In the early days of the new year, VCS fans have been torn apart by the drama between EGO and Zeros. One side relentlessly attacks EGO due to the messages leaked by Zeros, alleging that the CERBERUS Esports player had asked Zeros to fabricate stories, exploiting SofM to “beg for donations” from fans, and that EGO had “taken notice” of Yijin’s girlfriend… Meanwhile, EGO has locked his personal Facebook account but continues to maintain an active Instagram, posting stories in response to Zeros.
However, after the drama has calmed down, the repercussions of this incident are far from insignificant. Although there are no violations of VCS regulations and no one is 100% certain if Zeros’ accusations are accurate or if EGO is the “victim”, it can be said that this drama is nothing short of a “self-destruction” by the player from CES.
Self-Destruction of Image
First, as a professional player, EGO has not behaved in a “gentle, professional” manner as fans have long thought of him. Despite being advised by many senior players in the field, and even his own CES manager telling EGO to remain silent to handle the situation, the player still responded with public posts on social media and stories. Moreover, based on the evidence Zeros provided, EGO remained silent when the former SBTC Esports star suggested reaching out to resolve the issue amicably. Even his teammate RonOP was unable to contact EGO at that time.
This is clearly a strong act of “self-destruction” by EGO. Even if later on, EGO or the parties involved confirm that he is not as Zeros accused, no one will think of him as a discreet player focused on his career like before the drama broke out. In fact, many fans have compared EGO to former GAM player Kriss Kyle, who was also known for spamming statuses filled with content that few understood.
Now that he is back, EGO will undoubtedly be the most mentioned name in all CES matches. At 22 years old, he has never faced a drama as severe as this. Moreover, his career may be at risk now that, besides rivals and senior players he must surpass, and the dream of standing alongside SofM is slowly fading, EGO also has to deal with immense pressure from the audience.
Impact on the Team
Next, there is the impact on the image of CES. It goes without saying that when a key player gets involved in such drama, the team naturally shares the responsibility. CES has also been relatively slow in handling the situation, and in their post, many fans continue to criticize EGO.
Importantly, EGO can be considered one of the most critical factors for CES in their VCS Winter 2021 championship success. EGO caused Levi countless difficulties in their three matchups and set the stage for Artemis, Yado, and Pun to shine. It is almost certain that CES will not dare to risk having EGO play right now, especially with the SEA Games 31 qualifiers just days away. Without EGO, or if he lacks the confidence and performance he once had, CES will face immense difficulties as the jungle role is crucial for a team to operate as smoothly as possible.
And Perhaps the Entire Vietnamese LoL Scene
One undeniable fact is that since the days of SofM and Levi, VCS has lacked a stable jungler. From Meliodas to the most recent BeanJ, these players are talented but have not maintained consistent performance. Throughout various periods, the jungle role has always been immensely important. The lack of a stable jungler, especially with Levi beginning to descend in his career, is genuinely a headache for Vietnamese LoL fans.
And then EGO emerged as a name considered to be the best successor to Levi or SofM. He has already secured two VCS championships in his career and delivered outstanding performances, even against the seasoned jungler Levi. Until before the drama, EGO was seen as a threat to Levi’s SEA Games 31 spot and GAM Esports.
But now, everything seems to be over. Unless EGO overcomes the pressure and performs well. However, as mentioned earlier, CES will certainly not take risks by putting EGO in play. If after this incident, EGO cannot make a comeback, then it can only be blamed on him for having “self-destructed” too strongly, resulting in consequences that affect not only him but also others.
