Cloud9 vs Immortals

Next up, we have a match-up that, on paper, isn't all that engaging. In actuality, however, Cloud9 vs. Immortals is definitely a lot more enticing than the overarching narrative would lead you to believe. And, frankly, the reason is quite simple: Immortals have been playing far better than anyone expected. Now, granted, they are by no means a top-tier competitor, but they're surprisingly feisty and have all the right tools to upset — as evidenced by their incredible win over Team Liquid (the inaugural LCS Lock-In champions).

Unfortunately, the hype around IMT didn't last long. In fact, it lasted for just a single day, seeing how they lost to the Golden Guardians immediately afterwards. And, well, it wasn't a good showing either — they were as sloppy as humanly possible, which, in turn, resulted in one of the more entertaining fiestas of 2021. If you're a fan of top-tier competitive League, then it wasn't a pretty sight. If, however, you're partial to watching ten players run around the Rift without any game plan whatsoever, then you must've had a good time. Either way, we saw two shades of Immortals in just as many days. We saw how good they can be when they draft well and execute to a tee. We also saw how out of their depth they are when that isn't the case. They're definitely volatile and inconsistent, but at least their highs are much lower than anyone previously expected, which is certainly a plus. It also means they shouldn't be underestimated, despite their shoddy appearance.

Cloud9, on the other hand, have looked quite good in their first two games of the regular season. They were by no means perfect, but they did what they had to to emerge victorious. All of their success pretty much hinges around Blaber and Zven, which was exactly the case in the LCS Lock-In as well. Fudge is still underwhelming, and Perkz -- despite having a couple of great moments -- still hasn't been performing up to expectations. Heck, he's not even close, but at least he's showing signs of promise. Now, the fact that they so heavily rely on just two players is not a good thing. And we're really putting it mildly here. Then again, Blaber and Zven are so insanely talented (and surprisingly consistent) that it's hard to bet against them. They simply deliver like clockwork, regardless of whom they're up against. Whether this will be enough for C9 to once again challenge Team Liquid for the LCS throne still remains to be seen, tough.

Either way, they have all the right tools to not only take down Immortals but even do so in dominant fashion. They're 2W-0L right now, and getting another win on the board will go a long way towards making a statement and solidifying their spot at the very top of North America. All of that said, don't expect Immortals to go down without a fight. They'll surely trade heavy blows which should, in turn, result in quite an entertaining clash!