Ahead of the MSI 2023, the LCK region is considered a top contender for the championship. Both Gen.G and T1 this year boast incredibly strong rosters and are the only region with both representatives already in the Group Stage. Not to mention, T1 has experience at MSI after reaching the finals last year. Meanwhile, Chovy and his teammates are in peak form after successfully defending the LCK Spring 2023 championship.
For the international League of Legends community, the LCK is also seen as slightly ahead of the LPL. This assessment is based on the performance of the four teams representing the two regions in this tournament. Both T1 and Gen.G have faced several challenging matches, but fundamentally, their performance has been more consistent compared to JD Gaming and Bilibili Gaming. In the previous season, both JDG and BLG encountered numerous obstacles on their journeys. At one point, both teams made fans believe they might not even make it to MSI.
Moreover, many players on both teams have never set foot in MSI before. The first international tournament of the year for the League of Legends scene gathers champions from various regions. Additionally, with the competition format having changed, MSI 2023 will be even more rigorous. Players will have to compete in long and intense BO3 and BO5 series. And when matches drag on, mistakes become almost inevitable.
However, according to some opinions, the LPL could certainly clinch the MSI 2023 championship, and the reason lies with… the LCK teams themselves. Since 2017, no LCK team has won the MSI championship. During the same period, they have secured two World Championship titles for the Korean League of Legends scene.
The LCK’s “unluckiness” in tournaments like MSI 2023 has been explained by the fact that they have previously adhered to prevalent playstyles and certain strategies. The teams have been quite rigid, while MSI 2023 will utilize a completely different version compared to the Spring Split. Thus, due to their inability to adapt quickly, LCK teams have not achieved favorable results.
However, just because the LCK has not won the MSI championship in a long time does not mean other teams can be complacent. T1 and Gen.G are among the strongest teams in the League of Legends scene today. They are fully capable of punishing the mistakes of any opponent, even if they are the best names from the LPL.