Before the VCS representatives set off for Mexico and New York to participate in the Play-In and Group Stage of the World Championship (Worlds) 2022, Vietnamese fans were eager for their teams to achieve new milestones. Both GAM Esports (GAM) and Saigon Buffalo (SGB) brought what can be called the strongest lineup in League of Legends (LoL) Vietnam today.
However, both VCS representatives somewhat fell short of their pre-established goals. SGB could not advance past the Group Stage; aside from two wins against teams from smaller regions, the “Buffalo” lost to all remaining opponents like DRX, Royal Never Give Up (RNG), and MAD Lions. Meanwhile, GAM also did not reach the Quarterfinals, finishing with a record of 1 win – 5 losses.
Although this may be viewed as not a particularly successful Worlds for the VCS region, the Vietnamese representatives still made a significant impression. In the Play-In Stage, Shogun was the second player to achieve a Pentakill (one player can eliminate the entire opposing team within a certain time). As of now (after the conclusion of the Group Stage), no third player has matched this achievement.
But even more commendable, and surprising to the entire global LoL community, was GAM’s victory against TOP Esports (TES) – the powerful representative from the LPL and a top contender for the Worlds 2022 championship. Recently, League of Legends fans selected GAM’s comeback victory against TES as the standout performance of the recent Group Stage matches.
Not only was it an outstanding performance, but GAM’s victory was also a strong affirmation that VCS teams can perform well if adequately prepared. However, the GAM players are certainly not satisfied with just one victory against TES at Worlds 2022. GAM’s current season has ended, but if they want to perform better in upcoming tournaments, GAM in particular and VCS teams in general will need to strive much harder.