Before the Lunar New Year break, Gen.G was the only team undefeated in the LCK Spring 2024. Many thought that the recent changes would make it difficult for the reigning LCK champions to adapt, but Gen.G proved the opposite. Canyon and Kiin also had outstanding matches and showed they integrated well with their new teammates. Notably, on the very first day, Gen.G showcased their strength against T1, the new champions of the League of Legends scene after winning the 2023 Worlds.
However, some fans believe that Gen.G will still struggle even if they make it to MSI again. The argument is that Gen.G is extremely inflexible in building strategies against different opponents, especially when playing internationally. A prime example comes from the 2023 Worlds, where Gen.G suffered a defeat against Bilibili Gaming and was eliminated in a shocking manner.
Specifically, even though Doran secured Aatrox—a champion that has been very strong throughout many seasons—and BLG allowed Gen.G to have Yone in Chovy’s hands, BLG lost the game primarily due to the outstanding performance of Peyz and Doran. Chovy’s Yone in game 3 had almost no impact, despite being expected to be a major source of damage. This clearly indicated that BLG had found a way to counter Chovy. This was repeated in the deciding game when BLG let Gen.G have a very strong lineup, including Akali (Chovy), Gnar (Doran), and Kai’Sa (Peyz). However, all three lanes of Gen.G collapsed.
Gen.G is a team that plays very strictly according to strategies and can sometimes appear rigid. Their champion bans and picks are not very diverse, except for some surprises like Lehends using Singed. Identifying key players in the team (Chovy and Peyz) also “helps” other teams study and counter Gen.G more easily.
Moreover, in the international arena, teams all have many variables. The reigning champions’ inability to adapt to different opponents, or the necessary boldness, stands in stark contrast to T1’s strengths. Perhaps no one has forgotten that T1 did not hesitate to use support ADC picks at the recent 2023 Worlds, even though every match was a do-or-die situation.
Gen.G’s weaknesses have, in fact, led to their defeats multiple times, notably at two international tournaments last year. They may qualify for MSI 2024 and, further down the line, Worlds 2024, but whether they can achieve good results remains uncertain.