HLE Superstar Only Joins Top Teams but Has Never Achieved This
In the recent match between HLE and T1, while T1 showcased five players performing at their absolute best, HLE presented a completely contrasting picture. The “Orange” players either made individual mistakes or collective errors. Among them, all five players of HLE, who are considered stable stars, played as if they were amateurs. And among these, one name is making many realize that he is not as extraordinary as expected, which is Viper.
However, a recent statistic reveals a “harsh” truth: Viper is the only current player from HLE who has played for top teams in both the LPL and LCK regions throughout his career but has never once attended MSI – the international tournament reserved for the top 1 teams (later including top 1 and 2) from each region.
Specifically, throughout his career, Viper has played for Griffin, EDG, and HLE – three teams that have all been top 1 or 2 during their peak times. In fact, EDG even won the World Championship with Viper on the roster, yet Viper has never participated in any MSI tournaments. Broadening the scope, in the former GRF lineup, apart from Sword and Viper, all four other members have attended MSI at least once. Among them, Chovy and Lehends even became champions last year.
The Irony of HLE Superstar
Over the years, especially since winning the World Championship with EDG in 2021 and maintaining stable performance, then joining HLE and achieving good results, Viper has always been regarded as one of the best players in League of Legends. In fact, in the role of Marksman, many HLE fans even refer to him as “number 1”.
But the reality has proven that while Viper is a skilled player and has carried the team numerous times, the number 1 position feels far-fetched for him. There have been instances where Viper “carried the team,” but not many of those resulted in victories for HLE. To be more precise, at those times, Viper was merely the player who showed the most effort.
No one would fully rely on the number of trophies or individual accolades to assess a player, but if he is to be considered number 1, at the very least, Viper should have participated in all of Riot’s highest-level tournaments. If not, the number 1 position for the HLE superstar might always feel forced and provoke much debate.