The 2021 World Championship semifinals are here and, needless to say, things cannot get any more exciting! Well, assuming you’re not a staunch fan of Western League of Legends, in which case you’ll watch the spectacle unfold with a bitter taste in your mouth. Gen.G vs. Edward Gaming is what dreams are made of — we’re talking about a Best of 5 that’s bound to deliver in all the right ways, so a fairly comprehensive preview is more than justified!
#Worlds2021 Semis start tomorrow ?
?? Future ?#LCK ? #LCK@T1LoL ? @DWGKIA
Will T1 go one step closer to claiming a 4th Worlds title? Or, will DWG KIA continue their defense of the Summoner’s Cup ?? #T1WIN or #DKWIN?
— MastercardNexus (@MastercardNexus) October 29, 2021
Before we delve any deeper into the nitty-gritty, let’s get one thing straight: there’s simply no way of predicting what’ll happen once these two teams step foot on stage to compete in Reykjavik, Iceland. Both teams have very pronounced strengths and weaknesses (with the latter being few in number), and very clear win conditions. They also have some of the best players who’ve ever taken flesh, on top of it all.
Respectable Growth Across the Board
Both teams are astoundingly capable and have done wonders at this year’s Worlds, and while they haven’t been perfect, they always got the job done when it mattered most so it’s really hard to fault them for anything.
Prediction-wise, this is an absolute nightmare, but we’re definitely leaning more towards Edward Gaming, especially because of their flexibility in the draft. Both teams have grown quite a bit throughout the year, and they’ve also conquered some of their previous demons. What’ll happen next, therefore, is anyone’s guess.
The #Worlds2021 Knockout Stage bracket after Quarterfinals! pic.twitter.com/XT3ExOb02K
— LoL Esports (@lolesports) October 25, 2021
We can theorize to our heart’s content, go over their previous accomplishments (and failures) along with a bunch of stats and graphs, but all of that matters very little when certain other factors come into play: preparation, the ability to execute in high-pressure situations, and whether their biggest catalysts and most important players will clutch things out when it matters most.
LCK teams have shown a much better understanding of the meta than most of their peers, but Edward Gaming have found their comfort picks and are incredibly versatile as well, so it’s not like Gen.G will have an upper hand in that regard. Far from it, in fact.
Neck and Neck
Li “Flandre” Xuan-Jun has had a much better tournament than his LCK counterpart(s), Lee “Scout” Ye-chan and Gwak “Bdd” Bo-seong are pretty much even in terms of mechanical prowess and ability to hardcarry, and while Park “Viper” Do-hyeon might be ever so slightly better than former world champion Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk, it’s not like there’s an insurmountable gap between the two.
Kim “Clid” Tae-min has generally impressed us a bit more than Zhao “Jiejie” Li-Jie but it’s not like EDG’s jungler hasn’t delivered — his back-to-back Baron steals against RNG basically sealed the deal, so credit where credit is due.
One could argue that Edward Gaming are more complete and well-rounded as a team, but it’s not like Gen.G cannot compete on even footing — assuming Bdd shows up and plays as well as he did throughout the tournament. That’s an imperative, as he was always their biggest catalyst and most important performer. If he can edge out Scout (a tall order, no doubt) and influence the rest of the map then Gen.G will have a solid chance at making this one competitive.
In any case, we’re talking about an insanely exciting Best of 5 here, one that could, by all means, go the five-game distance. Still, we’ll side with the LPL champions on this one. It’s probably not going to be a clean sweep, but if EDG come out the gates swinging and execute to the best of their ability, they shouldn’t have too much trouble in taking Gen.G down.
