As we know, in round 3 of the LPL Summer 2021 playoffs, Royal Never Give Up was defeated by LNG Esports with a score of 1-3. This resulted in RNG being eliminated from the tournament with only 130 accumulated points.
Theoretically, RNG still has a chance to secure a spot at Worlds 2021 through the second seed position of the LPL region – the team with the most accumulated points after the Summer Split champion. However, this can only happen if FunPlus Phoenix wins the championship and EDward Gaming does not reach the top 3 in LPL Summer 2021. Therefore, it is essential for RNG to maintain their practice in preparation for the possibility of seeking a ticket to Worlds 2021 through the Regional Qualifiers.
However, News.qq.com found that the entire main roster of Royal Never Give Up has not played ranked matches since August 19. In fact, the last ranked match for RNG’s support player, Ming, was on August 18. Could it be that the RNG members are confident that FunPlus Phoenix will win the championship and that EDward Gaming won’t manage to beat LNG Esports to get into the top 3, leading them to stop practicing?
Additionally, News.qq.com reported that such overconfidence could put Royal Never Give Up in a very passive position if they have to compete in the Regional Qualifiers. Therefore, this news outlet asserts that RNG is conducting a “secret mission” as the players switch to a different account and practice new champions and strategies.
If you recall, after the match between Royal Never Give Up and LNG Esports concluded, player Icon stated in an interview that RNG’s ban/pick phases were completely anticipated and read by the coaching staff. This indicates that RNG was studied too thoroughly by their opponents and that the team itself has yet to come up with breakthrough picks. Therefore, it is understandable that RNG is practicing new strategies to surprise their opponents in the Regional Qualifiers (if they have to participate).
Hopefully, this “secret mission” will help Royal Never Give Up return to peak form and secure a ticket to Worlds 2021 after the Regional Qualifiers conclude. Even if they become the second seed and do not have to participate in the Regional Qualifiers, practicing new strategies is never redundant, especially as Worlds 2021 approaches.
