EDG 2021: the most-watched final

Iceland, no crowd, everything at stake

Worlds returned to the bubble: Reykjavik, no fans, with DWG KIA as huge favourites. The Koreans defended the title with Khan, Canyon, ShowMaker, Ghost and BeryL and looked destined for back-to-back.

But across the stage stood the dark horse: EDward Gaming — Flandre, Jiejie, Scout, Viper, Meiko — the team that had chased this cup for a decade.

Five heart-attack maps

The series had everything: Ghost’s Ziggs in game one, Viper’s Aphelios answering, Scout’s Twisted Fate in game four forcing game five, and a decider where Jiejie grew giant and Flandre held Khan.

The 3-2 for EDG was decided in one last river teamfight still studied in academies.

Records and tears

It was the most-watched final in history at the time, peaking above four million viewers. MVP Scout cried remembering his years in Faker’s shadow at SKT. Meiko, after seven years at EDG, finally touched the sky.

Legacy

EDG 2021 proves patience wins Worlds: an entire organisation built over years for one night in Iceland. And it gave us Scout vs ShowMaker as the best midlane duel of the modern era.

“I waited seven years for this.” — Meiko, world champion.