EVOS Esports has always been known as a team with a very structured playstyle under the guidance of coach Violet. However, bringing Zeros into the lineup has caused more harm than good for the team; while they have gained media attention, their performance in VCS Summer 2020 has been dismal, having gone completely winless after 4 matches.
One thing we need to mention is that Zeros seems unwilling, or worse, unaware of how to use tanky champions or engage champions. In yesterday’s match, there were many times Zeros could have chosen Ornn, Wukong… even Kennen to ensure good combat potential. However, he stubbornly stuck to his damage-dealing champions, which inadvertently affected his teammates.
Sorn had to pay more attention to the top lane of Zeros instead of doing what he does best, which is controlling vision. Support Bie was forced to play engage champions to ensure his team could take the initiative, which meant that ADC Divkid was rarely protected and couldn’t farm freely even if he was ahead. It was like a domino effect collapsing on EVOS Esports.
Zeros’ overly one-dimensional champion selections make it easy for opponents to counter him. In game 2 with the champion Akali, Zeros was almost completely shut down in lane and continuously “fed”. By the time team fights occurred, he couldn’t threaten the carries from Team Flash. Kati’s Ryze was ahead early and could withstand damage, while Slayder, despite being behind, positioned excellently. What could Akali do when faced with Pantheon and Trundle?
Watching Zeros wander around near the dragon pit unable to do anything while the opponents charged in to wipe out the remaining 4 members of EVOS was disheartening. If only Zeros could play champions that could create more chaos in fights, EVOS might have secured their first victory by now.
Moving into game 3, Zeros further “dropped the ball” earlier, diving into a turret in a very amateurish manner and easily being tricked by Stark, resulting in his death and a complete disadvantage against Wukong. Luckily for EVOS, Pake played exceptionally well with precise Sonic Waves, giving them an advantage in fights. This also relieved some pressure off Zeros later on since Stark couldn’t keep him down 24/7 in the top lane.
However, when EVOS had a glimmer of hope to secure a win, EGO’s excellent Smite secured victory for Team Flash. It’s worth noting that to stop EGO, Pake had to use Sonic Wave from outside the Baron pit, but it missed, and even though EVOS was in a winning position, they couldn’t fight back against the opponents when their most crucial weapon was lost.
This reverse loss of EVOS Esports speaks volumes; the team has yet to find a way for Zeros to maximize his effectiveness, and conversely, the “demon king” still hasn’t caught up with his team’s playstyle. It’s true that finding the right playstyle takes time, but for EVOS, it is becoming more limited than ever. If this losing streak continues, it’s entirely possible that Zeros will be watching the World Championship from home right after the group stage.