This year, LCK has undeniably become the region with the most teams capable of competing for the championship title at the 2021 World Championship. With DWG KIA, T1, Gen.G, and HLE already familiar with the international stage. At least HLE might feel a bit more inexperienced with many young players, but with the long-standing experience of Deft and Chovy, this can compensate. One clear takeaway is that the World Championship is not just a tournament that requires a strong team in terms of teamwork and individual skills of each player but also heavily relies on international competition experience.
Therefore, the question arises: What have the four LCK teams prepared, and what style of play are they likely to showcase at this year’s Finals? Let’s analyze this together!
HLE: Chovy as the ‘Golden Backbone’
It is no exaggeration to say that Chovy is the captain steering the HLE ship. Despite the “revival” signals from Deft during the qualifier matches for the 2021 World Championship, what Deft and his teammates displayed was insufficient to help Chovy defeat T1 for a guaranteed spot in the group stage. It can be said that throughout the Summer season, HLE’s gameplay has always revolved around Chovy, making him the focal point. The lane control ability of the young player born in 2001 remains something superior compared to the rest of LCK. ShowMaker, Bdd, and even Faker have often faced defeat when challenging this young player in 1vs1 matchups. Therefore, it would not be surprising if Hanwha Life Esports continues to adopt a Chovy-centric playstyle at the World Championship.
However, it is essential to emphasize that the talent of HLE’s 2001-born player is both a strength and a potential weakness if thoroughly exploited. A typical example is in the latest match against T1, where HLE’s mid lane was always the target chosen by Oner or Keira during combat. When the bomb named Chovy is neutralized, it means HLE’s chances of winning are also in a state of alarm. Therefore, if HLE wants to go far in this year’s World Championship, they must change their gameplay, relieve pressure on Chovy, while the other lanes need to push their limits by 200% for their goal to advance to remain attainable.
Gen.G: A Playstyle Focused on the Bot Lane
Entering the largest League of Legends tournament in the world as the second seed of LCK. Despite consistently high domestic performance, Gen.G is often not highly rated internationally. Nevertheless, Gen.G will still become a formidable opponent in any group they are part of in this year’s Finals, boasting the strongest bot lane duo in LCK at the moment.
With stable performance, exceptional lane control, and team fighting abilities, the duo “Ruler-Life” is seen as Gen.G’s “time bomb.” The term “time bomb” is used because it only explodes unexpectedly once it reaches a certain time threshold. Similarly, when Ruler achieves the necessary power threshold, he is capable of carrying the entire Gen.G team to victory.
However, Gen.G’s playstyle is considered a difficult approach to achieving success at the upcoming World Championship. As the meta shifts, the role of the AD carry is becoming increasingly overshadowed by other positions. Therefore, hoping to “nurture” Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk will be extremely challenging. But if they choose a slow, controlled playstyle that facilitates Ruler during the laning phase, this is clearly a gamble that the Gen.G coaching staff should consider.
T1: Still Relying on the Inspiration Named Faker
After a year away from the World Championship stage, Faker and T1 have finally returned. It has been too long since we witnessed the mighty T1 sweeping through all opponents on the international stage, instead experiencing a series of significant rosters changes. Now, T1 possesses a talented young roster under the leadership of captain Faker. This is both awaited by fans and a cause for concern. The anticipation is for the combination of the passionate young blood (Oner, Keira, Gumayusi) and the experienced veterans (Faker, Teddy). However, there is also concern due to the instability of a team that hasn’t had much time to bond and needs more time to prove itself.
T1 this year is known for their adaptability in gameplay across each match. They always learn from the mistakes of each game to make positive changes in the next match. However, this is also their weakness, as the lack of unity places the entire burden on Faker’s shoulders. It is not hard to notice that many times the “Demon King” became overloaded, leading to a loss of his own identity. Yet, looking back, most of T1’s focus is on the top lane, where Faker and Canna can change the dynamics of the entire match. Thus, it is not surprising that at this year’s World Championship, we will often see T1 continuing to operate under Faker’s command.
DWG KIA: Simply Top-Tier Class
Speaking of the reigning LCK Summer champions and the former World Championship winners of 2020, DWG KIA remains the number one contender for this year’s championship. The DWG KIA squad remains a powerful force on the international stage, if not unique, boasting the world’s top Mid-Jungle duo. As the meta revolves around the Mid-Jungle axis, having superior players in these positions is a significant foundation for victory. The beneficiaries are none other than ShowMaker and Canyon, both of whom are performing at an incredibly stable level. Additionally, Khan’s ability to step in for Nuguri relatively well has helped DWG KIA maintain their strength without significant decline, especially during the Summer sprint.
However, on the downside, the DK’s bot lane remains a weakness as Ghost is experiencing the most unstable phase of his career. If strong teams like FPX or EDG exploit this well, it would truly be a nightmare for DWG in this Finals. Furthermore, despite being the LCK champions, the DWG KIA squad seems to be in a stagnation phase. The players appear to have reached their “peak” levels. Nevertheless, if DK continues to display convincing performance as they have now, with a world-class control playstyle alongside Canyon’s and ShowMaker’s ability to create disruptions, the World Championship trophy will be hard to escape from their grasp.