# 2021 PCS season

The 2021 PCS season was the second year of the Pacific Championship Series (PCS), a professional esports league for the MOBA PC game League of Legends.
The spring regular season was scheduled to begin on 5 February but was delayed to 19 February due to regional COVID-19 restrictions. The spring split concluded with the spring finals on 18 April.
The summer split began with the first day of the summer regular season on 9 July and concluded with the summer finals on 29 August.
PSG Talon was the PCS' representative at the 2021 Mid-Season Invitational and first seed at the 2021 World Championship. Beyond Gaming was the PCS' second seed at the 2021 World Championship.

## Spring
### Promotion and relegation

The organisers of the PCS announced on 4 August 2020 that a promotion tournament would be introduced for the 2021 season to promote regional competitiveness. Singaporean team Resurgence, which finished tenth in both splits of the 2020 season, had to play a relegation match against Impunity Esports from the Singaporean and Malaysian qualifier. Resurgence was relegated after a close series and Impunity Esports took their spot. Filipino team Liyab Esports, which finished ninth in both splits of the 2020 season, swept Panic Time from the Filipino qualifier in their relegation match and kept their spot.
| Qualification match | Qualification match | Qualification match |
| PCS | Resurgence | 2 |
| QLF | Impunity Esports | 3 |
| PCS | Liyab Esports | 3 |
| QLF | Panic Time | 0 |

### Teams and rosters

ahq eSports Club announced on 6 January 2021 that it would no longer participate in the PCS. Xue "Dinter" Hong-wei, who was previously the jungler for Taipei Assassins and Hong Kong Esports, acquired ahq's spot and created a new team named Beyond Gaming. Nova Esports also withdrew from the league and was replaced by BOOM Esports.
| Teams | Players | Players | Players | Players | Players | Coach(es) |
| Teams | Top | Jungle | Mid | Bot | Support | Coach(es) |
| Alpha Esports | 3Z | kiy1n9 | APEX | AN | Zihan | Taizan Laba |
| Beyond Gaming | Liang PK | Husha | Husky Maoan | Doggo | Kino | Benny |
| J Team | Rest Driver | Hana | Mission | Lilv | Woody | Wei Coldicee |
| Machi Esports | Likai | Gemini | JimieN | Atlen | Koala | Dreamer Gengar |
| Hong Kong Attitude | Rock | Patience Kongyue | B1ven | MnM | Wing | Chawy Reign |
| PSG Talon | Hanabi | River | Maple | Unified | Kaiwing | Helper Winged |
| Berjaya Dragons | Azhi | Enso | Minji | Eren | K2 | Axin |
| BOOM Esports | Rockky | Epic | Ruby | Wako | PoP | Warlock Hammock |
| Impunity Esports | TOPKING | CYH | Shera | Blaze | Smerv | Shiazuri Vainie |
| Liyab Esports | Speltz | DoeDoii | Xyliath Kanji | Dawn | Cresho | Cabbage Tgee |
| Source: LoL PCS official website |||||||

### Regular season standings

* Format: Double round robin, best-of-one
| Pos | Team | W | L | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | PSG Talon | 17 | 1 | 16 | Advance to winners' bracket second round |
| 2 | Beyond Gaming | 16 | 2 | 14 | Advance to winners' bracket second round |
| 3 | Machi Esports | 14 | 4 | 10 | Start in winners' bracket |
| 4 | J Team | 11 | 7 | 4 | Start in winners' bracket |
| 5 | BOOM Esports | 8 | 10 | −2 | Start in winners' bracket |
| 6 | Impunity Esports | 7 | 11 | −4 | Start in winners' bracket |
| 7 | Berjaya Dragons | 6 | 12 | −6 | Start in losers' bracket |
| 8 | Hong Kong Attitude | 5 | 13 | −8 | Start in losers' bracket |
| 9 | Alpha Esports | 5 | 13 | −8 | |
| 10 | Liyab Esports | 1 | 17 | −16 | |
* 1 2 Hong Kong Attitude defeated Alpha Esports in a tiebreaker match.

