From One of the Oldest League of Legends Teams in Asia
When it comes to League of Legends in Asia, many fans likely default to the LCK – LPL and some regions that often make an impression when stepping onto the international stage, such as VCS or PCS. However, the APAC region still has LJL and LCO, which have also built a long-standing League of Legends legacy. Admittedly, their international achievements are not significant, but that does not negate the contributions of teams from these regions to the growth of League of Legends. Among them, DetonatioN FocusMe stands out as a veteran name from LJL.
Recently, DFM failed in their last chance to compete for a spot at the 2024 World Championship, marking the first time since 2020 that they will not attend the largest international tournament in the League of Legends scene. This not only signifies the collapse of DFM but also indicates a fact that this team is no longer the untouchable giant in LJL. Previously, LJL was eliminated in the playoffs of the Summer Split 2024 by Fukuoka SoftBank HAWKS – a team featuring a former DFM player, Evi. Subsequently, they lost again in the APAC qualifiers playoffs against Frank Esports from LCO.
Even Riot Added Salt to the Wound of This Veteran LoL Team
Having been present in the professional League of Legends scene since 2013, it can be said that the performance in 2024 is the worst for DFM since they formed a complete team and became a regular at international tournaments. At one point, many Vietnamese fans even believed that DFM could defeat representatives from VCS when witnessing the LJL team challenging higher-ranked teams. However, it is noteworthy that several fans from LJL believe that their team’s failure is due to Riot’s changes in the format. Recently, Riot’s representative even made remarks that added salt to DFM’s wounds.
Specifically, ChisinX – the product director of Riot for the APAC region candidly stated: “Many comments on the post (announcing the results from Riot) didn’t watch this year’s LJL. DFM lost the LJL title to SHG – the current team of Evi. Since LJL only has one slot, they don’t have a ticket to Worlds. But they still participated in the APAC playoffs and lost to the 4th seed from PCS. The opportunity was there, and they failed, that’s all. They lost to a team that was previously defeated by Team Bliss, so what’s the reason to dispute?”
In reality, there are opportunities for all teams, and the 2024 Worlds is where the most deserving names gather. Therefore, the fact that DFM lost and was eliminated can only be attributed to their failure to make the most of the opportunities presented to them.