Just a few days remain until the official start of LCK Spring 2022. Similar to their “arch-rivals” in the LPL, the LCK has also seen significant roster changes during the recent off-season transfer window of 2021. Notably, teams like DWG KIA and Gen.G Esports have almost completely revamped their rosters. Therefore, the upcoming Spring 2022 season is expected to be one of the most highly anticipated among fans.
Recently, in a pre-vote event ahead of LCK Spring 2022, the teams in this region selected their candidates for the upcoming championship, with the rule stating that teams cannot choose themselves. The results of this voting were quite surprising: Gen.G and T1 were seen as the top two championship contenders, each receiving 4 votes. Only the coach of KT Rolster – Hirai, and the coach of Hanwha Life Esports – Kezman did not vote for themselves but relied on their players’ votes.
It can be seen that Gen.G and T1 are receiving a lot of expectations from LCK fans in general, as well as their own fans and experts. Gen.G had a lively transfer window, retaining only Ruler, parting ways with all other players, and bringing in many new faces. Among them are 3 members from the powerful Griffin team of 2019 (Doran, Chovy, Lehends) and the LCK Summer 2021 regular season MVP Peanut. The current Gen.G roster has also been noted by Doinb to have a strong performance in scrims with a nearly 100% win rate.
As for T1, they have also parted ways with several players who contributed very little to the team, with the exception of Canna, who remains in the main roster. T1 can currently be seen as a comprehensive blend of young players who are reaching their peak (Gumayusi, Keria) and promising players who need more development (Zeus, Oner). Notably, they still retain the legend Faker – the veteran of the team who has proven his playmaking ability and team calling skills in LCK Summer 2021 as well as the recent World Championship 2021.
However, notably, the defending champion DK has been “left out”. Despite this team having undergone significant changes during the recent transfer window, DK remains a formidable name with the duo ShowMaker – Canyon still intact. Additionally, teams like Nongshim RedForce and Hanwha Life Esports could potentially challenge the top teams. All of this promises a highly competitive LCK Spring 2022, where any misstep could cost teams dearly.