The runner-up position at the 2020 Worlds brought SN so much. They were elevated to become one of the top teams in the world, and the players wearing the Thunder Lions jersey became sought-after names in the transfer market, with SwordArt’s record-breaking $6 million contract when moving to Team SoloMid being the proof.
However, it seems that the departure of former Suning captain from his teammates ultimately led to a sad ending for both, at least until the end of the 2021 season. Lacking a leader to connect the members, Suning plummeted and soon exited both the LPL Spring 2021 and LPL Summer 2021, thus also losing the opportunity to secure a spot at Worlds 2021.
But SwordArt is no better off, as TSM’s star-studded lineup failed to defend their LCS championship, and recently, they also lost their chance to represent the LCS at Worlds, after a 2-3 defeat to Cloud9.
The clash between “Team that lost 0-6 at Worlds” (TSM) and “Team that couldn’t even beat PGG” (C9) ended with a score of 2-3 in favor of Perkz and his teammates. Unlike G2 Esports, Perkz ultimately proved that he was the real key to success, helping C9 participate in both of the last two international tournaments, while G2 sat at home for both.
As for SwordArt, the fact that TSM could not attend Worlds 2021 will likely be a significant blow in his career. Unlike his time at SN, TSM was heavily invested in and ambitious right from the start, yet ultimately, this team still found a way to disappoint fans as they entered the final stretch.
Thus, with TSM’s defeat, the Suning lineup of 2020 has completely disappeared from Worlds 2021, and international audiences will have to wait at least another six months before having the chance to see at least one of the five members of this “band of thieves” return to the global stage.