Japanese League of Legends team DetonatioN FocusMe have made history at Worlds 2021, becoming the first team from the country to make it to the group stage. The team defeated Cloud 9 during the play in stage to secure the victory.
Their victory secures a group stage spot for an LJL team for the first time in Worlds history.
DetonatioN FocusMe have become somewhat of a staple of international League of Legends competition in recent years. The team reached their first Worlds in 2018.
They followed it up with an 8-9th place finish at the 2019 Mid Season Invitational, and another trip to Worlds that year. Again the team failedd to make it out of the Play-in stage, but still took at least one series win that tournament.
The team missed out on Worlds in and MSI in 2020, but returned for MSI 2021, and now Worlds 2021. The playoff position already marks the highest finish at an international tournament for both the team, but the LJL region as a whole.
Surprise at the victory swept over the Twitter world as the LJL team claimed a win over North America’s Cloud9. NA’s representatives in the play-ins have underperformed, and may contribute once more to the NA flying home early memes.
But beyond salty NA fans, most who love competitive League of Legends are excited to see the tiny Japanese server represented well on the international stage.