Zeus’s FMVP title has become a topic of controversy following the T1 drama
At the 2023 Worlds, after a challenging journey, T1 reached the final match of the most prestigious tournament in the League of Legends scene. The finals were completely one-sided, with the championship going to the LCK representative after a swift 3-0 victory. Zeus himself was voted FMVP for his strong performance in this match, facing off against a “Top God” TheShy on the opposing team.
However, after Zeus became the “villain” in the transfer drama with T1, and many of his fans used the FMVP title of 2023 to counter the fans of this team, many T1 fans are beginning to reassess the value of Zeus’s FMVP title.
So, is Zeus’s FMVP really valuable?
First, we must acknowledge a fact: Zeus made significant contributions to help T1 reach the 2023 Worlds. He only truly faded into the background when the meta shifted in 2024. It can be said that in 2023, Zeus still performed at a very high level, among the best in the League of Legends scene.
In fact, the final match of the 2023 Worlds can be described as overwhelmingly one-sided. Weibo Gaming was considered the weakest representative of the LPL that year, and most of the League of Legends community probably viewed the match between T1 and JD Gaming as the real decisive match. In that match, Faker was the one who had the game-defining moment in game 3, which the commentator Hoang Luan’s analysis of the situation has become a “model answer.”
Therefore, it’s hard to blame the audience for channeling their emotions into the semifinals against JDG, while the WBG match felt merely like a “formality.” WBG itself couldn’t win against T1 in any lane. This created a domino effect, and Zeus had enough space, time, and a comfortable mindset to shine, which is not surprising.
That said, this does not mean to deny Zeus’s efforts, especially since his Aatrox once had a stunning “1 vs 4” moment that garnered admiration from many T1 fans at that time. However, precisely because T1 won so swiftly, the feeling among many fans was one of being “unsatisfied.” Consequently, Zeus’s FMVP is also considered to have lost some of its significance.
Especially when compared to Faker’s FMVP in 2024, when the “Demon King” truly revived with the most spectacular highlight plays. In fact, Zeus was also the only player not to join his teammates when pushing into BLG’s base after being taken down earlier.
Furthermore, most importantly, the assertion that Zeus’s FMVP has “lost value” may be somewhat emotional, given that he left T1 in the most unexpected manner. The disappointment led to a sense of loss, and thus, it is understandable that some T1 fans reacted as they did.
However, it would be extremely harsh to deny Zeus’s contributions to T1’s journey. After all, League of Legends is a 5-player game, and each weak link can cause difficulties for the entire team. Zeus left during a transfer season filled with drama, but that is a matter of the transfer season. Before that, one cannot deny the contributions of this 2004-born Top Laner to T1’s historical achievements.