After a relatively “disastrous” start in the group stage of MSI 2021, Cloud9 has finally regained the trust of their fans. They lost their first two matches, the worst being a defeat against Detonation FocusMe. However, they then went on a streak of four consecutive victories, crushing DWG KIA in the rematch, to enter the Rumble Stage in second place of Group C.
One of the reasons for C9’s slow start at MSI stems from Perkz – the brightest star of this team. This is not a personal opinion of the writer, but rather a confession from the Polish player himself, in a recent interview with Inven Global.
Specifically, in the third match of the first round of Group C, when C9 secured their first victory against Infinity Esports, Perkz had the chance to express his feelings about the two bitter defeats prior:
“I don’t know which champions are strong in the mid lane right now. I picked Tristana (in the match against INF) because it fit our composition at that time.”
However, Perkz is not the only player showing confusion with the current meta-game. As of the third day of the group stage, there have been up to 15 champions appearing in the mid lane across 18 matches, a number that shows the diversity of champion picks but also reflects a lack of stability in the meta.
None of the 15 champions mentioned above have shown to be overwhelmingly effective in even matchups. In fact, in C9’s victory against DK, Perkz even used Viktor – a champion known for…
The reality is that the variety of mid lane champions does not make the MSI 2021 meta more exciting, as the real issue lies in the jungle position. Champions like Nidalee, Morgana, Rumble, or Udyr are showing clear superiority and have an overwhelming presence in the jungle, leading to many similar scenarios in multiple matches.
Nevertheless, there is significant encouragement for C9 fans, as they seem to have adapted to the changes in League of Legends version 11.9 and are experiencing a strong resurgence in the later stages. Perkz’s current form will be the key for Cloud9 to determine their fate in the Rumble Stage, and a spot in the semifinals can still be said to be within reach for the North American representative.