win.gg
Win.gg League of Legends DetonatioN FocusMe is first-ever LJL team to reach Worlds groups

DetonatioN FocusMe is first-ever LJL team to reach Worlds groups

Nicholas James
Nicholas James Published 07/10/2021

DetonatioN FocusMe has made League of Legends competitive history by becoming the first Japanese team to reach the World Championship group stage.

The LJL has fought for a long time to be recognized as a competitive region on par with its more recognized peers. DFM defeated the LCS’ Cloud9, securing themselves first seed out of the group and a spot in the group stage.

Worlds has always promised upsets aplenty and 2021 is no different than usual. With the third day of Play-Ins over, the story on everyone’s lips is the historic achievement by the Japanese representatives. After dropping a game to Unicorns Of Love, the favorites of North America’s Cloud9 were tied with DetonationFocusMe at 3-1. One had to advance to groups and the other would be seeded into the second round of Play-Ins. DFM rose to the challenge, snatching Elder Drake and Baron from C9 in one fell swoop and winning.

With that win, Detonation FocusMe made history. The emotional reaction of the LJL casters at the moment of victory shows the magnitude of this for the Japanese fans. The relief, shock, and utter pride are plain to see, and DFM deserves every ounce of praise.

https://twitter.com/pitakozou/status/1446160710493372417?s=20

Who is Detonation FocusMe?

Detonation FocusMe is the reigning LJL champion. DFM won the 2021 Spring Season, qualifying for MSI only to fall to DWG KIA and Cloud9 in the group stage. DFM returned home, with Gaeng rejoining the starting roster, and once again claimed the domestic title.

The top side of the map for DFM has been around for many years now, with Shunsuke “Evi” Murase and Moon “Steal” Geon-yeong in top and jungle. One of the newcomers to the roster has been Lee “Aria” Ga-eul, the rising star mid laner. Yuta “Yutapon” Sugiura is the longest-term veteran on the roster, and one of the longest-standing players on a roster in the world. He’s been playing for Detonation FocusMe and winning finals since 2014. It’s near impossible to find a player who has reached for Worlds as long as the DFM AD carry has.

Rounding out the roster is Yang “Gaeng” Gwang-yu, who returned to the roster after being replaced by Kazuta “Kazu” Suzuki earlier in the year. Fans may recognize Gaeng from his brief appearance at the 2018 Mid-Season Invitational with PENTAGRAM.

DFM has made history with its ascendency to groups and now must contend with the LCS’ 100 Thieves, the LCK’s T1, and the LPL’s EDG. DFM will return in the group stage, which begins on October 11.

Nicholas James Nicholas James
About Nicholas James

Nicholas James is a gaming writer with a passion for all things geekdom, as well as live theater. Nicholas is best known for covering League of Legends and other top MOBA titles, but his expertise covers numerous games across multiple genres. When not watching the LCS or playing the latest new release, Nicholas can be found doing some tabletop gaming and painting his favorite miniatures. Nicholas has also published with Hotspawn, TheGamer, Dexerto, Esports.gg and other industry outlets.

View full profile
Read Also
Top Esports beats Team WE in the LPL, qualifies for MSI 2026 Esports Betting
Top Esports beats Team WE in the LPL, qualifies for MSI 2026 Wasif Ahmed Against all odds, Top Esports faced Team WE in the LPL upper bracket final. Both teams fought over a spot for the Mid-Season Invitational that everyone expected Anyone’s Legend, Bilibili Gaming, or JD Gaming to claim. In the end, TES paused WE’s Cinderella story as they beat them 3-0. Before this series, World Elite had defeated two LPL powerhouses in BLG and AL. Against TES, though, they suddenly lost all ...
G2 Esports complete comeback against Karmine Corp to win LEC Spring 2026 League of Legends
G2 Esports complete comeback against Karmine Corp to win LEC Spring 2026 Hannan Mundia After a fairly smooth split, G2 Esports emerged victorious in the 2026 LEC Spring split grand final by making a comeback against Karmine Corp. The 2026 LEC Spring split has finally concluded. With spots at MSI and the Esports World Cup on the line, every professional European team gave it their all to get as far as they could. While most teams fell quickly, Karmine Corp and G2 Esports managed ...
G2 Esports vs Karmine Corp 2026 LEC Spring: Best odds, picks Esports Betting
G2 Esports vs Karmine Corp 2026 LEC Spring: Best odds, picks Hannan Mundia The 2026 LEC Spring split is about to conclude, with G2 Esports and Karmine Corp facing off one last time to see which team qualifies for the Esports World Cup. While both teams have done well to make it to this LEC split’s grand final, only one team can be crowned the victor. With a direct ticket to the EWC on the line, there’s a strong chance that G2’s dominating ...
MKOI vs Karmine Corp 2026 LEC Spring betting preview: Best odds and picks Esports Betting
MKOI vs Karmine Corp 2026 LEC Spring betting preview: Best odds and picks Hannan Mundia Two LEC spots are open for this year’s Mid-Season Invitational, and MKOI will battle against Karmine Corp to determine which team grabs it. The ongoing LEC Spring split is almost done, and only three teams remain. While G2 Esports has already established itself as the strongest so far with a guaranteed spot in the grand final, Movistar KOI and Karmine Corp will battle it out on the big stage for ...
LCK 2026 Road to MSI: Teams, format, and schedule League of Legends
LCK 2026 Road to MSI: Teams, format, and schedule Hannan Mundia With the LCK 2026 Rounds 1-2 complete, the qualified teams will battle it out in Road to MSI. With two spots for the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational and one spot for the 2026 Esports World Cup on the line, here’s everything to know about the LCK 2026 Road to MSI. Six teams have qualified for Road to MSI, but only two MSI spots are available for this region. While powerhouse teams ...
KT Rolster vs T1 2026 LCK Season Rounds 1-2: Best odds and picks Esports Betting
KT Rolster vs T1 2026 LCK Season Rounds 1-2: Best odds and picks Hannan Mundia KT Rolster and T1 will face off in the last week of 2026 LCK Rounds 1-2 to potentially improve their starting position at Road to MSI. KT Rolster and T1 have both had their moment to shine in the ongoing 2026 LCK split. With one week remaining, the two teams will battle against each other for a chance at acquiring second place and starting with a significant advantage in the ...
EWC officially heads to Paris for 2026 as early reports confirmed Esports Betting
EWC officially heads to Paris for 2026 as early reports confirmed Michael Hassall The Esports World Cup 2026 will take place in Paris, France from July later this year as per an new announcement by the EWC organizers, the Esports Foundation. Revealed in a post on their official social media, and an accompanying release and blog post, the announcement confirmed earlier speculation that the event would move location due to the “regional situation” around Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Here’s the info: The Esports World ...