The fact that Vietnamese League of Legends players are going abroad continues to surprise the community, but it’s not entirely unfamiliar. Currently, many Vietnamese League of Legends players have had the opportunity to compete internationally. However, the most successful player to date is probably SofM – the Vietnamese jungler currently playing for Weibo Gaming in the LPL – the highest-level League of Legends tournament in China.
However, while the European and American markets or the Chinese region are known for having a very high number of foreign players, the Korean League of Legends scene is a tougher destination. The LCK has historically had very few cases of foreign players joining teams from outside. The main reason is that South Korea does not lack talented esports players, including in League of Legends. Korean players are selected and trained from a very young age. Moreover, the competition in the LCK is extremely fierce. Therefore, there are very few spots for foreign players to break into teams in the LCK, not to mention those at the top level.
Recently, the Vietnamese League of Legends community had the opportunity to “shine” as player Đặng “TLong” Thành Long officially joined the Fredit BRION Challengers team. TLong also becomes the first Vietnamese player to compete for a team in South Korea’s LCK CL. Additionally, BRO’s social media also announced this deal. For those who may not know, TLong was born in 2003 and plays in the mid-lane position.
This can be seen as a huge surprise for the Vietnamese League of Legends community. Not only because a Vietnamese player now has the chance to compete in the LCK CL – the second-tier tournament of League of Legends in Korea, just after the LCK, but it also serves as a prime example of the narrowing gap between Vietnamese League of Legends and the larger regions worldwide.
However, getting to South Korea is one thing. TLong will definitely have to compete hard to secure a starting position in the BRO Challengers lineup, even though this roster consists entirely of young names. Nevertheless, the Vietnamese League of Legends community is certainly very excited, and everyone hopes TLong will find success in a foreign land.