2021 League of Legends World Championship final

The Setting and Stakes

The final was held in Reykjavík, Iceland, a late change from the originally planned host city of Shenzhen, China. This relocation was due to travel complications caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, making it the second consecutive Worlds affected. For the first time in the tournament's history, the final was played without a live audience. Despite the empty arena, the online broadcast set a new peak viewership record for the World Championship at the time, with four million concurrent viewers.

DWG KIA entered as the defending world champions, having won the 2020 title against Suning. They were seeking to become the first team to win back-to-back championships since 2016. Edward Gaming carried the weight of a long international drought. Their last major international trophy was the 2015 Mid-Season Invitational, and they had failed to qualify for the World Championship in both 2019 and 2020. The final was a clash between a reigning Korean champion from the LCK and a revitalized Chinese contender from the LPL.

DWG KIA's Road to a Repeat

DWG KIA's journey to a second consecutive final was built on a foundation of rapid ascent and consistent dominance. The core of the team, originally known as DAMWON Gaming, first qualified for the LCK in 2019 after winning the Challengers Korea Summer Split and a promotion tournament. Key players like mid laner Heo 'ShowMaker' Su and support Cho 'BeryL' Geon-hee were part of the organization before its acquisition in 2017. They made their Worlds debut that same year, advancing from the play-in stage to the quarterfinals.

After winning the 2020 World Championship, the team rebranded to DWG KIA through a partnership with Kia Motors. For the 2021 season, veteran top laner Kim 'Khan' Dong-ha replaced Jang 'Nuguri' Ha-gwon, who moved to FunPlus Phoenix. This adjusted roster continued their domestic rule, winning both the 2021 LCK Spring and Summer splits, the latter with a 3-1 victory over T1. Their 2021 Worlds run was commanding. They finished the Group A stage with a perfect 6-0 record, swept MAD Lions 3-0 in the quarterfinals, and then survived a grueling 3-2 semifinal against T1 to earn their return to the final.

Edward Gaming's Resurgent Campaign

Edward Gaming's path to the final followed a period of significant struggle. Prior to 2021, the team had won five LPL titles but had not claimed an international championship since 2015. Their streak of five consecutive Worlds appearances from 2014 to 2018 was broken, and they missed the tournament again in 2020. This prompted a major roster rebuild ahead of the 2021 season.

On 16 December 2020, the team signed top laner Li 'Flandre' Xuanjun from LNG Esports and ADC Park 'Viper' Do-hyeon from Hanwha Life Esports. They joined existing members jungler Zhao 'Jiejie' Lijie, mid laner Lee 'Scout' Ye-chan, and support Tian 'Meiko' Ye, the team's longest-tenured player. This new lineup found immediate success. They started the 2021 LPL Spring Split with eight straight wins, finishing the regular season 13-3. Although they lost in the playoff lower bracket finals, they maintained strong form in the Summer Split, securing a 12-4 record and their place at the World Championship as one of China's top seeds.

The Decisive Series

The best-of-five final was a tense and closely contested battle. After three games, DWG KIA held a 2-1 lead in the series, putting them one victory away from a successful title defense. Edward Gaming, facing elimination, mounted a formidable comeback. They won the fourth game to tie the series and force a decisive fifth match.

The fifth game was the climax of the tournament. Edward Gaming secured the victory, completing the reverse sweep and winning the series 3-2. This comeback from a 1-2 deficit highlighted their strategic adaptability and composure under extreme pressure. The victory was historic for the organization, marking their first ever League of Legends World Championship and only their second international title.

MVP and Lasting Impact

Edward Gaming's mid laner, Lee 'Scout' Ye-chan, was named the Most Valuable Player of the final. His performance throughout the series was central to EDG's victory. By winning the award, Scout became the first mid laner to earn Finals MVP since Lee 'Faker' Sang-hyeok did so in 2016.

The win ended Edward Gaming's six-year wait for a major international title. For DWG KIA, the loss prevented them from achieving a repeat championship, though their consecutive final appearances confirmed their status as one of the era's top teams. The series also represented the continued fierce rivalry between the LCK and LPL regions on the world stage, with the LPL claiming the title.

Gameplay and Tournament Context

The final was played on Summoner's Rift, the standard map for professional League of Legends. Each team of five players controlled characters known as champions, assigned to specific roles: top, jungle, mid, attack damage carry, and support. Before the game, teams engaged in a champion select phase with multiple banning and picking rounds to form their strategic compositions.

The core objective was to destroy the enemy Nexus. Players gained gold and experience from minions in the three lanes and from neutral monsters in the jungle. Major neutral objectives like the Baron Nashor, which spawned after 20 minutes, and elemental dragons provided powerful team buffs. Controlling these objectives was a critical strategic layer that influenced the momentum of each game in the final series.