After the conclusion of the LPL Summer 2021 group stage, the rankings of the teams have been determined, and thus, the schedule for the playoffs has been set. Positioned at 9th, Suning will kick off the knockout battle by facing LNG Esports in the opening match of Round 1.
It’s quite concerning for SN as they find themselves in a lethal bracket, featuring LNG Esports, Top Esports, Royal Never Give Up, and FunPlus Phoenix. SofM and his teammates will have to take on the defending champions RNG and two former LPL champions, TES and FPX, provided they can first overcome the initial hurdle named LNG.
Among the four opponents that SN will face, both RNG and FPX are currently in very high form. After a poor start at the beginning of the season, RNG has strung together 9 consecutive wins to reach the top 4, thus securing a spot in Round 3 of the playoffs, while FPX finished the group stage in first place. LNG and TES both showed signs of decline in the latter half of the group stage but remain formidable opponents.
However, a somewhat positive sign is that of these four teams, three have already been defeated by SN in the group stage: LNG, TES, and RNG. Although this doesn’t say much, it at least provides some confidence for the reigning world runner-up as they prepare to face much stronger opponents, especially RNG. As is known, to maintain their position in the race for a 2021 World Championship ticket, Suning needs to win at least 2 Bo5 matches against LNG and TES.
This will not only help them maintain a position among the top 6 teams with the highest accumulated points (likely one of these will win the championship, and the team with the highest accumulated points without winning will secure 2 slots for the World Championship. The remaining 4 teams will compete in the regional qualifiers), but also directly eliminate competing rivals for that ticket.
If the goal is to win the LPL championship (which means a direct ticket to the World Championship), then SofM and his teammates will have to win at least 6 Bo5 matches.
In the other bracket, OMG and WE will compete for a ticket to Round 2 to face BLG, and the winner of the Round 2 match in this bracket will subsequently meet Rare Atom and EDward Gaming.
The LPL Summer 2021 Playoffs Round 1 will officially kick off on August 12 with the opening match between Suning and LNG Esports.