Worlds 2021: Can LNG channel the magic of their miracle run?

After a fierce run in the 2021 LPL Summer Split, LNG Esports seeks to prove that that run was because of their skill and not luck. 

The start of the 2021 season saw huge changes for LNG Esports. After a rather lackluster 2020, the team let go of most of its roster except its bottom lane duo, and then signed top laner Chang “M1kuya” Xiao, Oh My God’s veteran mid laner Xie “icon” Tian-Yu, and LCK superstar jungler Lee “Tarzan” Seung-yong. 

Despite the changes, the spring did not exactly go well for this roster. They placed tenth in that split’s regular season and then got knocked out in the first round by Suning 0-3. After all, Tarzan could not do enough as a jungler when the rest of his team falls short. In the summer, M1kuya was replaced by Hu “Ale” Jia-Le, and the team massively improved. They were at the top of the standings at the beginning of summer, but they fell off eventually after the meta shifted. They were able to hang on to a playoff spot, ending the regular season in eighth place. Because of this placement, they had to start out in the first round of playoffs. They had to fight their way through Suning, Top Esports, and Royal Never Give Up to make it to the top four. 

Upon getting there, FunPlus Phoenix swept them 0-3, sending them to the lower bracket. They then met Edward Gaming there and got convincingly defeated with a 1-3 scoreline. They ended the summer season at fourth place, but that meant they had a spot in the regional qualifier. LNG having less championship points meant that they had to win two best-of-fives, the first being against Rare Atom, and the second against the loser of the match between Royal Never give Up and Team World Elite. They had an immensely dominant series against Rare Atom, and they had a convincing 3-1 win over Team WE, securing the last LPL seed for the World Championship. 

Tarzan has proved this season that his jungling prowess still ranks among the best in the world, even when his laners are not as consistent as some other top teams’. Wang “Light” Guang-Yu can do well on his own, and Liao “Iwandy” Ding-Yang can roam and participate in skirmishes as a result. Icon can play anything– he has played a total of 26 champions in the entirety of the 2021 season. This means that Icon has a champion to play to set his team up for success, but he has historically been at his best when playing assassins. Ale has been the great difference-maker for this team between spring and summer. Him being on the roster means that there is an additional carry threat on the team, usually on split pushing duty, but that does not mean that he completely shies away from team fights. 

The greatest question about this team is how they would adapt to the worlds meta, and how well the rest of the team could enable Tarzan. Going through the play-in stage would be a huge help to this team to find a consistent form in the tournament. Can they make a deep run all the way from being the LPL’s fourth seed?