Recently, GAM Esports faced off against Dplus KIA in a “do or die” match for both teams at the 2023 World Championship (Worlds). The reason it’s called a do or die match is that, with a loss, one of the two teams would immediately exit the tournament. If GAM faced less pressure, DK had to tread carefully. After all, they were the “favorite” team and the host, and a loss would undoubtedly send shockwaves through the LCK and the global League of Legends community. Not to mention, the DK players would surely receive a barrage of criticism.
However, in the end, the match was completely one-sided in favor of DK. ShowMaker and his teammates faced no difficulties or scratches as they “annihilated” GAM thoroughly. With two flawless games, DK officially remains in the Worlds 2023. Meanwhile, GAM will have to conclude their journey in Korea after a series of tense and thrilling matches with unpredictable developments.
However, Slayder inadvertently became a frequently mentioned name after GAM’s loss. According to statistics at the 19th minute, the total damage dealt by Slayder up to that point was only 1941 damage. This figure was even lower than that of Alistar, the Support player for Palette, even though Slayder played a poke champion, equipped with multi-target skills and range, while Alistar is a melee champion.
However, some VCS fans argued that DK’s lineup was too cautious and too robust. Moreover, champions like Lee Sin, Rell, or Rumble were too strong for Slayder to make an impact. Nevertheless, he still had a day that was not particularly good. In game 1, the bottom lane duo being dominated too early prevented GAM from executing their desired strategy, leading to their complete downfall against DK.
After all, DK is a strong opponent, and they certainly did not underestimate their rivals like Top Esports or Team Liquid. GAM also put in their best effort, and the loss was fundamentally due to DK being too “outclassed”.