What we learned from the Wild Rift Horizon Cup so far

The Wild Rift Horizon Cup kicked off on Nov. 13 with a best-of-three series between China’s Da Kun Gaming and Vietnam’s SBTC Esports. Since then, there have been more than 10 series played within the two groups. After Day 3 of the Horizon Cup, only Da Kun Gaming have qualified for the knockout stages in Group A.

Meanwhile, the race is still wide open in Group B for all teams except eBRO Gaming. After three losses and just one more game left, eBRO’s elimination fate looks sealed already. With five knockout spots still left open, there is a lot left to play for as the group stage comes to an end.

For anyone looking to catch up, here are the major key takeaways from the Wild Rift Horizon Cup so far.

China’s dominance extends to mobile

The first few days of the first Wild Rift International tournament have shown that whether it’s League of Legends or Wild Rift, China is going to reign supreme. The region entered the tournament with ThunderTalk Gaming and DKG, and both teams are yet to lose. Spark Invitational champions, DKG already look like the team to beat at the Horizon Cup. They have not dropped a single game in any series and also hold the record for some of the fastest games.

Furthermore, the team’s success mostly comes from their star jungler Fangjun “Huiba” Li. Da Kun’s playstyle is mostly centered around Huiba, and the jungler keeps giving them reasons to do so. The four-time MVP is always where he needs to be on the map and always steps in to protect his baron and mid laners.

Also, his last pick against Tribe Gaming in Game 1 (Rengar) helped the team secure early advantages and ultimately win the game. It also showed that Huiba always has an answer for teams who ban Jax against him. After winning three out of three, DKG need just one more win to advance directly to the semifinals.

SEA champions missing on the international stage

The SEA region has been a force to reckon with in most mobile esports and fans were expecting the same in Wild Rift.  Given how competitive the region is, these expectations were well-founded. However, after three days at the Horizon Cup, the SEA champions and first seed SBTC Esports are yet to win a single game. They lost both games against DKG and KT Rolster. They now have to win against TSM FTX and Tribe to keep the knockout stage dreams alive.

Regardless of what happens, SEA fans still have Team Secret in Group B. The second seed team continues to improve throughout the event and needs just one more win to advance to the next stage.

Tribe Gaming need a miracle for knockouts

Heading into Wild Rift Horizon Cup, North America’s Tribe Gaming were considered underdogs and have not proven otherwise so far. Their defeat to TSM in their opening game came as a surprise to many fans after they had a good first game. Moreover, they looked completely disjointed in the series against DKG. With just two games and two spots left, Tribe must play the perfect series against SBTC and Rolster to boost their qualification chances.

Additionally, it feels like most teams at the Wild Rift Horizon Cup, except DKG, are still trying to find what works best for them in the meta. This factor makes DKG look one step ahead of everyone in the tournament. Nonetheless, KT Rolster, ThunderTalk and Team Secret are also teams to watch out for as the tournament continues.

Wild Rift Horizon Cup scores