After finishing the regular season in first place for the first time in four years, TSM have been eliminated from Worlds 2021. In a long, five-game series against Cloud9, TSM fell to their rivals 2-3, ending their season and marking the third year in the last four where the team did not attend the grand event.
TSM came out strong in the series, winning the first game. They got ahead in Game 2, but a shaky late game and a lost Elder Dragon fight resulted in a tied-up series. They cleaned up Game 3, but with it, granted Cloud9 mid laner, Luka “Perkz” Perković, his 1-2 comfort zone. Cloud9 took the final two games of the series to qualify themselves to the 2021 World Championship. TSM are now in the off-season, with no games left this calendar year.
Cloud9 are coming off of a rough finish at the 2021 Mid-Season Invitational and rocky summer split.
“It’s been a very stressful summer because we sucked,” Perkz said in a post-game interview with Gabriella “LeTigress” Devia-Allen. “We’re still not great, but we’re not bad. So making it back to Worlds, for both me and Cloud9, is a very huge step.”
But regardless, a powered-up post-season run now sends them to China.
Cloud9 failed to make it to Worlds in 2020, missing it for the first time in the organization’s history, but they did not miss a second year. They’re historically the most successful North American representative at Worlds, and they’re headed back to attempt to put North America back in the bracket stage for the first time since 2018. They are still battling for their final seeding, with a match against 100 Thieves on Saturday, with the winner facing Team Liquid on Sunday in the finals.
To see all teams currently qualified for Worlds, check our conclusive article here.
