As we know, teams have now begun the final transfer phase of the season. “Blockbuster” deals are eagerly anticipated to explode. Especially, as the reigning champion of Worlds 2023, T1 has one of the fastest personnel closures in recent years. They are one of three LCK teams that have completed their roster for the new season.
But while T1 has secured the future of its players for the 2024 season, fans are now looking at Gen.G – T1’s biggest rival and the current LCK champion. This is because right after the conclusion of the Worlds 2023 journey, Gen.G announced a “Thank you” to a series of their superstars, retaining only the young player Peyz. It can be said that Gen.G is ready for a “blood change,” after three incredibly successful LCK seasons but coming up empty at the international stage.
Accordingly, there are some reliable reports from sources familiar with the Korean scene that Gen.G will bring in many superstars next season, such as Canyon, Kiin, or welcoming back the “Guardian” Lehends for the Support position. According to streamer LS, if Chovy agrees to stay, this will be the best roster Chovy has ever competed with in his career. Throughout his years of playing from Griffin, DRX to Hanwha Life Esports and Gen.G, there has always been at least one teammate of Chovy’s who didn’t reach the level worthy of being ranked among the top in the region and the world.
However, many opinions suggest that Chovy’s new team is indeed very strong in terms of skills, experience, and “Worlds DNA.” But there is one thing that Gen.G is still lacking or weak in, which is a player capable of calling the team and leading the entire squad like Faker from T1. Specifically, Kiin, Canyon, and Chovy are certainly not the three players who will fulfill this role. While Peyz is still too young and Lehends is only strong at short calls (brief, situational calls).
Gen.G’s weakness is actually T1’s greatest strength. T1 players may still rank behind a few others when compared on the international stage. But more importantly, they have Faker. In Faker, all the strengths of Gen.G players (skills, experience…) converge, but he is also a brilliant leader, as former SKT T1 star Huni noted, “he can see what others cannot.”
A roster capable of competing for titles and making opponents wary is not just based on individual skills or player reputation, but also on how the game is played and the team’s macro capabilities. No one can imagine how the new Gen.G will perform, but surely, they will no longer have the easy matchups like in their recent encounters with T1.