Upcomer is back with the last week of League of Legends global power rankings before the 2021 Mid-Season Invitational kicks off on May 6. In the past week, the League of Legends Pro League crowned RNG as its spring champions, solidifying the 16 teams that will head to Iceland for the first international event of the year.
Only three teams on this list have played in the past week, yet these new rankings caused significant movement at the very top of the standings. Whether they’re headed overseas or back to the drawing board for Summer, here’s how we rate the best teams in the world ahead of MSI.
10. Cloud9
Record: 22-8
Results this week: 3-2 against Team Liquid
Movement this week: —
Cloud9 have been riding on the high of an impressive championship win against Team Liquid in the League of Legends Championship Series 2021 Mid-Season Showdown. Now, it’s time for reality to set in. MSI is around the corner and, with DWG KIA as the only immediately threatening team in their group, the pressure is on for C9 to show up.
In this case, showing up for C9 will mean advancing from a very manageable group. To do that, they’ll need to set the level of play they showcased in finals as their floor and improve from there. While every player on this C9 lineup has some form of international experience, the determining factors for their success at the tournament may be Robert “Blaber” Huang and Ibrahim “Fudge” Allami.
C9 lives and dies by Blaber’s aggressive style and Fudge’s weakside play. Blaber even had the highest first blood rate out of all LCS players in spring at 56%, according to Oracle’s Elixir. If Blaber can assert the same level of dominance in the jungle against the best teams in the world as he does in the LCS, and if Fudge is able to hold his own, C9 may be able to do some damage in Iceland.
— Nick Ray
9. MAD Lions
Record: 16-10
Results this week: 3-2 against Rogue
Movement this week: —
Last weekend, MAD Lions defeated Rogue 3-2 in the LEC finals, earning them a spot at MSI. This was also the first time since 2014 that the LEC winners weren’t G2 or Fanatic. Now, MAD has plenty of expectations on their shoulders. Come May, they’ll be tasked with securing the LEC’s third consecutive victory at MSI, defending their region against the best teams in the world. With a successful Cloud9 underneath them, they’ll have a shot at repeating G2’s 3-0 victory against Team Liquid at the end of the 2019 MSI Finals.
— Carolynn Soba
8. Suning
Record: 12-7 (34-15)
Results this week: 3-0 against LNG Esports, 3-0 against Team WE, 1-3 against Top Esports
Movement this week: —
After coming back from a surprising 2020 World Championship run, Suning didn’t finish their first split as reigning world finalists as they expected. Heading into the playoffs as the seventh seed in the LPL, Suning quickly trounced the mid-level Li-Ning Gaming and lower-upper tier WE before Top Esports ended their hot streak in round three. Suning finished the spring split in fifth place, which isn’t terrible seeing as their star support player Hu “SwordArt” Shuo-Chieh left for TSM and 17 year old rookie support player Luo “ON” Wen-Jun took his place. If ON continues to develop, this Suning roster, which has four of the five players from last year’s Worlds finals team, could make some noise in the Summer Split. But with the old guards of EDward Gaming and Royal Never Give Up finally rising back to the top (along with the revival of Funplus Phoenix), it’s not going to be easy.
— Warren Younger
7. Gen.G
Record: 14-6 (32-18)
Results this week: —
Movement this week: —
Gen.G end the spring split as a top 10 team in the world and second place in both the LCK regular season and playoffs. They were one series away from international competition, but DWG KIA earned that privilege in only three games. Gen.G are a top squad, but they have some competition going into the summer. T1, DRX and Hanwha Life Esports are all waiting in the wings for Gen.G to falter so one of them can break into Worlds contention.
No real changes need to be made for this team — just a commitment to the next meta. Gen.G have been running without changes to their roster since 2019 and have stayed on top in the region with players who can carry in each position. The team boasted some of the best early and mid game stats in the league in spring: third in early game rating, gold difference by 15 minutes and a 66% first tower rate. If they can maintain that form, an international appearance should follow.
— Declan McLaughlin
6. JD Gaming
Record: 12-5 (25-12)
Results this week: —
Movement this week: —
JD Gaming keep their top spot thanks to their great regular season and brief postseason run. An in-form FunPlus Phoenix is a scary opponent, but JDG knew that from the regular season. They currently hold a 1-5 record against the LPL spring playoff runner ups. Maintaining their form into the next split should be simple, as the Chinese veterans Su “Xiye” Han-Wei and Zhang “Zoom” Xing-Ran keep their lanes in check as the former LPL MVP dominates the jungle.
Falling short of a round four seed hurt JDG’s playoff chances and could have helped them with a losers bracket buffer. The franchise is one year off of its inaugural Worlds appearance and looks powerful enough to see the stage again. If the players maintain their form and the jungle remains a focal point in the meta, JDG may have a chance at the Summoner’s Cup again.
— McLaughlin
5. Top Esports
Record: 13-6 (25-10)
Results this week: 3-1 vs. Suning, 2-3 vs. RNG
Movement this week: -1
MSI will be a frustrating watch from home as Top Esports have to watch RNG represent China in Iceland. 2020 felt as if it was going to be the ascension of TES as the new superpower of China, paralleling DWG KIA’s rise in South Korea, but the deep waters of the LPL taught the ever-talented TES that even a slight decrease in play is a one-way ticket to elimination in the playoffs.
