With the League of Legends World Championship swiftly approaching, and with all of the participating teams decided, it’s time to reminisce about some of the best players that will not be competing in this year’s event.
1. Faker
The three-time champion, widely considered to be the best player ever to grace Summoner’s Rift, will be missing out on Worlds for the second time in the last three years.
Popularly known under the moniker “Unkillable Demon King”, Faker is considered a living legend of the game, and is one of the few players that have transcended esports as a whole.
Speculation has risen around the mid-laner and his future in the competitive League of Legends scene, with rumors surfacing that the player could retire after T1’s loss to Gen.G in the LCK gauntlet.
2. Doinb
The defending champions FunPlus Phoenix are yet another fan favorite that has failed to qualify for this year’s Worlds.
The standout player during the team’s last year Worlds run was their mid-laner Doinb. Best known for his roaming ability and supportive style of play, Doinb brought something different to the table compared to other mid laners.
The Korean mid laner showed his versatility earlier this summer after subbing in the bot lane for AD carry Lwx, who was benched with a high fever, during the team’s series against Suning.
Doinb’s unorthodox picks like Sion and Malphite will surely be missed on the World’s stage this year.
3. Blaber
Although Cloud 9 failed to qualify for Worlds for the first time in team history, Balber was the team’s most consistent performer throughout the 2020 Season.
As a testament to his skill the jungler won the MVP award of the 2020 LCS Spring Split, finished third in the Summer Split MVP voting,.and was named to the Summer Split All-Pro Team.
With Blaber being only twenty years old, it seems as though Cloud 9 has found its rock in the jungle for years to come.
See also: LoL Worlds Power Rankings
4. Rookie
Invictus Gaming’s mid laner is without a doubt one of the best players in the world. The 2018 champions might have slipped on their last obstacle during the LPL Regional Finals, but it doesn’t take away from the sheer dominance Rookie displayed throughout this season.
Together with IG’s jungler and 2018 Worlds MVP Ning, Rookie was considered a standout player during the team’s championship run.
Affectionately nicknamed “Faker Junior” due to his champion pool and mechanical skills, Rookie is one of the fan favorites whose presence will be missed during this year’s Worlds.
5. Alphari
Although Origen (nowadays known as Astralis) finished last in the LEC Summer Split, the team’s top laner Alphari was still named to the All-Pro team, which says a lot about the Brit’s performance.
Despite the fact that the rest of Origen’s roster severely underperformed, Alphari was a monster in the top lane with some of the best stats in the league.
With the team looking forward to a fresh start under a new organization, the seasoned top laner will definitely be one of the players to look out for next season.
Photo Credits: Riot Games / LoL Esports
