With Hanwha Life Esports officially qualifying for Worlds 2021, LCK has gathered all four of its top mid-lane superstars to prepare for the journey of defending the Summoner’s Cup. ShowMaker, Faker, Bdd, and Chovy are all regarded as the highest-tier mid laners that Korean League of Legends has possessed in the past five years, and their participation in this year’s Worlds is seen as a significant boost to their chances of retaining the championship, especially since the Korean opposition from the LPL region is not highly regarded in the mid-lane position, except for Doinb.
As of now, besides FunPlus Phoenix and EDward Gaming who have secured their spots at Worlds, the remaining two slots from LPL are still up for grabs, turning it into a battle among four teams: Royal Never Give Up, LNG Esports, Team WE, and Rare Atom.
The mid laners from these teams are: Doinb, Scout, Cryin, Icon, Mole/Shanks, and FoFo. Except for Doinb and Scout, the commonality among the other players is their lack of international experience and less remarkable skill (due to their youth and limited opportunities).
Evidence of this is seen as these players all seem to be “outclassed completely” when facing Doinb – the ultimate measure of mid-lane strength in the LPL at the moment, or more accurately, they show no resistance at all.
Cryin is a slight exception in terms of experience, as the RNG player claimed the MSI 2021 championship earlier this year. However, this was not a particularly impressive tournament for this player, and he also suffered a significant decline in performance entering the LPL Summer 2021.
Regarding the two highest-tier names in LPL currently in the mid-lane: Doinb and Scout, the EDG mid laner is naturally rated lower. Scout has had many years of battling in LPL and has participated in numerous international tournaments, but the performance of the former SKT player on the world stage has been rather lackluster.
Therefore, the only name with enough caliber to face the four stars from LCK remains Doinb. At Worlds 2020, the unfortunate draw led the two regions LPL and LCK to face off internally, with three teams from LPL and three teams from LCK in two completely separate playoff brackets. This year, this scenario may well happen again, but in a more “uncomfortable” situation, Doinb could even face all four LCK teams if he wishes to claim the championship.
Compared to the four names from LPL (including those who advance through the regional qualifiers), the four mid laners from LCK are rated higher on average. Both ShowMaker, Faker, Bdd, and Chovy are experienced stars, frequently participating in Worlds, with two of them being past champions.
However, many LPL fans still confidently believe that the gap in the number of quality mid laners does not say much. And this belief is entirely valid, as Doinb is showing a much more comprehensive performance compared to most of his counterparts on the opposite side, both personally and collectively.
In terms of individual skill, LCK currently has ShowMaker and Chovy who can be compared to Doinb, but the “Clown” is rated slightly higher than the two younger colleagues as he can excel in situational picks – Counter-picks. Faker and Bdd both face issues. The signs of aging have clearly shown in the movements of the greatest star in League of Legends history, while the mid-laner of GEN is known for his stability – which means not many breakthroughs in gameplay, and he is not a reliable carry.
In terms of team dynamics, FPX has a weaker bot lane compared to T1 and GEN, but can still hold their own against DK and HLE. On the flip side, they have an ideal trio occupying the top side of the map: Nuguri – Tian – Doinb. If they perform at their peak, Nuguri should not lose to Canna, Khan and is much superior to Rascal or Morgan. The top side gaining an advantage is crucial for FPX’s chances of winning.
Among the four mid laners of LCK, Chovy is even rated slightly higher than ShowMaker, but unfortunately, HLE is too weak compared to FPX in theory. Their top lane and jungle are not highly regarded, while their bot lane is… “hit or miss”, as on a good day, Deft can carry the world, but he often throws games or plays ineffectively.
Overall, LPL fans have reason to believe that they will successfully avenge their loss in 2020, even if the mid lane region – the key to victory in the current meta, is not rated as highly as their LCK counterparts, as Doinb is currently the most reliable anchor for Chinese fans.
Of course, any comparison made at this point is purely theoretical, as history has proven, not everyone who is highly rated ends up being the final victor, and that is the excitement of esports. Nevertheless, witnessing intriguing matchups like Doinb vs. ShowMaker, Doinb vs. Faker, or Doinb vs. Chovy… will undoubtedly be an amazing experience for League of Legends fans worldwide this fall.