Perkz delivers on LCS promise, leads Cloud9 to Spring title: final placements & recap
Riot GamesLuka ‘Perkz’ Perkovic delivered on his promise to “dominate North America,” leading Cloud9 to a hard-fought LCS 2021 Mid-Season Showdown victory with a huge game-five performance against Team Liquid at the Greek Theater.
- Perkz, Zven combine for monster Cloud9 game five victory.
- Cloud9 defeated Team Liquid in close 3-2 battle at the Greek Theater.
- New NA champs now set to represent LCS at MSI 2021 in Iceland.
The Mid-Season Showdown grand final went the distance at the Greek Theater on Sunday evening, with Cloud9 finding a surprise game-five edge over Team Liquid to book their tickets to Iceland in May, and lift their second NA title in two years.
The difference, in the end, was superstar mid laner Perkz.
The Croatian commander was nigh-untouchable in the game five decider, finishing 10/2/6 on Sylas and dealing 32.6% of the team’s overall damage. His dominance, and a cheeky lane swap by Cloud9’s bot lane and Aussie top laner Fudge, sealed the deal for the newly-crowned MSS champions.
It was a hard-fought battle to get to the big finale, however; the two North American heavyweights traded major blows in the opening four games.
Liquid — who were playing with substitute jungler Armao — drew first blood in a 48-minute slug-fest. C9 answered back in kind, just seven minutes faster, in game 2. TL’s own European mid lane star, Jensen, sparked his side to a second game win on his Orianna pick.
Cloud9 marched through the final two games to lift the trophy.
“This was really important to me, because I want to compete against the best international teams, and go to MSI next month,” Perkz said. “To do that, I had to win NA, so that’s what I did. It feels really good to be able to do that here.”
Cloud9 are now set to represent the LCS at MSI 2021 in May.
LCS 2021 Mid-Season Showdown: results & schedule
The opening round of matches took place on March 20-21. Two upper-bracket matches were contested, with the losers dropping into the lower bracket battles, which was then held on March 27-28.
The Finals weekend, hosted at the famous Greek Theater in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, was held on April 10-11.
Day 1 (Upper Bracket Round 1) — Saturday, March 20
Match | PDT | EDT | GMT | AEDT (March 21) |
TSM 1-3 Liquid | 1 PM | 5 PM | 8 PM | 7 AM |
Day 2 (Upper Bracket Round 1) — Sunday, March 21
Match | PDT | EDT | GMT | AEDT (March 22) |
Cloud9 3-0 100 Thieves | 1PM | 5PM | 8PM | 7AM |
Day 3 (Lower Bracket Round 1) — Saturday, March 27
Match | PDT | EDT | GMT | AEDT (March 28) |
TSM 3-1 Evil Geniuses | 1PM | 5PM | 8PM | 7AM |
Day 4 (Lower Bracket Round 1) — Sunday, March 28
Match | PDT | EDT | GMT | AEDT (March 29) |
100 Thieves 3-0 Dignitas | 1PM | 5PM | 8PM | 7AM |
Day 5 (Upper Bracket Round 2) — Saturday, April 3
Match | PDT | EDT | GMT | AEST (April 4) |
Cloud9 3-1 Liquid | 12PM | 4PM | 7PM | 5AM |
Day 6 (Lower Bracket Round 2) — Sunday, April 4
Match | PDT | EDT | GMT | AEST (April 5) |
TSM 3-1 100 Thieves | 12PM | 4PM | 7PM | 5AM |
Day 7 (Lower Bracket Final) — Saturday, April 10
Match | PDT | EDT | GMT | AEST (April 11) |
Liquid 3-1 TSM | 12PM | 4PM | 7PM | 5AM |
Day 8 (Mid-Season Showdown Grand Final) — Sunday, April 11
Match | PDT | EDT | GMT | AEST (April 12) |
Cloud9 3-2 Team Liquid | 12PM | 4PM | 7PM | 5AM |
LCS 2021 Mid-Season Showdown: teams
All six competing LCS teams have now submitted their playoff lineups, with the roster lock for the competition coming at the conclusion of the regular season.
Team | Top | Jungle | Mid | AD Carry | Support |
100 Thieves | Ssumday | Closer | Ryoma | FBI | Huhi |
Cloud9 | Fudge | Blaber | Perkz | Zven | Vulcan |
Dignitas | FakeGod | Dardoch | Soligo | Neo | aphromoo |
Evil Geniuses | Impact | Svenskeren | Jiizuke | Deftly | IgNar |
Team Liquid | Alphari | Santorin | Jensen | Tactical | CoreJJ |
TSM | Huni | Spica | PowerOfEvil | Lost | SwordArt |