EDward Gaming shocks DWG KIA to win Worlds 2021 finals

The League of Legends World Championship 2021 concluded with one of the most dramatic finals in esports history, as EDward Gaming claimed victory over defending champions DWG KIA in a five-game thriller that will be remembered for years.

Following a month of elite competition featuring stunning upsets and inspiring underdog narratives, EDG secured the LPL its third Worlds championship in just four years. Their 3-2 upset victory denied DWG KIA a successful title defense and established a new era of Chinese supremacy in professional League of Legends.

Despite entering Worlds 2021 as one of the tournament favorites, EDG faced significant skepticism as momentum shifted toward DWG KIA during the knockout stages. Most analysts and professional players anticipated the LPL champions would falter against DWG KIA’s trademark aggressive playstyle. Instead, the Chinese squad demonstrated exceptional strategic depth through well-crafted drafts and disciplined, methodical execution that systematically dismantled their opponents’ strategies.

This championship triumph represents career-defining redemption for several established League of Legends professionals. Griffin alumnus Park “Viper” Do-hyeon, who previously struggled to achieve international success in Korea, now stands atop the global stage with a Chinese organization. Simultaneously, veterans like Lee “Scout” Ye-chan and Tian “Meiko” Ye finally secure the trophy that had eluded them throughout careers marked by near-misses and inconsistent performances.

Game 1: Strategic Masterclass Sets the Tone

EDward Gaming delivered an immediate statement performance in the opening game, consistently generating tempo advantages to secure dragon control through innovative teleport usage and exceptional team coordination.

Kim “Khan” Dong-ha attempted to control the match with a Yasuo selection designed to counter the enemy Graves top lane, potentially aiming for his personal Yasuo Worlds skin. Early skirmishes favored EDG following a coordinated invade on the enemy red buff by Zhao “Jiejie” Li-jie, Lee “Scout” Ye-chan, and Tian “Meiko” Ye that resulted in first blood against support Cho “BeryL” Geon-hee.

From this foundation, Meiko continued to showcase his exceptional skills with masterful Zilean play that empowered Jiejie’s Jarvan IV in repeated team engagements. After completely denying DWG KIA dragon access, EDG secured Ocean Soul before eliminating DWG KIA during their second desperate Baron Nashor attempt. EDward Gaming stormed into DWG KIA’s base with their baron buff and swiftly extinguished the LCK defending champions.

Game 2: DWG KIA’s Dominant Response

DWG KIA dramatically adjusted their approach for the second match, banning Jiejie’s Jarvan IV and selecting more direct lane pressure with Jhin and Leona in the bottom lane. ShowMaker and Canyon maintained their established pattern of accumulating advantages around the mid lane. After securing Graves for Khan, DWG KIA extended their early game lead, with the Malzahar and Qiyana combination enabling them to establish map control through an early Rift Herald capture.

From this juncture forward, DWG KIA consistently gained advantages in tense engagements against EDG, eliminating them at the second Ocean Dragon and breaching EDG’s base defenses. A baron steal by EDG provided temporary respite for recovery attempts, but insufficient to reverse DWG’s accumulated advantages. One final effort to challenge the baron resulted in an early cleanse from Viper and EDG being eliminated and shut out of the second game.

DWG KIA concluded the match to level the series and entered the third game with renewed confidence.

Game 3: Flawless Teamfighting Display

The third encounter began cautiously, with minimal early game activity from either squad. Gradually but consistently, EDward Gaming accumulated small advantages, building their gold reserves.

Despite EDG’s steadily increasing gold advantage, DWG KIA maintained sufficient pressure to secure every early game drake, eventually threatening a 27-minute Infernal Soul. At this critical moment, DWG KIA executed a perfect team fight, shattering EDG’s formations through a flank from ShowMaker’s Sylas via the bottom lane tri-brush, utilizing the enemy Xin Zhao’s ultimate ability.

Once again, ShowMaker’s exceptional individual performance proved crucial for the defending champions. DWG KIA claimed the victory and advanced to match point.

Game 4: Calculated Survival Under Pressure

The fourth match featured a deliberate, cautious approach from EDward Gaming, as the team minimized risks to avoid series elimination. With Jiejie’s dominant Viego performance, the LPL champions repeatedly zoned opponents away from drakes until securing Mountain Soul.

Despite only five kills occurring by the 30-minute mark, EDward Gaming transitioned to secure Baron Nashor, and DWG KIA’s desperate contestation effort proved insufficient to stop them. Despite minimal kill participation until the final moments, Li “Flandre” Xuan-jun maintained a full five-level advantage over Canyon as the game concluded, demonstrating EDG’s capacity for growth without extensive combat.

