Commentator Hoang Luan is undoubtedly a familiar name to fans following the Vietnamese League of Legends tournament. During the intense and surprising VCS Summer 2020 season, his name has become widely recognized with predictions that “capture the heart.”
Recently, we had a brief conversation with this coach, partly to “decode” the spiritual mysteries surrounding his predictions, and the other part, more seriously, was to listen to Hoang Luan’s insights, predictions, and feelings about the current state of professional League of Legends in Vietnam.
Hello Hoang Luan! First of all, congratulations on maintaining your “Gia Cat Du” performance during the recent VCS matches. As the readers may know, commentator Hoang Luan is also known by the nickname “Pelu” thanks to his prediction accuracy that rivals the legendary footballer Pelé. So, may I ask you, Luan, are your predictions about the results of the VCS matches based on any expert assessments, or are they simply predictions… “for fun”?
Hello readers. To answer the question correctly, it is indeed for fun. Because out of the 8 matches each week, some are based on expert assessments, while others are often more intuitive.
Indeed, the developments in each League of Legends match are always unpredictable, but that is also what makes this esports discipline exciting in particular and sports in general. So, in your opinion, which name will bring the most surprises in this VCS Summer 2020?
Before the season started, I paid quite a bit of attention to Gloryy from Percent; at this point, he is performing very well despite being a rookie.
Although I know this question could create “enmity” with many fans of the teams in the VCS, could you once again provide your insights and evaluations on the overall state of League of Legends this season? Which names are most likely to compete for the championship?
This could be the most intense season ever, with more than 3 teams genuinely having the chance to become champions: Team Flash, GAM, Team Secret, EVOS, and CERBERUS.
Let’s be serious for a moment and discuss more specific issues. The current VCS landscape sees two names at completely opposite extremes: GAM Esports, which has lost many star players, is performing excellently, while the defending champion Team Flash, despite adding many stars, seems to be losing their identity. In your opinion, what is the reason for this? Is FL really facing issues with team cohesion?
At this stage, it’s likely that FL is lacking cohesion. In a League of Legends team, the two positions that require the most synergy are the bottom lane and the jungle/mid lane duo, and FL has made changes around these areas, so it’s completely understandable that they are struggling at the beginning of the season.
Since the 2017 World Championship, VCS has not made significant progress on the international stage. Experts still assert that individually, Vietnamese League of Legends stars do not lag behind players from regions like LEC or LCS, so what is VCS lacking to overcome the skill barrier with the rest?
As we reach the 10th season of the World Championship, individual skill of each player is no longer the most important issue; rather, it’s the depth of the team’s strategy and the players’ competitive mindset. If we can improve these two factors, VCS will have a chance to perform better at international tournaments.
What is your assessment of the current young players in VCS? Do you think they have what it takes to follow in the footsteps of their predecessors?
Absolutely, but they need a quality coaching staff to develop in the right direction.
There’s a rather sensitive issue right now, which is the quality of League of Legends commentators at VETV. Many viewers believe that the new commentators currently do not bring the same excitement and engagement as the veteran commentators like Hoang Luan, Manh An, Duc Manh, or Le Khoi. Can you share your thoughts on this issue?
This issue is likely due to the audience being too accustomed to the old faces and voices, making it difficult to accept new ones or to be more critical of them.
Let’s move on to some more personal questions. Are you still trying hard at League of Legends? If so, what is your favorite champion and your current rank?
I am still trying to climb out of Gold in both the jungle and support roles. My favorite champion is Ahri.
In the past, there was a time when you and former coach Tinikun announced to “stop playing” together due to the controversies between GAM Esports and the VCS organizers, but after some time, both of you interacted again on social media. Can you share about your current relationship with Tinikun?
Currently, I collaborate with Wescan, where Tini also works; our relationship is now a professional partnership.
As someone who has been involved in Esports for a long time, can you tell us what the most memorable milestone in the history of professional League of Legends in Vietnam that you have witnessed is, and what your feelings were at that time?
Perhaps the moment of the first international event of League of Legends in Vietnam, Da Nang 2012, is very meaningful to me as it was the beginning of everything. Additionally, for me, it was the first major offline event, so the emotions were very special.
Finally, do you have any messages for the fans of League of Legends in Vietnam and our readers?
Thank you all for accompanying League of Legends Vietnam over the past 8 years. I hope the next journey of League of Legends will continue to receive support from everyone.
Thank you, commentator Hoang Luan, for this interview! We hope to soon witness the fierce competition for the championship in VCS Summer as you have predicted.
