Can SwordArt challenge CoreJJ as the best support in the LCS?

After signing with Team SoloMid on a record-breaking contract, Hu “SwordArt” Shuo-Chieh will be playing in the LCS with an eye towards becoming the best support in the region. 

Team Liquid support Jo “CoreJJ” Yong-in has been considered the best support in the LCS for a while, and may even be the best player in the entire league. The recent Worlds finalist SwordArt has now come to challenge that spot and it will likely be a great battle. 

SwordArt enters the LCS in 2021 with a lot of hype surrounding him after signing a $6 million two-year contract. The contract has made him one of the biggest signing of the 2021 offseason, following his recent finals run with Suning at the 2020 World Championship where they lost to DAMWON Gaming. 

Just like CoreJJ, SwordArt is a veteran of the game and has been competing among the best in the world for years. This is what makes the matchup between them very interesting, since both players have the potential to be the best in North America. 

The support role is generally strong in North America, but CoreJJ and SwordArt will likely be a level above their competition in 2021. Fans can’t wait to see them clash on Summoner’s Rift. 

Is CoreJJ better than SwordArt?

There is no doubt that CoreJJ is currently the king of the LCS, after winning the 2020 LCS Summer Split MVP award. He crushed his competition throughout the split and probably won’t slow down in 2021 where Liquid will be fielding an even stronger lineup. 

CoreJJ had some impressive stats during the summer split, sitting at the top in almost every statistic. His vision control has especially been superior, as has been his ability to roam around the map and pressure opponents. SwordArt also had some good stats in the LPL, but the higher level of competition has to be accounted for. 

Both players made it to Worlds where the two had a chance to compete against each other. The two veterans were placed together in group A, where Suning ended up making it out as the first seed while Liquid was knocked out in third place. Even though Liquid didn’t make it out of groups, they did go 1-1 with Suning, and CoreJJ was up to the task. 

CoreJJ ended the Worlds main event with a 4.2 KDA, which was the highest among all supports. SwordArt was placed a bit lower on the KDA list with 2.9. SwordArt outperformed CoreJJ in average wards placed per minute, while CoreJJ had the better wards cleared per minute. 

Overall, the two were not that far from each other at Worlds according to their stats. The biggest difference is that SwordArt got to play more games than CoreJJ did, but on an individual level, the two supports seem very close. 

In the LCS, CoreJJ looks to have a stronger team around him while SwordArt will likely have to take more initiative to succeed. On an individual basis, they seem almost even, so it will all come down to how far they can carry their respective teams. 

SwordArt and CoreJJ will clash in the LCS for the first time in the 2021 LCS Spring Split. 

How old is CoreJJ?

CoreJJ is 26 years old and is considered one of the most experienced veterans in professional League of Legends. He has played actively for around six years, but didn’t make his big breakthrough until 2016 when he swapped to the support position. 

Did CoreJJ win Worlds?

CoreJJ won the 2017 World Championship together with Samsung Galaxy. At the 2016 World Championship, the team lost to SKT in the finals, and one year later they got their revenge. Samsung Galaxy won the final over SKT in an impressive 3-0 fashion and has since then been in the League of Legends history books. 

What team is CoreJJ on?

After playing in the LCK for some time, CoreJJ decided to join Team Liquid in North America by the end of 2018. Many fans thought that CoreJJ came there to retire early, but he has proved everyone wrong. CoreJJ has been arguably the best player in North America since he moved to the region two years ago.