Ahead of the intense 2021 Worlds semifinals, Upcomer ran a global fan poll to rank the top 20 players from the four semifinal teams. Voters scored players on a scale of 1 to 10. With 1,200 votes worldwide, the results brought some surprises.
Notably, Faker placed 6th with a score of 8.30 out of 10. While not a low rank, especially for a 25-year-old player who no longer delivers highlight plays as often as two years ago, Faker’s value now lies in his team play, macro decisions, and being the core of T1’s strategy.
Faker also remains T1’s emotional pillar during crucial moments. However, as mentioned, his age and more reserved playstyle likely kept his score from being higher.
Both T1 and DWG KIA dominate the top 10, except for Ghost (17th, 7.32 points) and Oner (11th, 8.10 points). Ghost had some solid moments but didn’t stand out statistically, while DK’s focus on top lane play and Ghost’s average KDA likely affected his ranking. Oner, in his first Worlds and first year on T1’s main roster, impressively ranked above all other junglers in the semifinals except Canyon.
At 10th place is BeryL with 8.13 points. Known for roaming and ganking across the map rather than just protecting the ADC, BeryL’s playstyle fits perfectly with DK’s strategy, ensuring their carries get maximum resources.
In the top 5, Keria and Gumayusi sit at 4th and 5th with 9.05 and 8.93 points. Their spot is well deserved as they form the highest KDA bot lane duo at Worlds 2021 so far. Keria, the support, even outperforms Gumayusi, the ADC. The community widely regards Keria as the best support in the world right now, while Gumayusi is helping T1 fans forget Teddy’s absence.
Third place goes to Khan with 9.14 points. At 25 and about to start his military service, Khan has just 10 games left to finally claim the Worlds title that has eluded him during his peak years. He’s proven himself as the best top laner at Worlds 2021, boasting impressive stats like solo kills, pentakills, and first blood participation, and remains a key figure in DK’s top lane-focused playstyle.
Second place is ShowMaker with 9.42 points. This ranking fits well as ShowMaker has consistently shown his skill since DK’s 2020 Worlds win. During the group stage, he outplayed veteran Doinb of FunPlus Phoenix with creative picks, even though Doinb is no slouch among midlaners at this Worlds.
At number one is jungler Canyon with 9.47 points. He was the best jungler in the group stage, but in the three games against MAD Lions, Canyon was the true star behind DK’s dominant wins, even outshining ShowMaker and Khan. His performance even surpassed his group stage form. The big question now is whether Canyon can defend his Worlds title with DK or if challengers like Oner, Clid, or Jiejie will stop the Korean “God of the Jungle.”
FAN VOTED PLAYER RANKINGS FOR WORLDS 2021 SEMIFINALS
1. Canyon (9.47)
2. ShowMaker (9.42)
3. Khan (9.14)
4. Keria (9.05)
5. Gumayusi (8.93)
6. Faker (8.30)
7. Bdd (8.26)
8. Viper (8.25)
9. Canna (8.17)
10. BeryL (8.13)
11. Oner (8.10)
12. Ruler (7.99)
13. Meiko (7.77)
14. Scout (7.73)
15. Jiejie (7.51)
16. Clid (7.37)
17. Ghost (7.32)
18. Life (7.09)
19. Flandre (6.93)
20. Rascal (5.94)
