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DetonatioN FocusMe qualified for the 2021 League of Legends World Championship group stage on Thursday, October 7. Having beaten Cloud9 in a tiebreaker match, DFM became the first LoL Japanese League (LJL) in history to achieve that feat.
DetonatioN FocusMe Write History
DetonatioN FocusMe became the first Japanese LoL esports team to qualify for the 2021 LoL World Championship group stage. The back-to-back LJL champions topped Group B of the Play-In stage with a tiebreaker win against Cloud9 on Thursday.
DetonatioN FocusMe started their road to the 2021 LoL Worlds group stage in Group B alongside Unicorns of Love, Galatasaray Esports, Beyond Gaming, and Cloud9. Unsurprisingly, DetonatioN FocusMe were billed as the third-favorites to make it out, behind Beyond Gaming and Cloud9.
From the start, it seemed like the initial perception of the team was correct. DetonatioN FocusMe have managed to win their Play-In opener against Unicorns of Love but lost against Cloud9 convincingly.
Still, DFM did not give up and defeated both Galatasaray Esports and Beyond Gaming to end the group stage with a 3-1 record. Luckily, the Japanese champions got to witness Cloud9 choke on the final day of the Play-Ins, when they lost against Unicorns of Love, who denied them a perfect 4-0 run.
By the end of it, DetonatioN FocusMe and Cloud9 were tied at 3-1. Since the H2H record doesn’t count, they to play a tiebreaker match for the top spot in Group B and a direct invite to the 2021 LoL World Championship group stage.
Having already beaten DetonatioN FocusMe on the first day of the Play-ins, Cloud9 were expected to shine. However, in their fashion, the LoL Championship Series (LCS) representatives underdelivered.
A match that heavily favored Cloud9 turned into an extremely tight affair, which ended up getting decided at the 35-minute mark when DetonatioN FocusMe stole the Elder Drake, made one final push into C9’s base, and took down the Nexus to qualify for the LoL Worlds group stage.
The Underdogs Story
DetonatioN FocusMe have qualified for the 2021 LoL World Championship thanks to dominant performances in the domestic league. DetonatioN FocusMe were by far the most dominant Japanese LoL esports team, having won both splits in commanding fashion.
They won the LJL 2021 Spring with a 12-2 record in the regular season and crushed V3 Esports (3-1) in the finals of the playoffs. Thanks to their immaculate run through the spring split, DetonatioN FocusMe earned a spot at the 2021 Mid-Season Invitational, where they failed to show up.
DetonatioN FocusMe finished the 2021 MSI in seventh-ninth place and crashed out of the group stage with a 2-4 record. Still, they had their moments.
The Japanese champions won against Cloud9 and Infinity Esports. While solid achievements, DGM also nearly upset the 2020 LoL World Champions, DWG KIA.
Still, DetonatioN FocusMe came out short of qualifying for the playoffs and headed home prematurely.
DetonatioN FocusMe have not made any roster changes for the LJL 2021 Summer season, earning another domestic title. They finished the regular season with an 11-3 record and swept Rascal Jester (3-0) in the finals of the playoffs.
By winning the LJL 2021 Summer, DetonatioN FocusMe have qualified for the 2021 LoL World Championship Play-In stage. And the rest is history.
Road To The 2021 LoL Worlds Title
By qualifying for the 2021 LoL World Championship group stage, DetonatioN FocusMe have already exceeded the expectations. They became the first Japanese squad to enter the main event, achieving more than the team ever hoped to.
However, their road is far from over, as DFM can now measure their strength against the world’s best teams. However, it remains to be seen where DFM will get seeded.
LNG Esports, the champions of Group A, have already been placed into Group D. Meanwhile, DetonatioN FocusMe and the remaining two Play-In teams need to wait and see where they get seeded.
Depending on how the Play-in stage plays out, DetonatioN FocusMe could get into Group A, Group B, or Group C. While neither team offers favorable matchups, DetonatioN FocusMe will surely want to avoid Group A.
Billed as the “group of death,” Group A features the 2019 world champions, FunPlus Phoenix, the reigning champions, DWG KIA, and Europe’s third seed, Rogue. Even if DetonatioN FocusMe manage to avoid Group A, their chances to advance into the playoffs are slim to none.
Regardless, DetonatioN FocusMe have already achieved more than what the team ever hoped for. So now it’s time for the Japanese squad to have some fun and enjoy their first-ever LoL Worlds group stage appearance.