Ranking the top 5 mid laners at Worlds 2021

Oct 2, 2021

There’s no question that mid lane is the most important role in League of Legends. It’s the role that garners the most attention because it can exert the most influence onto other parts of the map. The versatility that comes from playing in the position is what makes the role very important to the game.

Mid lane not only makes sure that the team gets ahead but also completely takes over the game. With so many superstar mid laners returning to the Worlds stage this year, there’s no doubt that fans will be left entertained. Here’s Inven Global’s list for the top 10 mid laners at Worlds 2021.

10. Perkz (C9) — 2.00/10

9. Maple (PSG) — 2.14/10

8. Cryin (RNG) — 3.00/10

7. Humanoid (MAD) — 3.29/10

6. Bdd (Gen.G) — 3.86/10

5. Faker (T1) — 5.00/10

Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok's journey this season was a turbulent one, to say the least. However, ever since T1 replaced their coaching staff in the middle of the Summer split, the team has looked like they found the game they wanted to play. This revelation changed everything for their team and they showed a drastic improvement.

In the process of his team’s growth, Faker has also shown improvement in his gameplay. There are no more freak accidents happening in lane, he capitalizes on the right opportunities during teamfights (most notably on Azir), and knows how to gain and push the leads that he gains.

While he may not seem as flashy as the other mid laners of the LCK, this is the best Faker has looked in years. Unlike his previous Worlds campaigns where he had more veteran players on his side, this year he leads a team full of rookies — a situation that will put his leadership skills to the test.

4. Scout (EDG) — 5.57/10

With the addition of Park “Viper” Do-hyeon this year, EDG finally found their second carry in the bot lane. But before Viper, there was only Lee "Scout" Ye-chan, their long-time mid laner who’s always been the main carry for his team.

FPX was projected to win the LPL Summer split finals this year, but EDG beat them 3-1. While the loss may be a minor setback in FPX’s journey this year, EDG first championship since 2017 will be a good momentum for the team.

Scout received the Summer finals MVP for his performance. While it’s inappropriate to just blatantly say that “Scout > Doinb”, to say that he beat Kim "Doinb" Tae-sang in a best-of-5 is a feat on its own.

3. Chovy (HLE) — 8.71/10

He’s the mid laner that many consider to be the best in the world. If Jeong "Chovy" Ji-hoon was a video game character, his stats would all be near perfect. There’s no doubt that his prowess as a mid laner is impeccable.

However, the performance that Hanwha Life Esports put on, especially during the regular split, was, to say the least, a disappointing one. Throughout most of the Summer split, many didn’t expect to see Chovy on the Worlds stage this year, but HLE were finally able to find their click and punch their ticket to Worlds.

While many do not doubt Chovy on his ability to deliver, questions still remain for the rest of his team. Even if HLE does not bring their A-game to this tournament, it’ll still be a treat to watch how Chovy progresses throughout Worlds.

2. Doinb (FPX) — 8.86/10

The LPL’s superstar mid laner and former world champion returns to the Worlds stage this year. Doinb's skills and synchrony with his team are unquestionable. Whatever role Doinb is filling in during each game, he knows what to do to get his team ahead, including roaming all around the map to secure plays. Allowing FPX to just play any game set-up they are thrown in and command teamfights like an orchestra director is one of FPX's biggest strengths.

1. ShowMaker (DK) — 9.00/10

As the defending world champion, Heo "ShowMaker" Su returns to the World's stage to capture his second Worlds title, edging Doinb in Inven Globals's vote by just one point (in fact, all Chovy, Doinb, and ShowMaker were within 1 point of each other). If he succeeds, he’ll be one of the few people in LoL esports history to have won consecutive Worlds titles.

Heading into the Summer split, it was no surprise that DWG KIA was feeling burnt out from their arduous schedule. The original starting five of Khan-Canyon-ShowMaker-Ghost-BeryL were definitely in a slump at the beginning of the split, to the point where two members of the team had to role swap and try something drastic to win.

One of the unique strengths that DK has lies within ShowMaker and his ability to completely take over the game. Even when DK were fielding their starters in off-roles during Summer, ShowMaker was always the carry that his team needed him to be. There’s no doubt that DK will definitely show up at this year’s tournament, and the only unknown is whether they'll fly home on that pimped up LCK jet with the Summoner's Cup packed in their luggage.

Top 5 top laners at Worlds 2021
Top 5 junglers at Worlds 2021
Top 5 mid laners at Worlds 2021
Top 5 AD carries at Worlds 2021
Top 5 supports at Worlds 2021

All images via: Riot Games