EDward Gaming pursued DWG KIA into their jungle while Flandre independently breached their base with baron buff. This proved sufficient to equalize the series and force a decisive fifth game.

Game 5: Championship-Clinching Performance

Khan initiated his final professional match by creating maximum difficulty for Flandre. With jungler assistance, Khan leveraged Graves’ lane dominance to pressure Flandre beyond his tier two turret, forcing a recall as a massive minion wave crashed into his turret.

EDward Gaming countered by channeling eliminations into their top laner, accelerating their Kennen’s development. Back-and-forth side lane pressure fluctuated throughout the midgame as the teams remained economically even at 20 minutes.

Flandre recovered from his challenging early game, intercepting ShowMaker near the dragon and creating the game-winning opening to place DWG KIA on Dragon Soul point. Despite DWG KIA’s impressive two-player baron execution, EDward Gaming dominated them in the decisive Dragon Soul engagement.

DWG KIA lured EDG away from a subsequent baron by threatening Elder Dragon, but when ShowMaker attempted to disrupt Flandre’s flank, Meiko secured a crucial engage to eliminate the jungler and secure Elder Dragon. By intercepting Canyon during his baron pit reconnaissance, EDG eliminated Canyon and obtained double buffs.

While insufficient to immediately conclude the match, EDward Gaming breached DWG KIA’s top inhibitor and one nexus tower. The subsequent offensive would ultimately shatter DWG KIA’s aspirations for a second championship trophy. Following a challenging competitive year, the LPL reclaims the summit of the Worlds stage, and a new generation of Chinese champions earn League of Legends’ most prestigious honor.

The Worlds 2021 finals showcased several individual performances that will be remembered as career-defining achievements. Understanding these player narratives provides crucial context for appreciating the championship’s significance.

Viper’s Redemption Arc: Park “Viper” Do-hyeon’s journey from LCK disappointment to world champion represents one of esports’ most compelling redemption stories. His transition from Griffin’s struggles to EDG’s success demonstrates how environment changes can unlock player potential. For aspiring professionals, this highlights the importance of finding organizational fits that complement individual playstyles rather than forcing adaptation to incompatible systems.

Meiko’s Leadership Masterclass: Tian “Meiko” Ye’s performance throughout the series, particularly his Zilean in Game 1 and crucial engage in Game 5, exemplifies how veteran leadership can stabilize teams during high-pressure situations.

Flandre’s Quiet Dominance: Li “Flandre” Xuan-jun’s ability to impact games with minimal direct combat showcases advanced understanding of resource allocation and map pressure.

Common Mistake to Avoid: Many teams over-prioritize early game aggression without establishing mid-to-late game transition plans. EDG demonstrated that calculated, methodical play can systematically dismantle even the most aggressive opponents when executed with precision.

Market Dynamics and Fan Sentiment

DAMWON KIA’s tournament trajectory followed a recognizable pattern observable among semifinal contenders, where teams anticipated to excel in later stages experienced fan prioritization shifts, driving their valuation downward. Multiple days of declining movement culminated in the stock reaching its lowest point at $2 during the first week, before experiencing rapid recovery to better reflect DWG KIA’s competitive standing.

EDward Gaming, the unexpected champions who recovered from an inconsistent group stage to advance to finals, achieved comparatively less success on Fandex. EDward Gaming entered as tournament favorites, so early performance volatility made prospective investors more cautious about acquiring shares. Consequently, EDG’s share price remained relatively stable. While supporters may not have generated substantial profits from EDG investments, the prestige associated with supporting the eventual champions can provide significantly greater satisfaction.

Practical Investment Strategy: For optimal Fandex performance, consider targeting teams that demonstrate consistent improvement throughout tournaments rather than relying on pre-tournament expectations alone. This approach mirrors successful class selection strategies where gradual skill development often outperforms flashy but inconsistent picks.

For Aspiring Competitive Players:

• Step 1: Analyze opponent draft patterns during champion select (Difficulty: Intermediate, Time: 5-10 minutes)
• Step 2: Practice tempo control through objective sequencing (Difficulty: Advanced, Time: 15-20 minutes per session)
• Step 2: Develop teleport coordination with your team (Difficulty: Intermediate, Time: 10-15 minutes)
• Step 3: Master at least one strategic champion that complements your team’s composition, similar to effective weapon mastery approaches
• Step 4: Review professional VODs to identify key teamfight positioning (Difficulty: Beginner, Time: 20-30 minutes)
• Step 5: Implement gradual gold accumulation strategies during low-activity periods

For Esports Analysts:

• Step 1: Track draft adaptation patterns across series
• Step 2: Analyze objective control efficiency metrics
• Step 3: Study teamfight execution at critical resource points

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