### Playoffs

* Format: Double elimination
* Winner qualifies for the 2021 Mid-Season Invitational
| Round 1 (BO3) | Round 1 (BO3) | Round 1 (BO3) | Round 2 (BO5) | Round 2 (BO5) | Round 2 (BO5) | Semifinals (WB, BO5) | Semifinals (WB, BO5) | Semifinals (WB, BO5) | | | | Finals (BO5) | Finals (BO5) | Finals (BO5) |
| | | | 1. | PSG Talon | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| 4. | J Team | 2 | R1 | J Team | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| 5. | BOOM Esports | 1 | | | | R2 | PSG Talon | 3 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | R2 | Beyond Gaming | 0 | | | | | | |
| | | | 2. | Beyond Gaming | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| 3. | Machi Esports | 2 | R1 | Machi Esports | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| 6. | Impunity Esports | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6. | Impunity Esports | 0 | | | | | | | | | | WB | PSG Talon | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | LB | Beyond Gaming | 0 |
| Round 1 (BO3) | Round 1 (BO3) | Round 1 (BO3) | Round 2 (BO5) | Round 2 (BO5) | Round 2 (BO5) | Round 3 (BO5) | Round 3 (BO5) | Round 3 (BO5) | Semifinals (LB, BO5) | Semifinals (LB, BO5) | Semifinals (LB, BO5) | LB | Beyond Gaming | 0 |
| | | | R1 | Berjaya Dragons | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| 7. | Berjaya Dragons | 2 | WB | J Team | 3 | | | | R3 | Machi Esports | 2 | | | |
| WB | Impunity Esports | 0 | | | | R2 | J Team | 0 | WB | Beyond Gaming | 3 | | | |
| | | | | | | R2 | Machi Esports | 3 | | | | | | |
| | | | R1 | Hong Kong Attitude | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| 8. | Hong Kong Attitude | 2 | WB | Machi Esports | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| WB | BOOM Esports | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Ranking

| Place | Team | Prize (USD) | Prize share | Qualification |
| 1st | PSG Talon | $30,000 | 37.5% | 2021 Mid-Season Invitational |
| 2nd | Beyond Gaming | $14,000 | 17.5% | |
| 3rd | Machi Esports | $10,000 | 12.5% | |
| 4th | J Team | $7,000 | 8.75% | |
| 5th–6th | Berjaya Dragons | $4,500 | 5.625% | |
| 5th–6th | Hong Kong Attitude | $4,500 | 5.625% | |
| 7th–8th | BOOM Esports | $3,000 | 3.75% | |
| 7th–8th | Impunity Esports | $3,000 | 3.75% | |
| 9th | Alpha Esports | $2,000 | 2.5% | |
| 10th | Liyab Esports | $2,000 | 2.5% | |

## Summer
### Teams and rosters

| Teams | Players | Players | Players | Players | Players | Coach(es) |
| Teams | Top | Jungle | Mid | Bot | Support | Coach(es) |
| Alpha Esports | 3Z | kiy1n9 | Xiaotu | AN | Sheng | Laba |
| Beyond Gaming | Liang PK | Husha | Maoan | Doggo | Kino | Benny Wulala |
| J Team | Rest | Hana | Mission | Lilv | Woody | Wei Coldicee |
| Machi Esports | Likai | Gemini | JimieN | Atlen | Koala | Dreamer Gengar |
| Hong Kong Attitude | Rock | Kongyue | HongSuo Wen Biven | MnM | s1aytrue K | Chawy Manny |
| PSG Talon | Hanabi | River | Maple | Unified | Kaiwing | Helper Winged |
| Berjaya Dragons | Azhi | Enso Arashi | Minji | K2 | Felia | Axin |
| BOOM Esports | Rockky | Alex Holo | Ruby | Wako | Pop | Warlock |
| Impunity Esports | TOPKING | Epic | Moonblack | Blaze | Smerv CraliX | Shiazuri YaLEN |
| Liyab Esports | Speltz Kanji | DoeDoii | Xyliath Kanji | Dawn | Aeiden | Tgee |
| Source: LoL PCS official website |||||||

