EDward Gaming Are 8 – 0 in LPL Spring 2021

Who would have thought that a team that finished 5^th – 6^th and 10^th place respectively last year was going to dominate LPL Spring 2021? EDward Gaming is absolutely crushing it right now, with one of the most excentric rosters in League of Legends. A first glance at this team would make you think that they’re competing in Overwatch. But no, this is a LoL lineup – with 2 Top players, 2 Mid players, 2 Jungle players, 2 Carry players and one Support. Usually, we see one or two substitutes. EDG has 4 of them. You know, just in case. But who cares if it’s working?

How EDG Went From 0 to Champion in the Making

EDward Gaming had a rough season last year. So it’s no surprise that 4 new players joined in December 2020. The strange part is that only one person left. And that’s how they ended up with this massive roster.

As soon as LPL Spring 2021 began, EDward Gaming showed signs of strength. First they won against OMG (2 – 1) with a triple Orianna draft and then they beat FPX, the 2019 Worlds champions. In this second match, which they won with a score of 2 – 1, EDG clearly showed they have a preference for Orianna. The two games they won were played by them with her in the mid lane, a pattern that was going to be seen in future matches as well.

EDG’s 3^rd match took place against LGD and it didn’t last very long. This time however, they went for Xayah in both of their games and showed great skill in playing around this champion. Game 1 took 28 minutes while game 2 required 37.

In their 4^th match, EDG encountered JDG. Once again, the battle ended with a 2 – 0 result in EDG’s favor.

Over the next 4 matches, EDG showed some versatility but still preferred to play with their tried and tested champions. In particular, Orianna was picked almost as often as the enemy team allowed this possibility by not banning or picking her themselves.

Team Strength Evaluation

Normally, I’d be inclined to say that things are not yet clear. That EDG still need to prove themselves against the likes of RNG, WE, and Top Esports. But given the fact that among the competitors they already defeated are the likes of FPX and JDG, I think it’s safe to say that we’re dealing with a new and greatly improved version of EDG this season. If they can keep un the current pace, they may be in a category of their own in the Chinese region.

Upcoming Matches

For week 6 of LPL Spring 2021 we still have 8 more matches. These matches are the following:

JDG – TT Gaming

This matchup clearly favors JDG. To get a better idea of the skill difference between these two competitors, consider the fact that JDG has a current score of 5 W – 3 L and was one of the best teams in the region last year, while TT Gaming has a score of 2 W – 6 L and was one of the worst teams in the region last year. Intuitively, given that this is a Bo3 match, you’d expect JDG to win 9 times out of 10.

Invictus Gaming – EDG

This will be one of EDG’s biggest tests, but I’m confident that they will pass it. Invictus Gaming may have a score of 4 W – 4 L, but their performance against top competitors was mostly unsuccessful and EDG is even stronger than those teams.

LGD – Rogue Warriors

In spite of LGD’s current form and record (1 W – 5 L), this match still looks over before it begins. Rogue Warriors is currently ranked 17^th (meaning last) and their 1 W – 8 L score is abysmal. By contrast, LGD finished 9^th – 12^th at Worlds in 2020 and in spite of being in bad shape, they’re still much stronger overall than RW.

eStar Gaming – Top Esports

Top Esports Won Mid-Season Cup 2020, LPL Summer 2020, and Demacia Cup 2020. They also finished 3^rd – 4^th at the 2020 World Championship. On top of that eStar Gaming has a current score of 2 W – 7 L while Top Esports has 4 wins and 3 losses. All of this data indicates one thing: Top Esports is almost certainly going to win this Bo3. I expect a 2 – 0 result, but who knows? Maybe eStar Gaming manages to outdraft them in one of the games.

RNG – FPX

This is another tough match that could go either way. Personally, I think it will be won by RNG, simply because they’re in much better shape at the moment. But FPX is a great team as well.

V5 – LNG

These are two evenly matched teams, so I think that anyone can win. V5 might have a slight advantage, but it’s not enough to give them a real edge.

Rare Atom – OMG

Rare Atom starts with a huge advantage in this match. Their roster and current form are much better than OMG’s. And the results so far clearly illustrate that: 5 W – 3 L (RA) versus 1 W – 7 L (OMG).

Suning – Invictus Gaming

In spite of appearing to be the underdog, I actually believe that Suning will win this match. Their result at Worlds 2020 (2^nd) is a clear testament to their strength and potential, both of which can make a big difference in a match like this.

Current Standings

These are the current standings in LPL Spring 2021:

• 1^st place: EDward Gaming: 8 W – 0 L
• 2^nd place: Royal Never Give Up: 7 W – 1 L
• 3^rd place: FunPlus Phoenix: 7 W – 2 L
• 4^th place: Team WE: 7 W – 3 L
• 5^th place: JD Gaming: 5 W – 3 L
• 6^th place: Rare Atom: 5 W – 3 L
• 7^th place: Victory Five: 5 W – 4 L
• 8^th place: Top Esports: 4 W – 3 L
• 9^th place: Invictus Gaming: 4 W – 4 L
• 10^th place: LNG Esports: 4 W – 4 L
• 11^th place: Bilibili Gaming: 4 W – 5 L
• 12^th place: Suning: 3 W – 5 L
• 13^th place: ThunderTalk Gaming: 2 W – 6 L
• 14^th place: eStar Gaming: 2 W – 7 L
• 15^th place: LGD Gaming: 1 W – 5 L
• 16^th place: Oh My God: 1 W – 7 L
• 17^th place: Rogue Warriors: 1 W – 8 L

 

Photo credit: Riot Games