In recent days, news outlets have been buzzing with information about how the LCK and LPL will select their rosters for the upcoming Asiad 2022. In the LPL, according to several media channels, the Chinese League of Legends community is continuing its “Royal Never Give Up mini” policy, with a core of players from the “Royal Corps” RNG. However, the roster announced by the Chinese media may not be accurate as it lacks the player considered the “brain” behind RNG’s gameplay – Ming.
Meanwhile, the LCK is in an uproar over the cumbersome working methods of KeSPA (Korea Esports Association) in selecting players for the national team for Asiad 2022. Currently, all 10 names on the final list have started training together. However, due to KeSPA’s unclear and complicated schedule, all that these 10 players, including Faker himself, can do during training is… play ARAM and split into teams for fun.
What the 10 selected players for the Korean team have managed to do together so far is play ARAM and split teams to have fun on Summoner’s Rift.
So while China, South Korea, and Taiwan (appointing coach Warhorse for the national team) have already begun preparing for the Asiad 2022 campaign, VCS – a region with a strong League of Legends scene in Asia – remains “silent”. But what plans does Vietnam’s League of Legends have for the first Asian Games where Esports will be competing for medals?
Establish a qualifying tournament similar to SEA Games 31
This is one option that VCS can consider. However, compared to SEA Games 31, the current phase is somewhat more urgent. An example illustrating the issue of too many tournaments happening simultaneously is the case of the LPL. The situation in the LPL is even more pressing as the country continues to battle COVID-19. Not long ago, Doinb stated that the Summer Split schedule of the LPL might be extremely short, with some days requiring teams to play 3 to 4 BO3 matches to keep up. In the VCS, if a tournament similar to the SEA Games qualifiers is integrated, players will have to prepare for the Summer 2022 season while regaining their rhythm after returning from MSI 2022 (especially for GAM Esports, which is focused on SEA Games 31), and beyond that, the 2022 World Championship.
For Vietnamese players, having to compete at such an intense pace will certainly affect their morale, mental state, and physical condition. Moreover, teams will undoubtedly have differing opinions. In continuous matches, unfavorable results can affect the team’s psychology in subsequent matches on the same day or even throughout the tournament. This option is quite risky and could drain the energy of both players and the event management team. Therefore, it is unlikely that VCS will organize a selection round as it did during the recent SEA Games 31.
The Spring/Summer 2022 champion will represent at Asiad 2022
In recent days, the LCK community has debated extensively about why KeSPA doesn’t simplify things by just sending the whole T1 team and adding one external member, Canyon. However, KeSPA’s goal is to ensure fairness for all players. Moreover, surely every Korean player wants a chance to win gold at Asiad 2022, which would also help them avoid mandatory military service and continue their careers.
But in Vietnam, things are not as complicated. In Vietnam, Esports is still considered an electronic sport, yet it generates a lot of debate. Thus, the burden of medals does not pressure the players. To be fair, the authorities could wait until the Summer 2022 tournament concludes and use the entire champion team as the roster for Asiad 2022. Alternatively, they could even send GAM (currently representing Vietnam at SEA Games 31) to continue representing Vietnam at the upcoming Asiad 2022. This could be seen as a feasible option, and any solution would be reasonable and appropriate.
Audience voting + expert voting
Most League of Legends tournaments, as well as sports events, have a method of selecting the roster through voting, combining audience votes and expert votes. This is one approach that can be considered, although it may sometimes lead to controversy. The reason is that each team will have different fan bases. And in the VCS, it goes without saying that GAM and SBTC Esports are the two teams with the most fans.
This selection method will undoubtedly spark much debate, and the authorities in Vietnamese sports will likely not be keen on such a subjective method. Furthermore, the efforts of players could become futile if judged solely by sentiment. While audience votes may not account for a very high percentage, they will certainly have a certain influence on the voting process. Thus, this may be the least feasible option that Vietnam’s League of Legends would choose to determine the roster for the upcoming Asiad 2022.
