 2018, RNG was in a group with Team Vitality, and although they topped the group stage, they were defeated by G2 Esports right in the quarterfinals. In 2019, RNG even failed to advance past the group stage, finishing 3rd, notably, that year they were in the same group as FNC.
These analyses, in general, only carry a “spiritual” factor and are presented by FPX fans to boost the confidence of the players as they prepare for their journey to conquer the championship. But anyway, in tense matches, luck certainly plays a significant role in a team’s ability to win.