Cloud9 beats TSM, faces 100 Thieves in LCS Lock In semifinals

Cloud9 has secured a place in the semifinals of the 2021 LCS Lock In tournament by taking down Team SoloMid.

Cloud9 and TSM met in the first round of the knockout stage, for one of the most anticipated possible matches of the event. Despite the hype around this series, it didn’t go exactly as the audience expected. C9 and TSM, who were expected to dominate the LCS this year, had an average, borderline mediocre performance.

The teams had multiple things in common including bad drafts, poor performances, and questionable execution. All three games in the series followed a similar pattern with one team getting an advantage that would be ruined by an inability to convert that edge into objectives. The victories in each game didn’t come because one team was vastly superior to the other. Both squads made critical mistakes, failed to play according to their win conditions, and overall looked messy on the map. Neither had a clear plan and it looked like both teams were just winging it.

C9 and TSM were supposed to be the top contenders in the LCS. In reality, it feels like one of these teams might miss playoffs come the end of the spring split. It’s a worrying look for both teams, especially when compared with Evil Geniuses, 100 Thieves, Team Liquid, and even FlyQuest.

C9 advanced to the semifinals, but chances are it won’t make it further in the competition. The next opponent is 100 Thieves, the team that is looking like the favorite to take it all. Earlier in the day, 100 Thieves completely slaughtered Immortals with an outstanding performance by top laner Kim “Ssumday” Chan-ho.

Going role for role, it doesn’t feel like Cloud9 has what it takes to defeat the improved, empowered version 100 Thieves.

Cloud9 and 100 Thieves play on January 29 at 5 PM, CST.

Who is playing on Cloud9?

The five players on Cloud9 are:

• Ibrahim “Fudge” Allami
• Robert “Blaber” Huang
• Luka “Perkz” Perković
• Jesper “Zven” Svenningsen
• Philippe “Vulcan” Laflamme

Who is competing in the LCS?

There are 10 professional teams currently competing in the LCS. Each team owns a franchise slot, partnering directly with League of Legends developer Riot Games. These franchise slots are permanent, so participating teams can never be demoted from the league. The 10 teams are as follows:

• 100 Thieves
• Cloud9
• Counter Logic Gaming
• Dignitas
• Evil Geniuses
• FlyQuest
• Golden Guardians
• Immortals
• Team SoloMid
• Team Liquid

When does the 2021 LCS start?

The 2021 LCS Spring split starts on Friday, February 5 at 3 p.m. PT, 6 p.m. ET.