As the 2021 LCS Lock In begins, these are the favorites to win

The inaugural LCS Lock In tournament presents a groundbreaking format shift for North American League of Legends, offering teams vital competitive preparation before the official season commences.

This innovative pre-season competition introduces strategic advantages beyond the $150,000 prize pool, providing organizations with essential data on roster performance under pressure.

The timing proves exceptionally beneficial as every franchise executed significant roster modifications during the offseason. Teams gain invaluable opportunities to test new player combinations against elite competition while adapting to the latest game patch meta.

Success in this tournament establishes crucial momentum that can propel teams through the entire Spring Split.

Professional analysts unanimously identify Cloud9 and Team Liquid as the primary championship contenders, with both organizations making substantial financial investments in elite talent acquisition.

Cloud9’s acquisition of Luka “Perkz” Perković represents one of the most significant inter-regional transfers in competitive League history. The former G2 Esports superstar brings championship pedigree and shotcalling expertise that could revolutionize C9’s strategic approach.

The organization simultaneously introduces promising rookie Ibrahim “Fudge” Allami from their academy system, creating an intriguing blend of veteran leadership and emerging talent.

Team Liquid counters with equally impressive roster enhancements, securing top lane prodigy Barney “Alphari” Morris and jungle specialist Lucas “Santorin” Larsen to form what appears to be the most complete roster in the league.

However, Liquid faces immediate competitive disadvantages due to Santorin’s visa complications delaying his arrival from Denmark. This creates a critical vulnerability during the tournament’s opening phase that opponents will aggressively exploit.

Substitute jungler Jonathan “Armao” Armao, while experienced, cannot replicate Santorin’s transformative impact on team coordination and objective control.

Strategic Insight: Teams facing Liquid during the first week should prioritize aggressive jungle invades and early game pressure to capitalize on this temporary weakness.

Team SoloMid demonstrates remarkable resilience following the dual retirements of franchise icons Søren “Bjergsen” Bjerg and Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng, constructing a surprisingly competitive lineup despite losing their cornerstone players.

The organization strategically replaced their departed legends with established LCS veteran Tristan “PowerOfEvil” Schrage and developing talent Lawrence “Lost” Hui in the bot lane.

The most transformative acquisition comes in the support position, where former Suning competitor Hu “SwordArt” Shuo-Chieh brings Worlds finals experience and elite mechanical skill.

SwordArt’s performance becomes the definitive success metric for TSM’s 2021 campaign. His ability to synergize with the new bot laner and coordinate team-wide macro play will determine whether this rebuilt roster can challenge the league’s elite.

Common Roster Integration Mistake: Teams often underestimate the time required for new support players to develop effective communication and shotcalling within a team environment.

With only jungler Mingyi “Spica” Lu remaining from the previous lineup, TSM represents the tournament’s greatest uncertainty variable.

Beyond the established favorites, several organizations possess the talent and strategic foundation to produce surprising tournament results.

100 Thieves emerges as the most compelling dark horse candidate, having acquired four players from the 2020 Golden Guardians roster that demonstrated strong competitive synergy.

The retention of elite top laner Kim “Ssumday” Chan-ho provides veteran stability while the imported Golden Guardians core offers immediate team coordination advantages.

FlyQuest builds an exciting new identity around emerging talent Brandon “Josedeodo” Villegas, whose aggressive jungle style could disrupt more methodical opponents unprepared for his unpredictable pathing.

Evil Geniuses strengthens their roster with former world champion Jeong “Impact” Eon-young, adding championship experience and late-game shotcalling to their developing roster.

Both organizations field sufficient individual talent to challenge higher-seeded opponents, though they may require additional competitive reps to reach peak performance levels.

Strategic Advantage: Teams with pre-existing player synergy, like 100 Thieves, often outperform more talented but less coordinated rosters in tournament settings.

The LCS Lock In kicks off on January 15 starting out with TSM vs. 100 Thieves.

The LCS Lock In represents a strategic innovation within the 2021 season format overhaul, designed specifically to elevate competitive standards.

This two-week competition provides all ten LCS franchises with essential preparation time to integrate new players and adapt to significant gameplay changes introduced in the latest patch.

All matches take place on Summoner’s Rift using the current competitive build, allowing teams to develop strategies for the upcoming Spring Season.

The tournament structure ensures maximum competitive value by pitting teams against varied playstyles and strategic approaches.

The first-ever LCS Lock In tournament officially kicks off on January 15.

Competition concludes on January 31 with the championship match, providing exactly two weeks of intensive competition before the official season begins February 5.

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