### Regular season standings

* Format: Double round robin, best-of-one
| Pos | Team | W | L | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | PSG Talon | 18 | 0 | 18 | Advance to winners' bracket second round |
| 2 | Beyond Gaming | 14 | 4 | 10 | Advance to winners' bracket second round |
| 3 | Machi Esports | 14 | 4 | 10 | Start in winners' bracket |
| 4 | BOOM Esports | 11 | 7 | 4 | Start in winners' bracket |
| 5 | J Team | 11 | 7 | 4 | Start in winners' bracket |
| 6 | Hong Kong Attitude | 7 | 11 | −4 | Start in winners' bracket |
| 7 | Berjaya Dragons | 6 | 12 | −6 | Start in losers' bracket |
| 8 | Liyab Esports | 4 | 14 | −10 | Start in losers' bracket |
| 9 | Impunity Esports | 4 | 14 | −10 | |
| 10 | Alpha Esports | 1 | 17 | −16 | |
* 1 2 Beyond Gaming defeated Machi Esports in a tiebreaker match.
* 1 2 BOOM Esports defeated J Team in a tiebreaker match.
* 1 2 Liyab Esports defeated Impunity Esports in a tiebreaker match.

### Playoffs

* Format: Double elimination
* Winner and runner-up qualify for the 2021 World Championship
| Round 1 (BO3) | Round 1 (BO3) | Round 1 (BO3) | Round 2 (BO5) | Round 2 (BO5) | Round 2 (BO5) | Semifinals (WB, BO5) | Semifinals (WB, BO5) | Semifinals (WB, BO5) | | | | Finals (BO5) | Finals (BO5) | Finals (BO5) |
| | | | 1. | PSG Talon | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| 4. | BOOM Esports | 1 | R1 | J Team | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| 5. | J Team | 2 | | | | R2 | PSG Talon | 2 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | R2 | Beyond Gaming | 3 | | | | | | |
| | | | 2. | Beyond Gaming | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| 3. | Machi Esports | 2 | R1 | Machi Esports | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| 6. | Hong Kong Attitude | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6. | Hong Kong Attitude | 1 | | | | | | | | | | WB | Beyond Gaming | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | LB | PSG Talon | 3 |
| Round 1 (BO3) | Round 1 (BO3) | Round 1 (BO3) | Round 2 (BO5) | Round 2 (BO5) | Round 2 (BO5) | Round 3 (BO5) | Round 3 (BO5) | Round 3 (BO5) | Semifinals (LB, BO5) | Semifinals (LB, BO5) | Semifinals (LB, BO5) | LB | PSG Talon | 3 |
| | | | R1 | Hong Kong Attitude | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| 7. | Berjaya Dragons | 0 | WB | J Team | 3 | | | | R3 | J Team | 0 | | | |
| WB | Hong Kong Attitude | 2 | | | | R2 | J Team | 3 | WB | PSG Talon | 3 | | | |
| | | | | | | R2 | Machi Esports | 2 | | | | | | |
| | | | R1 | BOOM Esports | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| 8. | Liyab Esports | 1 | WB | Machi Esports | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| WB | BOOM Esports | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Ranking

| Place | Team | Prize (USD) | Prize share | Qualification |
| 1st | PSG Talon | $30,000 | 37.5% | 2021 World Championship main event |
| 2nd | Beyond Gaming | $14,000 | 17.5% | 2021 World Championship play-in stage |
| 3rd | J Team | $10,000 | 12.5% | |
| 4th | Machi Esports | $7,000 | 8.75% | |
| 5th–6th | BOOM Esports | $4,500 | 5.625% | |
| 5th–6th | Hong Kong Attitude | $4,500 | 5.625% | |
| 7th–8th | Berjaya Dragons | $3,000 | 3.75% | |
| 7th–8th | Liyab Esports | $3,000 | 3.75% | |
| 9th | Impunity Esports | $2,000 | 2.5% | |
| 10th | Alpha Esports | $2,000 | 2.5% | |