Cloud9 has eliminated TSM from the 2021 League Championship Series Championship in an epic 3-2 win. In guaranteeing a top 3 post-season finish, Cloud9 has also guaranteed one of the three seeds representing the LCS at the 2021 League of Legends World Championship alongside Team Liquid and 100 Thieves. 

The stakes could not have been higher coming into the series. Not only were TL and C9 both in the lower bracket, fighting to extend their post-seasons against one another with elimination on the line, but the winner would guarantee a top 3 finish in the LCS Championship and by extension, secure the 3rd seed reserved for LCS representatives at the World Championship alongside TL and 100.

C9, being the spring champion, possesses an arguably unmatchable ceiling throughout the league, but in the summer, TSM had far and away been the better squad, finishing 1st in the regular season while C9 finished 4th despite the latter team lifting the trophy in spring. Recency ruled the day to start out the series, with TSM winning the first game and nearly winning the second before C9 mounted a miraculous 45-minute comeback to tie the series. 

C9 opted for an aggressive, dive-focused comp in game 3 in drafting Diana for jungler Robert "Blaber" Huang and Irelia for mid laner Luka "Perkz" Perković, but the execution of the composition left much to be desired and TSM lept out to match point 2-1. TSM looked poised to win the series and secure North America's 3rd Worlds seed, but Perkz has made a career out of a 1-2 comfort zone in best-of-five series, and in game 4, the C9 mid laner came alive.

Perkz's Syndra in C9's game 4 would have been the best individual performance of any player in any game of the series if not for his run back of Irelia in game 5. Looking for mutual redemption with Blaber's Diana, C9's mid/jungle duo led the squad in its most convincing win of the series, highlighted by Perkz's 7/0/10 Irelia performance. As a result, C9 qualified for Worlds 2021, while TSM's season came to an end.

It is now known which three teams the LCS will be sending to China this fall for the 2021 World Championship, but the seeding of the teams has yet to be decided. First, Cloud9 will play against 100 Thieves, the latter of whom lost its most recent match in the upper bracket 3-2 to Team Liquid.

The loser of the match between C9 and 100 will settle for the 3rd LCS seed at Worlds 2021, while the winner will qualify for the finals of the LCS Championship to face the undefeated Team Liquid to decide who will be named LCS champion, and by extension, who will secure the top seed to represent the region in China come fall.