Worlds 2021 Group Draw – All potential bangers we’d like to see

The League of Legends Worlds 2021 Groups stage draw is coming up in mere hours. With less than two weeks left before Worlds 2021, we will finally get a sense of the layout of competition and start setting up our overall expectations.

All the three major regions (China, Korea and Europe) have 3 seeds directly into Groups, and we might see some interesting clashes ahead of the Knockout Stage. Let’s see the possible combinations and team combinations we’d like to see.

Worlds 2021 Groups Stage Draw – Pools Overview

To start off, here are the 3 pools of teams that are already in the Groups Stage. Four more teams will join them once play-ins stage ends:

• Pool 1: Edward Gaming, DWG Kia, MAD Lions, PSG Talon
• Pool 2: FunPlus Phoenix, Gen.G, Fnatic, 100 Thieves
• Pool 3: RNG, T1, Rogue, Team Liquid.

Riot Games decided that the PCS Representative will end up in Pool 1 instead of North America. That puts NA at a great disadvantage, as they will have a harder time facing a Pool 1 team.

An important rule to remember is that two teams from the same region cannot be in the same group. For example, Edward Gaming, from Pool 1, will not be in the same group as RNG, who is in Pool 3. As a result, we will have at least 3 groups with an LPL representative. The same can be said about the LCK and the LEC.

If we’re talking about the worst combinations possible for any Pool 2 team, then ending up in a group with either Edward Gaming or DWG Kia becomes extremely dangerous. These two are some of the favorites for the trophy and playing against them in groups would seriously damage the hopes of advancing. As a result, Fnatic and 100 Thieves are the worst off: they will either be facing Edward Gaming/DWG Kia or RNG/T1. These two teams from Pool 3 are still very strong and are definitely in contention to get out of groups. If you don’t know how the teams’ strength are, check out our Worlds 2021 Power Rankings and you’ll know why.

Similarly, DWG Kia also has a high possibility of ending up with a Chinese team. Unless they get extremely lucky and get the NA and the LEC representative, DWG will likely end up against FPX or RNG. That group will likely be this year’s group of death, and chances of going through will be very slim for the other two teams.

The fact that all the top 3 LPL teams have potential to become champions will put pressure on everyone. With FPX as the second seed, it implies that a team between MAD, DWG and PSG Talon will end up with FPX.

Another important thing to consider is T1 and Faker’s return to Worlds. Despite being the 3^rd seed, their level of play is better than people would think. They will likely struggle against the top teams, but their chances of advancing are not that low. This year’s group stage will be so explosive to watch and there will be very exciting matches already in the first days of the tournament. Just to give you an example, below are some of the most electrifying combinations we’d love to see.

1. EDG, Fnatic, T1
2. DWG, FPX, Team Liquid
3. MAD, FPX, T1

Anyway, we’ll have to see how the draw will be. Tune in on September 22, 14:00 CET to see the draw live. We’ll be making an analysis on each group once they are complete. Make sure you check our Esports News section after the draw takes place.