The fifth week of the 2021 LCS Spring Split is here and, as always, there are numerous exciting match-ups for us to talk about! As far as predictions go, Evil Geniuses vs. Dignitas is a pretty straight-forward one, but there’s more than what meets the eye!
Now, if you haven’t watched any games lately, you’d be forgiven if you thought that Dignitas was nothing more than a bottom-tier dweller. After all, their starting line-up isn’t exactly all that impressive. Heck, we’re putting it mildly here. Other than Joshua “Dardoch” Hartnett and Zaqueri “Aphromoo” Black, they really don’t have a whole lot going for them. By and large, they were supposed to be nothing more than a feisty pushover. And even their two aforementioned veterans — talented though they are — have been on the decline.
But with seven wins and five losses, this ragtag group of grizzled veterans and Academy prospects have risen to prominence, in spite of appearances.
WHAT A COMEBACK! @dignitas (8-5) get the @budlight ACE near the mid lane and take down @TSM (8-5)! #DIGWIN #LCS pic.twitter.com/YAXQxA93r0
— LCS (@LCSOfficial) March 5, 2021
Right now, they’re tied for fourth place with Evil Geniuses and Team Liquid. Just writing such a sentence makes one feel… strange. It’s confusing, is what it is. Dignitas’ entire line-up probably costs less than what Jo “CoreJJ” Yong-in makes in a year. Was this a good comparison? Not in the slightest, but you get the point.
The fact that they’re doing this well despite facing some insanely stiff competition is worthy of the highest praise. Aphromoo, in particular, has been having quite the resurgence. He’s the one doing the shotcalling, and his breadth of experience shines bright regardless of whom he’s up against.
Dignitas, of course, is still severely flawed as a team and they’re nowhere near as good to actually — and consistently — challenge for a spot at the top, but they’ve already accomplished far more than anyone thought they would, so credit where credit is due. They’re not predicted to do much in the grand scheme of things, but they’re going to try regardless of community-wide narratives.
They did, however, slow down a bit. Their performances last week left a lot to be desired, and it seems as though they’re starting to regress. When the stars align, they’re still capable of upsetting the status quo, but with most of their top-tier peers steadily improving, these moments of Dignitas overperforming will surely diminish even further.
A Bona Fide Contender
Evil Geniuses, on the other hand, are on the up and up. They’re still as volatile and inconsistent as ever, but they’re also fully cognizant of their potential and are playing to their strengths more often than not.
EG #LCS is a force to be reckoned with!
If you’re in anticipation of our upcoming match this Friday against 100 Thieves, our week 4 highlights should hold you off. ?
? https://t.co/lHB83vUeWQ | #LIVEEVIL pic.twitter.com/EYtF2ZgQZr
— Evil Geniuses (@EvilGeniuses) March 4, 2021
This gives off the illusion of consistency, but in the absence of the real thing, they’re surely happy to at least have a substitute. The duality of Evil Geniuses was on full display last week. They went blow-for-blow with a very game Cloud9 on Saturday, only to nearly lose to the Golden Guardians just a day later. That’s baffling in every sense of the word.
You’re never quite sure which shade of EG will come out and play, and they probably don’t know either.
Absolutely, but they’re also a nightmare to bet on. Still, they’ve been improving with each passing week, and a couple of egregious mistakes along the way shouldn’t diminish their valiant efforts.
Evil Geniuses vs. Dignitas Predictions
Predicting the outcome of this one game might seem simple and straight-forward, but there’s a surprising amount of depth underneath. Evil Geniuses are better across the board, and that is especially true when they manage to impose their will and play their own (bravado-fuelled) game. They don’t always succeed, mind you, but they’ve been more successful than not lately. Still, there’s that lingering fear of them imploding. You never know when it’ll happen, but you know it’s all but guaranteed to happen at some point.
Still, their bad days don’t happen nearly as often as they did back in 2020. That’s in no small part because of the few (but important) roster changes they’ve made. Jeong “Impact” Eon-yeong and Lee “IgNar” Dong-geun are exactly “what the doctor ordered” and have instantly made this EG squad into a bona fide contender. They also compliment Dennis “Svenskeren” Johnsen and Daniele “Jiizuke” di Mauro quite nicely in terms of playstyle, so it’s a win across the board. And even Matthew “Deftly” Chen, the odd one of the bunch, has been performing above expectations.
They won’t be winning Worlds any time soon, but they’re fun to watch, they have a high enough skill ceiling, and can trade blows with the very best teams the LCS has to offer — at least when it’s one of their “good” days.
They have 100 Thieves (without Tanner “Damonte” Damonte), Immortals, and Dignitas all lined up next. And, frankly, all three games are easily winnable, given that EG draft to their strengths, give Impact as much agency as he needs, and get Jiizuke on a comfort pick that can scale. Dignitas won’t go down without a fight, but they shouldn’t be able to get the win, at least not if EG play to the best of their ability.
