Thus, another VCS season has come to a close. However, it can be said that there has never been a VCS season as thrilling as Spring 2024, nor one that has brought so many upheavals and groundbreaking changes for the Vietnamese League of Legends audience. It can be said that the conclusion of VCS Spring 2024, with GAM’s championship, is a testament to the efforts of all parties involved, from the team and players to the members of the tournament organizing committee and Riot. The final match between GAM Esports and Vikings Esports provided excitement and tension until the very last moment.
However, in the context of GAM successfully “revenge” against VKE while taking the crown and securing a spot at MSI 2024, many viewers may have inadvertently noticed one factor: GAM in the final against VKE was very different from themselves when facing SofM and his teammates in the earlier playoff opener. In fact, GAM in this final even had moments of completely “outplaying” VKE’s macro-focused gameplay.
Perhaps, the loss to VKE in the playoff opener was anticipated by GAM. Especially since Emo was not yet fully accustomed to the VCS atmosphere, while EasyLove struggled to reconnect with Levi and Kiaya after being away from GAM for so long. Moreover, SofM’s presence at VKE was a significant variable that GAM needed to solve. Thus, dropping to the losers’ bracket and waiting for an “easier” opponent like Team Whales or Team Secret was a safe choice. Not to mention, by allowing VKE to remain in the winners’ bracket, SofM and his teammates would have to face TW/TS. Both teams are strong and could force VKE to reveal their strategies for GAM to find ways to counter.
In fact, it would not be too far-fetched to posit a “conspiracy theory” suggesting that Riot might have “lightly intervened” in the VCS, especially in a season shrouded in suspicion and negativity. Specifically, when GAM lost the match, many believed that VKE (the team that had just defeated GAM) would be the number one contender for the championship. But then, GAM pulled off a “miracle run.” This not only maximized media coverage of GAM’s “ascent” but also attracted a huge viewership for the final. For those who don’t know, after game 1, there were 262k views recorded on the official VCS YouTube channel and commentator Hoàng Luân’s co-stream.
Furthermore, although League of Legends has always been a team game, the two positions lost by GAM, Mid Lane and ADC, are both rookies. Meanwhile, Kiaya and Levi remain present. Emo is becoming increasingly mature, and GAM has good substitutes in EasyLove and Elio, both of whom are experienced players. In contrast, both TS and VKE lost significant positions. VKE suffered the heaviest losses among the four playoff teams to the point where they had to bring in Fireblade, a player who had just participated in “grassroots” competitions. And for a player like Fireblade, simply avoiding continuous solo kills or pressure from Kiaya would be a significant success.
Of course, these are merely “conspiracy theories” put forth by the community. However, it cannot be denied that GAM rose to the top in a season filled with much discussion. And because of this, GAM’s performance at MSI 2024 will be scrutinized even more, meaning the pressure on Levi and his teammates will be even greater than before.