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The 16 qualified League of Legends teams that entered the Group stage of the 2021 Worlds tournament have completed their first round-robin play and have faced every opponent in their group. Many expected leaders are sitting atop the other 3 teams paired with them, and some surprising upsets have occurred to knock a couple of teams lower in the rankings than people previously expected.
The three favorites to win the League of Legends Worlds tournament are all currently qualifying with perfect records at 3-0, except for FPX, who have a single loss to one of the other favorites. Unfortunately, both NA and EU teams are displaying disappointing performances across the board. As of now, none of the six teams from the LCS or LEC leagues are going to make it. After three days of play, here's what every group looks like and what teams need to do to move on.
Group stage standings after Day 3 at League of Legends Worlds 2021
Group A
- Damwon Gaming: 3-0
- FunPlus Phoenix: 2-1
- Rogue: 1-2
- Cloud9: 0-3
As almost every League of Legends player and fan predicted, DWG and FPX lead this group, leaving RGE and C9 in the dust. This group is named the 'Group of Death' for good reason. Both DWG and FPX are heavy favorites to win the entire tournament, and while C9 and RGE have been able to put up a fight here and there, they have otherwise been completely steamrollered by the two leading teams.
C9 may finish the Group stage with an abysmal 0-6 since they couldn't beat RGE on Day 1 of the League of Legends Group stage. It's certainly not looking good for the NA team here, and if Rogue can't pull out a miracle against FPX and DWG in the upcoming games, it seems very likely that they'll be heading home early.
Group B
- Edward Gaming: 3-0
- T1: 2-1
- 100 Thieves: 1-2
- DetonatioN FocusMe: 0-3
The Chinese victors cruised through this group with ease, beating all three of their opponents. The only time they trailed in gold for an extended amount of time was when they played DFM on Day 3, certainly a surprise for most viewers. However, Viper's perfect ADC play ultimately carried his team to the win. T1 soundly defeated DFM and 100T, but took a beating from EDG. As long as they can finish at least 2-1 in the next round of play, they'll advance to the next stage of the League of Legends Worlds 2021.
In yet another case of the NA blues, 100T has a slim chance at making it to the League of Legends Knockout stage. They need to beat both T1 and DFM to finish at 3-3, assuming they receive another loss at the hands of EDG. DFM's dreams will very likely be coming to a halt soon. Unless they can beat all three teams of Group B, they will not advance to the next stage of the tournament.
Group C
- Royal Never Give Up: 3-0
- PSG Talon: 2-1
- Hanwha Life Esports: 1-2
- Fnatic: 0-3
This was perhaps Europe's most disappointing performance from Fnatic. Many people thought they could make it through the easiest group in the League of Legends Worlds tournament, but their games so far have felt extremely lackluster. However, miracles have happened in the past as fans may recall Fnatic pulling off an incredible 3-0 miracle run earlier in the second half of the Group stage at Worlds 2017.
RNG holds a solid position in this group with PSG Talon right behind. If both League of Legends teams repeat their success next week, they will certainly advance to the next stage. HLE did manage to put up a fight against both RNG and PSG, so there is a possibility for an upset in the second half of the Group stage.
Group D
- Gen.G Esports: 2-1
- LNG Esports: 2-1
- MAD Lions: 1-2
- Team Liquid: 1-2
Group D of the League of Legends Worlds tournament is certainly the most volatile. Any combination of 2 teams can advance through to the Knockout stage. TL pulled off a great victory against MAD, but then choked against LNG. They will need to beat MAD again as well as LNG to be considered for the next round. MAD is in a similar situation with a minimum requirement of two wins to advance.
If both Gen.G and LNG win two of their three upcoming games, they'll advance, sending the LCS and LEC teams home. Gen.G showed a good deal of weaknesses for other teams to exploit, so they aren't sitting pretty just yet. LNG was also able to handle the first round relatively well, but this wild group is definitely anyone's game. Tune into the League of Legends Worlds 2021 to catch more of this intense action.