Yu “JackeyLove” Wen-Bo is always going to be his gunslinger self, playing the game at its ever most edge, so it will be up to the solo laners to bring a more consistent form to TES in the summer. Zhuo “Knight” Ding was picked by a slew of analysts heading into the 2020 League of Legends World Championship as the best player heading to the event, and his results, though promising, didn’t live up to the hype. Now, after what could be considered a disappointing season for the former league MVP, it’ll be interesting to see how the generational Chinese talent rebounds with the LPL as strong as it’s ever been.
— Tyler Erzberger
4. EDward Gaming
Record: 14-5 (33-11)
Results this week:
Movement this week:
EDward Gaming were pushed to the absolute brink in their matches against Funplus Phoenix and Royal Never Give Up, where they took both teams to game five. Unfortunately, that all important clutch factor didn’t show up when EDG needed it the most. EDG finished the LPL spring split in a respectable third place but were so close to a finals appearance. If a couple of teamfights go their way in the winners finals match or the losers finals match, the power rankings would look a lot different. Heading into the Summer Split, EDG is going to have to continue relying on their superstar carries Park “Viper” Do-hyeon and Lee “Scout” Ye-chan. However, the biggest X-factor that could make or break EDG’s first championship in four years will be their shot calling top laner Li “Flandre” Xuan-Jun, who needs to step it up after a poor playoff performance
— Younger
3. FunPlus Phoenix
Record: 15-6 (37-18)
Results this week: 1-3 against RNG
Movement this week: -1
FunPlus Phoenix came within two games of another LPL title and a shot at a second international trophy. Unfortunately for them, RNG completed their training arc over the last two weeks, reversing their first series where they were swept by FPX. After winning four playoff series straight, FPX lost the Finals in the most competitive region in the world, ending their incredible run.
Now, FPX is looking ahead to the Summer Split to ensure they can repeat their spring success or better. Despite looking like the clear favorite going into the final, they failed to put another stamp in their passport, and there are some clear weaknesses for the team to patch up in the break. While recent World Champion Jang “Nuguri” Ha-gwon, has one of the highest individual ceilings globally, he has some low downswings, which affected the FPX series. More time with the team, and specifically FPX jungler Gao “Tian” Tian-Liang, should bode well for the Korean star.
FPX need to make sure they don’t overcorrect or become complacent. They missed Worlds 2020 and now they’re missing MSI after coming so close. They won’t want to miss out again.
— Parkes Ousley
2. DWG KIA
Record: 18-2 (39-10)
Results this week: 3-0 against Gen.G
Movement this week: -1
DWG KIA’s emergence as LCK Champions last week came as no surprise to many in the community. Since winning the LCK Summer finals, Worlds and then KeSPA Cup, DAMWON can’t stop lifting trophies. At MSI, they have a huge opportunity to win their fifth successive title, cementing their legacy in the history books.
DWG KIA’s real test at MSI will begin after the group stages. Although paired with formidable opponents in Group C, they remain favorites by a long shot. DAMWON showed in the series against Hanwha Life Esports that even when they are not at their best, the outcome can still be a 3-0 victory.
One of DWG KIA’s biggest strengths is the team’s individual players themselves. With the addition of Kim “Khan” Dong-ha, DWG KIA have a wealth of experience on their side. Also, DAWMON’s mid to late game team fight composition makes them almost impossible to win against. Even when they have far less gold than their opponents, they find that pick to turn everything in their favor.
If DWG are able to replicate and maintain their form at MSI, they should be marking their first MSI appearance with the trophy. The team represents an era of resurgent Korean dominance.
— Rashidat Jimoh
1. RNG
Record: 17-3 (38-16)
Results this week: 3-2 against EDG, 3-1 against FPX,
Movement this week: +3
Royal Never Give Up never gave up (sorry). They were obliterated in their first playoff series by a hot FPX, losing 0-3. They were then sent straight to the lower bracket for their second chance. However, 10 games and nearly two weeks later, RNG showed up to their FPX rematch with a little more pep in their step. They lost the first game of the series in a banger of a 40 minute game to fall 0-4 overall. But that didn’t stop them. In games two, three and four, RNG ramped up, taking control of their destiny. In their final game, they hit the nitrous, wiping the floors of FPX in just 21 minutes.
RNG should be favorites alongside DWG Kia going into MSI, and they should act like it. The patch will be different and the competition will be new, but they’re at the top. They’re allowed to set the pace and define the meta.
Though RNG has a few younger and inexperienced players, they can ride the wealth of experience of Li “Xiaohu” Yuan-Hao and Shi “Ming” Sen-Ming. These players share a combined 10-year tenure on RNG between them. If the travel, stage and new environment get to the newer three, RNG will get crushed by DWG KIA and the weight of their recent Worlds victory. But, if they adapt to the new patch — if they replicate their domestic regular season and their LPL Finals match — they’ll repeat their MSI success in 2018 and bring home a second trophy.
— Ousley
