Just a few days left, LCK Spring 2022 will return after the Lunar New Year break. As of now, Faker and his T1 teammates are rated as the strongest contenders for the championship. T1 has gone undefeated in 6 consecutive matches. Notably, on their impressive journey, Faker and his teammates have defeated many strong teams, such as Nongshim RedForce and DWG KIA – both currently in the top 4. Specifically, DK is the defending LCK champion of 2021 and also the runner-up of Worlds 2021.
It can be said that this year’s LCK Spring 2022 is particularly exciting. T1 is reviving under the energy of young players while other teams are also undergoing many changes. Gen.G Esports, with an all-star lineup, is considered the biggest rival to Faker and his teammates this season. Notably, in the first week after the Lunar New Year break, T1 will face Gen.G. A victory against Gen.G will not only solidify T1’s championship ambitions but also affirm the absolute strength of Faker and his teammates in this LCK season.
However, T1’s ambitions are under threat. The issue does not come from any team but rather from the Covid-19 pandemic. Specifically, just as teams entered the Lunar New Year break, DRX received bad news. Except for Deft, all other official members have contracted Covid-19. It can be said that DRX’s lineup is now severely weakened. Not to mention that they have also parted ways with coach Kim – someone with significant ties to T1 and Faker himself. Bad luck has followed DRX at a time when they were experiencing a strong revival, only to be dealt a critical blow.
Recently, another team has been visited by the “Covid Ghost”. This time it’s Nongshim RedForce. While DRX is currently sitting in the lower half of the standings, NS is in the top 4. Even worse news for NS is that the infected members are two key players, Ghost and Bdd. This will significantly impact NS’s gameplay, which relies on distributing evenly across all lanes, especially as the current meta favors the bot lane. Losing Bdd and Ghost could have a major impact on NS’s performance, particularly as their upcoming opponents are two relatively easy names: Fredit BRION and Kwangdong Freecs. If they cannot score points against these two teams due to the pandemic, NS will face numerous difficulties as in week 5, they will have to face Gen.G and T1.
But this pandemic could also make T1 an “unwilling victim”. As their opponents are weakened, when they return, these players may not reach 100% performance. And if T1 faces teams that cannot perform at their peak, the championship (if achieved) will lose some of its prestige. Even though Faker and his teammates will fight with all their strength, and so will their opponents. However, the impact of Covid-19 will leave scars, and until then, it remains uncertain what the situation will be for the players who have contracted the virus.
Secondly, with the sudden surge of the pandemic within LCK, the health of players in this tournament, particularly T1, is a major concern. The pandemic does not spare anyone, and many fans are worried that if T1’s members happen to contract the virus, they will face numerous difficulties. Although T1’s lineup has gone through some changes in the last offseason transfer window, they still remain quite fragile. The only backup for T1 is Asper – Support. Suppose players like Gumayusi, Zeus, Oner, or even Faker encounter health issues, T1 will have almost no suitable replacement plan. That is why T1 has recently announced the cancellation of the Victory Road event to ensure the health of their players.
It can be said that Spring 2022 is the best season for T1 since the team rebranded. Faker and his teammates are considered strong contenders for the championship. But very likely, T1’s crowning moment will be “disrupted” by none other than the “enemy” named Covid-19.