DWG KIA’s historic Grand Slam pursuit at MSI 2021: Challenges and strategies
The Grand Slam Dream
DWG KIA stands on the precipice of esports immortality as they chase League of Legends’ first true Grand Slam at MSI 2021. Their star mid laner Showmaker openly acknowledges the team’s current struggles must be addressed to turn this historic opportunity into reality.
Entering the tournament as overwhelming favorites, DWG KIA’s path to glory requires conquering their own inconsistencies as much as their opponents. Showmaker’s leadership will be crucial in unifying the team’s performance across all phases of the game.
League’s Elusive Grand Slam
The concept of a Grand Slam in League of Legends – winning Worlds, MSI, and two domestic titles within a year – has remained tantalizingly out of reach throughout the game’s competitive history. DWG KIA’s current trophy haul (LCK Summer 2020, Worlds 2020, KeSPA Cup 2021, LCK Spring 2021) positions them uniquely to break this barrier.
G2 Esports’ 2019 campaign demonstrated how fragile these aspirations can be, falling just short at the Worlds finals against FunPlus Phoenix. Similarly, SKT’s legendary 2015 roster came within one game of MSI glory before EDG snatched victory in a 3-2 thriller.
What makes DWG’s potential achievement particularly noteworthy is the compressed timeline – while their titles span calendar years, the actual competitive period between their first and potential final trophy would be under 12 months of active competition.
Overcoming Performance Slumps
Despite their 5-1 record in the Rumble Stage, DWG KIA’s performances against Cloud9 and MAD Lions revealed concerning vulnerabilities. Their narrow victory against Cloud9 featured a dramatic Baron pit exchange where they lost four members after securing the objective.
Showmaker identified specific areas needing improvement: “We’re getting picked off too much during vision control, and our laning phases aren’t meeting expectations.” These issues are particularly troubling against elite teams who can punish such mistakes mercilessly.
Pro Tip: Teams chasing objectives should establish vision control 30-45 seconds before spawn timers and maintain multiple escape routes. DWG’s Baron pit incident shows what happens when these fundamentals break down.
Trade offer: Dragon for Nexus accepted! #MSI2021 #DKWIN pic.twitter.com/84t9CLbcVF
— LCK (@LCK) May 16, 2021
Path to Victory
Showmaker remains confident in DWG KIA’s ability to elevate their game when it matters most. “We’re not at our peak yet,” he admitted, “but we have more strategies we haven’t shown.” This suggests the team may be holding back certain picks or compositions for the knockout stage.
Common Mistake: Many teams focus too much on hiding strategies and fail to maintain baseline performance. DWG must balance strategic secrecy with maintaining fundamental execution.
Their upcoming match against MAD Lions will serve as a crucial test before potential meetings with RNG, who Showmaker identifies as their most likely finals opponent. The May 17th clash (2pm GMT) could determine whether DWG enters the knockout stage with momentum or lingering questions.
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