Royal Never Give Up vs Hanwha Life Esports

Betting against Royal Never Give Up at this point in time feels rather ill-advised. Then again, given just how crazy things have been over the last couple of days, it's fair to say that there are no guarantees whatsoever and that most teams are separated by the slimmest or margins. It all boils down to preparation and execution on the day. That's how 100 Thieves took down EDward Gaming, and how Cloud9 and Rogue managed to best FunPlus Phoenix (and had made it look easy, too).

We know who's better than whom, but that matters very little if these teams cannot huddle up on the day and deliver. And, frankly, we've been disappointed more often than not. You want to see utter dominance and consistency from the best teams in the world, and yet that's seldom been the case at this year's Worlds -- for reasons that still elude us. Royal Never Give Up, to their credit, have definitely stood out in all the right ways and have been wholly dominant, even though they've made ample mistakes as well. Still, it's not a mistake per se if there's no one in their group to punish and exploit them.

Hanwha Life, talented though they are, simply aren't on RNG's level. And there's no shame in that -- most teams aren't capable enough to compete on even footing with the 2021 Mid-Season Invitational champions, which is why we're all dying to see them back in action. With EDG faltering (at least ever so slightly) and FPX out of the equation, RNG's chances of (at the very least) reaching the finals have skyrocketed. What'll end up happening is anyone's guess at this point, but one thing is for certain: it won't lack in spectacle.

Hanwha Life will surely challenge this venerable LPL giant, but once push comes to shove they're bound to make a series of mistakes (as was the case up to this point) and give RNG too big of an opening. We've already seen it happen, too, and it's not something that can be fixed in just a few days. The more important question now is: will HLE be able to take down PSG Talon and challenge for that second spot behind Royal Never Give Up, or will they pack their bags and head back home after a relatively acceptable showing on the biggest of stages? It's an endlessly interesting question, and fortunately we won't have to wait long to find out!