win.gg
Win.gg League of Legends FunPlus Phoenix vs. DWG KIA

FunPlus Phoenix vs. DWG KIA: Worlds 2021 betting analysis

Author Icon
William Davis Published 08/10/2021
Google Preferred Source

The 2021 League of Legends World Championship main event will kick off with a bang when two former world champions clash. 

It will be a match between defending world champion DWG KIA and 2019 world champion FunPlus Phoenix, who will be opening play in the group stage. This best-of-one match will set the tone for the tournament and potentially be one of the most competitive matches in the entire stage. With two world champions clashing, it’s expected to be a game with a high level of play and intensity. 

The group also plays host to the LEC’s Rogue and an additional team coming up from the play-in stage. Even though these teams could create some upsets, it’s expected that this group will be all about DWG KIA and FPX. In the fight between the two, it’s going to be hard to predict who will come out on top. This first game will give a good indicator of the strength between the two, but could also be so close that no real conclusion can be drawn. 

A lot of eyes will be on the mid lane, where DWG KIA’s Heo “ShowMaker” Su is taking on FPX’s Kim “Doinb” Tae-sang. The two Korean mid laners have been in talks for the title of best player in the world going into this tournament and now it’s finally time to see what they can do on the biggest stage of all. The tyle of Doinb opens up for a lot of innovative picks, as his champion pool is known to be big and quite different compared to other mid laners. 

Showmaker could be going the more traditional way and play a control mage, but he also isn’t shy about picking up LeBlanc or Sylas to be the main carry for his team. With such a competitive matchup in the mid lane, it’s also expected that the two junglers will focus on getting the ball rolling in mid. 

DWG KIA jungler Kim “Canyon” Geon-bu should be the one who is looking to be more aggressive in the early game, as he has constantly shown dominance in the LCK throughout the year. FPX’s Gao “Tian” Tian-Liang might be a bit more careful in this first game, as it’s his first time back at an international event since he and FPX won the 2019 World Championship. 

While top and bottom could also end up playing a big role in this game, it’s likely that bot lane especially will be left on its own and wait for the big team fights to erupt. The top lane could also be a place of action as former DWG KIA player Jang “Nuguri” Ha-gwon is likely looking to prove that he made the right choice when he left the team to join FPX. 

To counter that eagerness, Kim “Khan” Dong-ha will need to step up and show the incredible form he was in during the 2021 LCK Summer Split playoffs. Khan is a player with a lot of experience and this seems like the final year for him to win a World Championship title. 

FunPlus Phoenix vs. DWG KIA rosters

FunPlus Phoenix roster: 

FPX enter as slight favorites against DWG KIA at Worlds 2021

Riot has picked the perfect game to open the Worlds 2021 group stage, as FPX and DWG KIA are looking extremely close on paper. DWG KIA is the defending world champion and LCK champion, but it is FPX who will enter the match as slight favorites according to the bookmakers.

Despite losing the 2021 LPL Summer Split final, FPX is considered a solid team that can play in many different ways. Coming out of the competitive LPL, it’s also expected that FPX might have had better overall practice throughout the year. This gives the team a slight edge in this one. 

Picking FPX as the winner will give odds 1.73 while a win for DWG KIA will give slightly higher odds of 1.97. Expect a lot of action and intense team fights.  

The match between FPX and DWG KIA kicks off on Monday, October 11. Odds are taken from the time of publication.

William Davis
About William Davis

View full profile
Read Also
These Are Our Betting Tips for the League Championship Series Week 4 Esports Betting
These Are Our Betting Tips for the League Championship Series Week 4 Ben Boland The 2026 LCS Summer Split is in full swing, with the eight North American squads all vying for a chance to represent the region at this year's World Championship. With Worlds being on home soil, there is more than just a ticket to Worlds at stake. Each series in the regular season carries weight, as the standings will determine their seeding and potentially their fate in the playoffs. Week four ...
Caps To Be Announced As Third Inductee in the LoL Hall of Legends League of Legends
Caps To Be Announced As Third Inductee in the LoL Hall of Legends Hannan Mundia After Faker and Uzi were inducted into the Hall of Legends in 2024 and 2025 respectively, the European League of Legends player Caps will be the next to get the same treatment. League of Legends has been a cornerstone in the professional gaming scene for over a decade. In that time, a handful of players have managed to leave their mark for all future fans and fellow players to learn ...
MLBB is the most-watched game from the EWC, and it’s hard to see another game beating it Esports Betting
MLBB is the most-watched game from the EWC, and it’s hard to see another game beating it Michael Hassall The Esports World Cup 2026 has officially passed its midway point and viewership figures for the tournament have surpassed many expectations so far, as per Esports Charts. The viewership tracking site revealed new statistics for the event on Aug. 6, showcasing just how many games had set new records in viewership, including one name leading the way in views: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. MLBB leads the viewership charts with the ...
LCK 2026 Rounds 3–4 Preview, Schedule, Predictions, and More League of Legends
LCK 2026 Rounds 3–4 Preview, Schedule, Predictions, and More Hannan Mundia 2026 LCK Rounds 3-4 are slated to start soon, and this preview highlights the schedule, our expert predictions, and everything else you need to know before watching. The LCK has been upside down recently. Teams that were considered absolute powerhouses are seemingly falling off, while previous underdogs have been causing upset after upset. 2026 LCK Rounds 3-4 are starting soon, and the big question here is which team will reign ...
LEC 2026 Summer split preview, schedule, predictions, and more League of Legends
LEC 2026 Summer split preview, schedule, predictions, and more Hannan Mundia The 2026 LEC Summer split will be the deciding split to determine which teams can make it to the World Championship, and this preview aims to highlight everything you need to know about it. It isn’t a stretch to say that the LCK and LCP are the only two competitive League of Legends regions actually pulling their weight currently. The LEC did show potential at the start of the year, ...
How is League of Legends Classic different from the modern version? League of Legends
How is League of Legends Classic different from the modern version? Hannan Mundia League Classic brings the classic League of Legends gameplay and design from when the game first came out, but how is it different from the modern version? The modern League of Legends mode is arguably in its best state in terms of popularity, with a study even reporting that playing LoL can improve brain function. Over a decade of gameplay and multiple marketing tactics by Riot Games have bumped up ...
Best Champions for every role in League of Legends Classic mode League of Legends
Best Champions for every role in League of Legends Classic mode Hannan Mundia League Classic sees the return of League of Legends Season 3, but which champions were deemed the best during that time? League of Legends has gone through a lot of changes since it first came out. While the map and item-related changes naturally impacted the game's state, so did the many champion nerfs, buffs, and reworks. Multiple champions played completely differently in Season 3 than they do now. Since League ...